5»?r «— -v  i 


/       LIBRARY  OF  THE       > 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


w-*CfeS$V 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 


OF 


PIKE  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


BY 


CAPT.   M.    D.    MASSIE, 


TOGETHER  WITH 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES 


OF  MANY  OF  ITS  PROMINENT  AND  LEADING  CITIZENS  AND  ILLUSTRIOUS  DEAD 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO: 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  CO. 
1906 


DEDICATION 

To  the  good  people  of  Pike  county,  old  and  young, 
who  are  proud  of  your  homes  and  citizenship,  and  those 
of  you,  who  knew  some  of  the  pioneers  and  the  notable 
citizens  of  the  past,  many  of  you  who  are  their  suc- 
cessors and  representatives,  who  lovingly  appreciate 
the  labors  of  the  early  pioneers  and  progressive  citizens 
of  the  old  county,  for  their  life  services  in  your  and  the 
county's  interests,  this  work  is  respectfully  dedicated, 
BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


PRBFACB. 


T 


HE  publishers  take  pride  in  presenting  this  volume  to  the  public.  The  historical  part  is 
the  work  of  Capt.  Al.  D.  Massie,  of  New  Canton,  and  the  citizens  of  the  county 
are  to  be  congratulated  on  his  services  being  secured  by  the  publishers,  as  no  man 
in  the  county  is  better  qualified  for  the  task.  A  perusal  of  the  volume  will  show 
that  his  work  is  well  done. 

The  biographical  part  of  the  work  is  the  compilation  of  well  qualified  men,  those 
long  experienced  in  the  business.  They  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women 
who  have,  by  their  enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  a  rank  second  to 
none  among  those  comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of 
their  life  struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent 
public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation  of 
coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and 
economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing 
an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an  influence  extending  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of 
life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have  become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in 
every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and  records  how  success  has  usually 
crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very  many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the 
world,  have  pursued  the  "even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content  to  have  it  said  of  them,  as  Christ 
said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy  —  "They  have  done  what  they  could."  It 
tells  how  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood,  left  the  plow  and  the  anvil,  the 
lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  •  efforts  the  Union  was 
restored  and  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every 
woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from 
the  fact  that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which 
would  otherwise  be  inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work 
and  every  opportunity  possible  given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has 
been  written;  and  the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with 
few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of 
representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volumt. 
For  this  the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some 
refused  to  give  the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent. 
Occasionally  some  member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such 
opposition  the  support  of  the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  never 
could  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 
March,  1906.  THE  5.  j.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  Co. 


PRESENT  COURTHOUSE 


Historical. 


INTRODUCTION. 

When  the  Divine  Master  dispersed  the  waters 
and  said,  "Let  there  be  light,"  the  western  hem- 
isphere appeared  and  later  was  known  as  America. 
Then  as  the  centuries  rolled  by  and  civilization 
began  its  march  Illinois  was  defined  and  in  that 
great  state  Pike  county  was  given  a  boundary  and 
a  name,  and  now  with  the  aid  of  the  printer's  art, 
old  Pike  will  be  given  its  proper  place  in  a  home 
history,  and  its  progress  and  development  will  be 
carefully  chronicled  for  this  and  the  generations 
that  are  to  come.  The  work  will  be  as  follows : 
First,  Illinois ;  second,  Pike  county ;  third,  town- 
ships; fourth,  river  history;  fifth,  war  history; 
sixth,  railroad  history;  seventh,  county  officials'; 
eighth,  old  settlers'  society;  ninth, California  argo- 
nauts ;  tenth,  banks  and  bankers ;  eleventh,  bench 
and  bar;  twelfth,  illustrious  dead;  thirteenth, 
churches  and  schools ;  fourteenth,  sny  levee 
history;  fifteenth,  miscellaneous. 


ILLINOIS. 

For  one  hundred  and  two  years,  from  1673  to 
1765,  the  French  possessed  Illinois.  From  1700 
to  1719  Illinois  was  a  dependency  of  Canada  and 
part  of  Louisiana  with  the  government  a  theoc- 
racy ;  from  1763  to  1765  under  French  control, 
and  from  1765  to  1778  under  British  dominion. 
In  1778  it  was  known  as  Illinois  county  in  the 
state  of  Virginia.  The  county  of  Illinois  then 
contained  all  the  territory  that  is  now  Ohio,  Indi- 


ana, Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan.  In  De- 
cember, 1778,  Governor  Patrick  Henry  of  Vir- 
ginia appointed  John  Todd  lieutenant  command- 
ant of  Illinois  county.  On  March  i,  1784,  Vir- 
ginia ceded  all  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio 
river  to  the  United  States.  Then  the  general 
government  proceeded  to  establish  a  form  of 
government  for  the  settlers  in  the  new  territory 
which  remained  until  the  famous  ordinance  of 
1787  was  passed.  The  third  and  sixth  sections 
of  the  much  discussed  ordinance  in  the  past  im- 
presses one  with  the  fact  that  men  of  divine  sen- 
timent were  the  authors,  who  are  said  to  be  Na- 
than Dane,  Rufus  King  arid  Timothy  Pickering. 
Thomas  Jefferson  and  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler,  of 
Massachusetts,  were  perhaps  two  who  did  most 
for  the  passage  of  the  resolution  that  did  so  much 
for  the  northwestern  territory.  A  portion  of  sec- 
tion three  reads  thus:  "Religion,  morality  and 
knowledge  being  necessary  to  good  government 
and  the  happiness  of  mankind  schools  and  the 
means  of  education  shall  be  forever  encouraged." 
A  part  of  section  six  reads :  "There  shall  be 
neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the 
said  territory.  Otherwise  than  in  the  punishment 
of  crime  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted." 

From  1780  to  1809  Illinois  was  a  part  of  the 
Indiana  territory.  The  population  of  the  terri- 
tory in  1800  was :  whites  4,875,  negroes  135,  In- 
dians 100,000.  The  boundaries  of  the  Indiana 
territory  extended  to  the  British  possessions  and 
included  what  is  now  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Michi- 
gan and  Indiana.  The  capital  was  at  Vincennes 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


and  there  were  three  counties,  Knox,  St.  Clair  and 
Randolph.  The  latter  two  in  Illinois.  During 
this  period  Governor  William  Henry  Harrison 
did  great  service  in  the  allotments  of  the  public 
lands  that  were  very  beneficial  to  the  early  set- 
tlers' whose  means  were  very  limited. 

He  also  aided  in  the  division  of  the  territory. 
In  1805  Aaron  Burr  made  a  treasonable  move  to 
found  his  southwestern  empire  but  failed.  In 
1809  Illinois  by  act  of  congress  was  made  a  sepa- 
rate territory,  John  Boyle  was  appointed  gover- 
nor but  declined,  to  accept  a  judgeship  in  the 
Kentucky  court  of  appeals.  Ninian  Edwards, 
upon  the  recommendation  of  Henry  Clay,  was  ap- 
pointed territorial  governor  by  President  Madi- 
son. Its  population  was  estimated  at  9,000. 
The  census  of  1810  made  it  12,282;  11,500 
whites,  168  negro  slaves.  It  is  said  that  the 
largest  part  of  the  territory  was  filled  by  a  roving 
band  of  Indian  savages  that  outnumbered  the 
whites  three  to  one.  At  this  period  territorial 
revenue  was  raised  by  a  tax  on  the  land.  The 
land  on  the  river  bottoms  was  taxed  one  dollar 
on  every  one  hundred  acres,  uplands  were  seven- 
ty-five cents  on  the  one  hundred  acres.  Horses 
were  taxed  not  to  exceed  fifty  cents  per  head  and 
cattle  ten  cents.  The  entire  revenue  1811  to  1814 
was  four  thousand  eight  hundred  seventy-five  dol- 
lars forty-five  cents,  only  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred sixteen  dollars  and  eighty-nine  cents  paid 
in  to  the  treasury  two  thousand  three  hundred 
seventy-eight  dollars  forty-seven  cents  remained 
in  the  hands  of  deliquent  sheriffs.  This  conduct 
of  the  sheriffs  remained  a  curse  for  many  years 
after  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state.  Illinois 
had  her  first  constitutional  convention  at  Kaskas- 
kia  in  July,  1818,  and  the  fifteen  counties,  St. 
Clair,  Randolph,  Madison,  Gallatin,  Johnson, 
Edwards,  White,  Monroe,  Pope,  Jackson,  Craw- 
ford, -Bond,  Union,  Washington  and  Franklin, 
had  thirty-two  members.  The  convention  signed 
the  new  constitution  August  26th,  and  without 
ratification  by  the  people.  The  new  document  took 
effect  at  once,  and  in  September  the  new  state 
officers  were  elected.  The  first  general  assembly 
met  October  5,  1818.  In  1824  there  was  an  effort 
to  call  a  new  convention  with  the  evident  pur- 
pose of  making  Illinois  a  slave  state.  Pike  county 


had  sent  Nicholas  Hansen  to  the  legis  attire, 
whose  seat  was  contested  by  John.  Shaw  and  as 
the  house  needed  one  vote  to  submit  the  call  for  i 
new  convention  Hansen  was  unseated  and  Shaw 
admitted.  The  latter  voted  for  the  conventio  i  and 
a  great  uprising  then  occurred  and  a  howling 
mob  formed  and  marched  the  streets  of  Yan- 
dalia,  insulted  Governor  Coles,  burned  Hansen  in 
effigy  and  did  many  other  things  that  they  after- 
ward regretted.  The  matter  was  submitted  to  a 
Vote  and  after  bitter  canvass  of  eighteen  months, 
the  effort  to  make  llinois  a  slave  state  was  de- 
feated by  i, 800  majority.  The  whole  vote  of  the 
state  was  11,612.  Thus  we  see  that  the  early 
pioneers  were  duly  imbued  with  the  glorious 
principles  shown  in  the  declaration  of  independ- 
ence and  the  ordinance  of  1787.  They  were 
earnest,  far-seeing  men  and  laid  foundations 
upon  which  the  state  structure  stands  to-day.  The 
people  of  Illinois  suffered  great  losses  from  early 
banking  system  and  up  to  1821  the  state  was 
rich  in  "wild  cat  shin  plaster  money."  In  1821 
the  Illinois  State  Bank  was  evolved  with  a  capital 
of  a  half  million  dollars,  the  issues  bore  two  per 
cent  annual  interest  and  were  to  be  redeemed  in 
ten  years  by  the  state.  An  effort  was  made  to 
keep  the  bills  at  par  with  gold  and  silver  and 
they  were  to  be  made  receivable  at  the  land  of- 
fices. A  vote  was  taken  in  the  Illinois  Senate  when 
Pierre  Menard,  the  old  Frenchman,  was  presiding 
officer,  and  he  put  the  question  thus:  "Gentle- 
men of  de  senate,  it  is  moved  and  seconded  dat 
de  notes  of  dis  bank  be  made  land  office  money, 
all  in  favor  of  dat  motion  say  aye,  all  against  it, 
say  no.  It  is  decided  in  de  affirmative  and  now 
gentlemen,  I  bet  you  one  hundred  dollars  he  never 
be  made  land  office  money."  There  was  no  takers 
of  the  bes}:,  but  the  sturdy  old  Frenchman  was 
correct  as  they  never  were  and  soon  were  utterly 
worthless.  In  1821  the  counties  of  Greene,  Fay- 
ette,  Montgomery,  Lawrence,  Hamilton,  Sanga- 
mon  and  Pike  were  established.  Pike's  territory 
was  then  all  between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi 
rivers  up  to  the  Wisconsin  line.  At  this  time  the 
state's  population  was  nearly  75,000  with  perhaps 
nearly  100,000  Indians  and  500  negroes. 

Illinois  has  had  the  following  governors:     ist, 
Shadrach    Bond,    St.    Clair   countv,   October    6, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


1818,  to  December  5,  1822;  2nd,  Edward  Coles, 
Madison  county.  December  5,  1822,  to  Decem- 
ber 6.  1826;  3rd,  Ninian  Edwards,  Madison 
county.  December  6,  1826,  to  December  9,  1830; 
4th,  John  Reynolds,  St.  Clair  county,  December 

9,  1830,  to  November  13,  1834;  5th,  William  Lee 
D.  Ewing,  Fayette  county,  November   17,   1834, 
to  December  3,  1834;  6th,  Joseph  Duncan,  Mor- 
gan county,  December  3,   1834,  to  December  7, 
1838;   7th,  Thomas  Carlin,  Greene  county,  De- 
cember   7,    1838,    to  December    8,    1842;    8th, 
Thomas   Ford,  Ogle  county,  December  8,   1842. 
to  December  9,  1846 ;  9th,  Augustus  C.  French, 
Crawford  county,  December  9,  1846,  to  January 

10,  1853;   loth,  Joel  A.   Matteson,  Will  county, 
January    10,    1853,   to   January    12,    1857;    nth, 
William  H.  Bissell,  St.  Clair  county,  January  12. 
1857,    to    March   15,   1860:    I2th.    John    Wood, 
Adams  county,  March  21,   1860,  to  January   14, 
1861  ;  1 3th,  Richard  Yates,  Morgan  county,  Jan- 
ary  14,  1861,  to  January  16,  1865;  i4th,Richard  J. 
Oglesby,  Macon  county,  January.  1865,  to  1869, 
January  13,  1873,  to  January  23,  1873,  January 
30,    1885,  to  January   14,    1889;   I5th,  John  M. 
Palmer,  Macoupin  county,  January  n,  1869,  to 
January  13,  1873;  i6th,  John  L.  Beveridge,  Cook 
county,  January  23,    1873,  to  January  8,    1877 ; 
1 7th,  Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Sangamon  county,  Jan- 
uary 8,   1877,  to  January   10,   1881,  January   10, 
1881.  to  February  6,  1883  ;  i8th,  John  M.  Hamil- 
ton, McLean  county,  February  6,  1883,  to  Janu- 
ary 30,    1885  ;   i gth,  Joseph  W.   Fifer,   McLean 
county.  January    14,   1889,  to  January   10,   1893; 
20th,  John  P.  Altgeld,  Cook  county,  January  10, 
1893,  to  January  n,  1897;  2ist,  John  R.  Tanner, 
Clay   county,  January    11.    1897,  to  January    14. 
1901  :  22nd.  Richard  Yates.  Morgan  county.  Jan- 
uary 14,  1901.  to  January  14,  1905;  23rd,  Charles 
S.  iVuren.  Cook  county.  January  14,  1905.  to  the 
present. 

In  eighty-seven  years  the  state  has  had  eleven 
democrats  and  twelve  republicans  as  governors. 
In  the  old  whig  party  days  they  were  only  in  the 
running  but  did  not  capture  the  prize.  From  1810 
to  1813  the  territory  of  Illinois  furnished  1,500 
men  for  the  Indian  wars  that  the  general  govern- 
ment was  suppressing,  and  the  state  furnished 
8,500  men  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  1832  to  1833. 


In  the  .Mexican  war  Illinois  was  called  upon 
for  thirty  companies  to  rendezvous  at  Alton  and 
seventy-five  companies  responded.  Governor 
Ford  selected  thirty  companies  to  go.  In  the 
Civil  war,  1861  to  1865,  Illinois  furnished  259,-  . 
147  men  as  follows:  One  hundred  and  fifty-five 
infantry  regiments,  sixty-seven  independent  com- 
panies, fifteen  cavalry  regiments,  eighteen  inde- 
pendent cavalry  companies,  thirty-eight  compa- 
nies of  light  artillery.  Washington  army  records 
show  that  under  the  different  calls  for  troops, 
Illinois  furnished  60,171  more  men  than  her 
quota,  leading  all  the  other'  states  in  a  total  in 
excess  of  149,393.  Ohio  came  next  with  28,429; 
Indiana,  25,511;  Iowa,  13,897;  New  York,  5,517. 
We  have  just  cause  to  be  proud  of  the  great  state 
that  gave  a  Lincoln,  a  Grant,  a  Logan  and  so 
many  other  illustrious  patriots  and  heroes-.  Not 
forgetting  the  great  army  of  gallant  boys  that 
carried  the  muskets  and  wore  the  imperishable 
title  of  volunteer  soldiers.  For  eighty-eight 
years  territorial  and  state  history  shows  that  Il- 
linois has  been  the  big  and  generous  one  in  the 
gifts  of  men  for  human  rights. 

Illinois  had  Kaskaskia  as  a  territoral  capital 
and  from  1818  to  1836  the  state  capital  was  at 
Vandalia,  and  since  that  date  Springfield  has 
been  the  seat  of  .government.  The  state  has  a 
larger  number  of  railroads  with  a  greater  ex- 
tent of  track  than  any  other  state  in  the  union. 
The  railway  interests  are  so  vast  and  complicated 
that  they  are  under  the  supervision  of  a  state 
railway  commission  organized  by  the -last  consti- 
tutional convention.  Illinois  was  the  eighth  state 
admitted  after  the  adoption  of  the  federal  consti- 
tution. It  is  388  miles  long  and  212  miles  wide 
and  has  in  its  borders  36,256,000  acres,  and  is 
the  third  state  in  the  rank  of  population.  Its 
corn  crop  in  1880  was  325,792,481  bushels,  and 
the  nation's  crop  in  1905  was  2,707,993,400  bush- 
els. In  forty-seven  years  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  has  paid  into  the  state  treasury  in  con- 
formity with  the  law  enacted  at  the  instance  of 
Senator  Stephen  A.  Douglas  $20,581,528.26,  in 
sixty-three  years  there  has  been  paid  into  the 
state  treasury  from  property  tax  over  two  hun- 
dred millions  dollars,  and  for  over  twenty-five 
vears  the  state  has  been  out  of  debt. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


The  state  has  had  the  following  United  States 
Senators:  Ninian  Edwards,  Jesse  B.  Thomas, 
John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  David  J.  Baker, 
John  M.  Robinson,  William  L.  D.  Ewing,  Rich- 
ard M.  Young,  Samuel  McRoberts,  Sidney 
Breese,  James  Sample,  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
James  Shields,  Lyman  Trumbull,  Orville  H. 
Browning,  William  A.  Richardson,  Richard 
Yates,  John  A.  Logan,  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  Da- 
vid Davis,  Shelby  M.  Cullum,  Charles  B.  Far- 
well,  John  M.  Palmer,  William  E.  Mason  and 
Albert  J.  Hopkins.  Edwards,  Thomas,  McLean, 
Robinson  Kane,  each  had  two  terms,  Douglas, 
Trumbull  and  Logan  three  terms,  Cullom  four 
terms.  They  were  fifteen  democrats,  nine  repub- 
licans and  one  independent.  From  1818  to  1832 
the  state  had  only  one  congressional  district! 
Shadrach  Bond  was  the  first  delegate  and  served 
in  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  congress.  John  Mc- 
Lean was  the  first  state  congressman  and  was  in 
the  fifteenth  congress.  In  1818  the  state  had  one 
member  in  congress  and  1905  had  twenty-five.  In 
the  census  of  1820  Illinois  had  nineteen  counties 
with  55,162  population.  The  smallest  county 
was  Jefferson  with  691,  and  the  largest  was  Mad- 
ison with  13,550.  In  the  census  of  1900  the  state 
had  one  hundred  and  two  counties  and  4,821,500 
inhabitants,  and  in  1905  perhaps  5,250,000.  The 
state's  growth  has  been  wonderful.  In  1830  a 
gain  of  over  100,000;  1840,  over  300,000;  1850, 
a  gain  of  nearly  400,000;  1860,  over  860,000; 
1870,  nearly  828,000;  1880  nearly  540,000;  1890, 
nearly  750,000;  1900,  nearly  1,000,000  gain.  The 
little  village  of  Chicago  in  1833,  now  in  1906  is 
the  second  city  of  the  nation  with  over  2,000,000 
population  and  the  greatest  interocean  city  in  the 
world. 

ILLINOIS  CONFEDERACY. 

The  Illinois  confederacy,  the  various  tribes  of 
which  comprised  most  of  the  Indians  of  Illinois 
at  one  time,  was  composed  of  five  tribes:  The 
Tamaroas,  Michigans,  Kaskaskias,  Cahokas,  and 
Peorias.  The  Illinois,  Miamis  and  Delawares 
were  of  the  same  stock.  As  early  as  1670  the 
priest  Father  Marquette  mentions  frequent  visits 
made  by  individuals  of  this  confederacy  to  the 
missionary  station  at  St.  Esprit,  near  the  western 


extremity  of  Lake  Superior.  At  that  time  they 
lived  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  eight  villages, 
whither  they  had  been  driven  from  the  shores  of 
Lake  Michigan  by  the  Iroquois.  Shortly  after- 
ward they  began  to  return  to  their  old  hunting 
ground,  and  most  of  them  finally  settled  in  Illi- 
nois. Joliet  and  Marquette,  in  1673,  met  with  a 
band  of  them  on  their  famous  voyage  of  discov- 
ery down  the  Mississippi.  They  were  treated 
with  the  greatest  hospitality  by  the  principal 
chief.  On  their  return  voyage  up  the  Illinois 
river  they  stopped  at  the  principal  town  of  the 
confederacy,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
seven  miles  below  the  present  town  of  Ottawa. 
It  was  then  called  Kaskaskia.  Marquette  re- 
turned to  the  village  in  1675  and  established  the 
mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  the  oldest 
in  Illinois.  When,  in  1679,  LaSalle  visited  the 
town,  it  had  greatly  increased,  numbering  460 
lodges,  and  at  the  annual  assembly  of  the  differ- 
ent tribes,  from  6,000  to  8,000  souls.  In  common 
with  other  western  tribes,  they  became  involved 
in  the  conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  although  displaying 
no  very  great  warlike  spirit.  Pontiac  lost  his  life 
by  the  hands  of  one  of  the  braves  of  the  Illinois 
tribe,  which  so  enraged  the  nations  that  had  fol- 
lowed him  as  their  leader  they  they  fell  upon 
the  Illinois  to  avenge  his  death,  and  almost  anni- 
hilated them. 

When  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union  in 
1818,  James  Monroe  was  president  of  the  United 
States,  also  when  Pike  county  was  named  in 
1821.  The  author  of  the  famous  Monroe  Doc- 
trine will  always  live  in  the  history  of  the  world 
and  especially  in  the  United  States.  The  doc- 
trine reads  thus :  "That  we  should  consider  any 
attempt  on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  ex- 
tend their  system  to  any  portion  of  this  hemi- 
sphere as  dangerous  to  our  peace  and  safety,  and 
that  we  could  not  view  any  interposition  for  the 
purpose  of  oppressing  or  controlling  American 
governments  or  provinces  in  any  other  light  than 
as  a  manifestation  by  European  powers  as  an  un- 
friendly disposition  towards  United  States." 
This  doctrine  immediately  affected  the  course  of 
foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  ap- 
proved sentiment  of  the  people  of  the  United 
States. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


This  with  many  other  notable  words :  Lincoln 
"No  man  has  a  right  to  rule  over  another 
without  his  consent,"  and  "with  malice  toward 
none,  with  charity  for  all ;"  Grant :  "Let  us  have 
peace,"  and  his  heretofore  unknown  magnaminity 
to  Lee's  soldiers;  and  with  Roosevelt's  splendid 
saying,  '"Tis  not  who  or  how  rich,  but  how  good 
a  citizen  you  are,"  has  aided  Illinoisans  in  being 
among  the  best  citizens  in  the  universe.  Many  of 
our  citizens,  past  and  present,  have  doubtless  had 
in  mind  this  thought  given  by  Epictetus,  the  Ro- 
man stoic  and  philosopher,  who  lived  and  died 
in  the  first  and  second  century :  "Remember  that 
you  are  an  actor  in  a  drama  of  such  sort  as  the 
author  choses,  if  it  be  his  pleasure  that  you  should 
act  a  poor  man,  see  that  you  act  it  well,  or  a  crip- 
ple or  a  ruler  or  a  private  citizen,  for  this  is  your 
business  to  act  well  a  given  part." 

FIRST  THINGS  IN  ILLINOIS— CHRONO- 
LOGICAL TABLE. 

THE   FRENCH    IN    ILLINOIS,    1673-1765. 

1673 — Illinois  river  explored  and  Mt.  Joliet 
named  by  Joliet  and  Marquette. 

1674-1675 — Marquette  revisits  Illinois  country. 

1675 — Mission  known  as  Kaskaskia  mission  near 
present  site  of  Utica  founded  by  Mar- 
quette. 

1677 — Claude  Allouez  takes  charge  of  the  Kas- 
kaskia  mission. 

1680 — Ft.  Creve  Coeur,  near  present  site  of  Pe- 
oria,.  erected  by  LaSalle.  Later  the 
same  year  he  finds  it  destroyed. 

1 682 — Ft.  St.  Louis,  on  Starved  Rock,  erected  bv 
LaSalle. 

1687 — Assassination  of  LaSalle  in  Texas. 

1699-1700 — Cahokia  mission  established. 

1700 — Kaskaskia  mission  and  the  Kaskaskia  In- 
dians removed  to  the  Mississippi.  The 
mission  established  near  the  present  site 
of  Kaskaskia. 

1717 — Illinois  annexed  to  Louisiana. 

1718-1720 — Ft.  Chartres  built  near  Prairie  du 
Rocher. 

7720 — Renault  introduces  African  slaves. 

1723 — Renault  land  grant. 

1754 — French  and  Indian  war  begins. 


1756— Rebuilding  of  Ft.  Chartres  completed. 

1758 — Ft.  Massac  erected  by  the  French. 

1763 — Illinois    country    together    with    Canada 

ceded  to  English  by  the  French. 
1763-1764 — Pontiac's    Conspiracy.      British    fail 

to  reach  Illinois  country. 
1765 — Ft.  Chartres  surrenders  to  the  British. 

THE    BRITISH    DOMINION    IN    THE    ILLINOIS    COUN- 
TRY,   1765-1778. 

1768 — Colonel  Wilkins  organizes  first  British 
Court  at  Ft.  Chartres. 

1769 — Pontiac  assassinated  by  an  Illinois  Indian, 
at  Cahokia. 

1771 — Mass  meeting  at  Kaskaskia  demands  rep- 
resentative privileges. 

1772 — Ft.  Chartres  damaged  by  overflow  of  the 
Mississippi  and  abandoned.  Kaskaskia 
made  capital  of  Illinois  country. 

1775 — American  revolution  begins. 

1778 — George  Rogers  Clark  conquers  the  Illinois 
country  for  Virginia. 

ILLINOIS  A   COUNTY  OF  VIRGINIA,    1778-1784. 

1778 — October.  "County  of  Illinois"  created  by 
the  Virginia  legislature. 

1779 — February.  Clark's  expedition  against  Vin- 
cennes.  May.  Col.  John  Todd,  com- 
mandant of  "Illinois  County,"  sets  up 
a  temporary  government  at  Kaskaskia. 

1783 — Treaty  of  peace  with  Great  Britain  recog- 
nizes title  of  the  United  States  to  the 
Illinois  country. 

1784 — March  i.  Virginia  cession  of  the  North- 
west Territory  to  the  United  States. 

ILLINOIS  UNDER  TERRITORIAL  GOVERNMENT. 
1784-1818. 

1784 — April.     First  ordinance  for  the  Northwest 

Territory. 
1785 — April.     Massachusetts  cedes  her  claim  in 

northern  Illinois.     May.     Congressional 

ordinance    establishes    township    survey 

system. 
1786 — Connecticut  cedes   her  claim   in   northern 

Illinois. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


1787 — July  13.  Ordinance  for  the  government 
of  the  Northwest  Territory. 

1790 — Governor  St.  Clair  visits  Kaskaskia.  The 
county  of  St.  Clair  organized. 

1795 — Judge  Turner  holds  court  for  St.  Clair 
county.  Removal  of  records  from  Ca- 
hokia  to  Kaskaskia.  Creation  of  Ran- 
•  dolph  county.  Treaty  of  Greenville. 
Nearly  all  of  Illinois  reserved  for  In- 
dian occupancy. 

1799 — General  Assembly  organized  for  North- 
west Territory.  Illinois  sends  two  rep- 
resentatives. 

1800 — May  7.  Formation  of  Indiana  territory, 
which  included  Illinois. 

1804 — Land  office  established  at  Kaskaskia.  The 
erection  of  Ft.  Dearborn  (Chicago)  by 
United  States  troops. 

1805 — First  election  of  a  territoral  house  of  dele- 
gates for  Indiana. 

1806 — "Burr  Conspiracy." 

1809 — February  3.  Illinois  territory  organized. 
April  24,  Ninian  Edwards  appointed 
first  Governor.  June.  The  Governor 
and  judges  first  met  as  a  law  making 
body  at  Kaskaskia. 

181 1— Battle  of  Tippecanoe. 

1812 — May  21.  Illinois  raised  to  the  second  grade 
of  territorial  government.  Election  of 
territorial  officers  and  delegate  to  Con- 
gress, October.  First  session  of  Terri- 
torial Legislature  at  Kaskaskia,  No- 
vember 25.  June.  War  of  1812  begins. 
August  15.  Massacre  of  Ft.  Dearborn. 
September  14.  Creation  of  Madison, 
Gallatin  and  Johnson  counties.  Novem- 
ber. French  village  near  present  site  of 
Peoria  destroyed  by  Captain  Craig. 

1813 — Pre-emption  act  passed  by  Congress  for 
Illinois. 

1816 — Ft.  Dearborn  rebuilt.  Act  establishing 
banks  at  Shawneetown  and  EcKvards- 
.  ville. 

1817 — First  steamboat.  "The  General  Pike,"  as- 
ceuds  the  Mississippi  above  Cairo. 

1818 — April  1 8. — Act  of  Congress  enabling  the 
people  of  Illinois  to  form  a  constitution 
and  fixing  the  present  northern  bound- 


ary. August.  Constitutional  conven- 
tion (elected  in  July)  adopted  and  pro- 
claimed a  constitution. 

II.LIXOIS  A  FRONTIER  STATE,    1818-1848. 

Sept.  i7.^First  election  of  State  officers.  Octo- 
ber 5.  First  General  Assembly  met  at 
Kaskaskia.  October  6.  Shadrach  Bond 
inaugurated  first  governor  of  the  State. 
December  3.  Illinois  formally  admitted 
as  a  state. 

1819 — Legislature  provides  for  the  selection  of  a 
new  capital. 

1820 — Removal  of  State  offices  to  Vandalia. 

1821 — Legislature  charters  the  State  Bank  of  Il- 
linois. 

1823 — Legislature  passes  resolution  for  constitu- 
tional convention.  December  9.  State 
House  destroyed  by  fire. 

1824 — August  2.  Attempt  of  pro-slavery  men  to 
call  a  convention  to  amend  the  consti- 
tution defeated.  November.  Special 
session  of  the  Legislature  to  amend  the 
election  law. 

1825 — First  general  school  law  enacted.  Gen- 
eral LaFayette  visits  Illinois.  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal  association  incor- 
porated. 

1826 — First  steamboat  began  to  ply  on  the  Illi- 
nois river. 

1827 — Winnebago  Indian  scare  near  Galena.  The 
building  of  penitentiary  at  Alton.  First 
State  institution.  Congress  makes  a 
grant  of  land  for  Illinois-Michigan 
canal,  in  answer  to  a  memorial  from  the 
State  Legislature. 

1829 — Illinois  college  at  Jacksonville  founded. 
Law  providing  commissioners  for  the 
Illinois-Michigan  canal.  School  laws 
of  1825  repealed. 

1831 — Congressional  re-apportionment.  Illinois 
gets  three  Congressmen. 

1832 — Black  Hawk  war. 

1833 — -Chicago  incorporated  as  a  village.  Its 
first  newspaper,  "The  Democrat."  pub- 
lished. 

1835 — Illinois,  Shurtleff  and  McKendree  colleges 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


incorporated.  December  7.  Special  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature  to  provide  for  a 
canal  loan  and  to  re-district  the  State. 

1836 — Old  State  house  torn  down  and  new  one 
erected.  September  8.  Elijah  P.  Love- 
joy  issues  the  first  number  of  "The  Ob- 
server," at  Alton. 

1837 — February.  Bill  passed  making  Spring- 
field future  capital.  Internal  improve- 
ment scheme.  July  4.  Corner  stone  of 
State  House  at  Springfield  laid.  Panic 
°f  '37-  Special  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature, July  10-22.  November  7.  Love- 
joy  killed  by  pro-slavery  mob  at  Alton. 
December  4.  First  Democratic  conven- 
tion at  Vandalia. 

1838 — Nov.  8.  First  locomotive  in  Illinois  run 
on  the  Northern  Cross  Railroad. 

1839 — Completion  of  the  Northern  Cross  Rail- 
road by  the  State.  The  first  line  in  Il- 
linois. Act  creating  Asylum  for  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb  at  Jacksonville.  April 
9.  First  daily  paper  in  the  State  issued, 
"The  Daily  American,"  of  Chicago.  Oc- 
tober 7.  First  Whig  convention  in  the 
State.  December  9.  Special  session  of 
the  Legislature  at  Springfield,  the  capi- 
tal having  been  removed  there  during 
the  year. 

1840 — November.  Special  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature to  provide  money  for  interest  on 
State  debt.  Springfield  incorporated  as 
a  city. 

1841 — $46,289.00  received  from  Congress  as  the 
share  of  Illinois  from  sale  of  public 
lands.  Knox  college  opens. 

1842 — Call  for  constitutional  convention  is  de- 
feated. 

1843— Act  of  Legislature  puts  the  State  Bank 
and  the  Bank  of  Illinois  into  liquida- 
tion. State  re-districted.  Illinois  gets 
seven  congressmen. 

1844 — Legislature  votes  to  submit  call  for  con- 
stitutional convention.  June  27.  Joseph 
Smith  killed  by  a  mob  while  in  jail  at 
Carthage. 

1846 — Call  for  constitutional  convention  carried. 
Expulsion  of  the  Mormons.  Troops 


leave  Alton  for  the  Mexican  war.  Lin- 
coln elected  to  the  Thirtieth  Congress. 
1847 — Julle  7-  Second  constitutional  convention 
met  at  Springfield.  Founding  of  the  Il- 
linois State  Hospital  for  the  Insane  at 
Jacksonville.  First  I'niversity  of  Chi- 
cago chartered. 

THE  ERA   OF   SECTIONAL   CONFLICT,    1848-1870. 

1848 — New  constitution  ratified  by  the  people, 
Wisconsin  admitted  as  a  state.  In  spite 
of  Wisconsin's  opposition,  Congress 
confirmed  the  northern  boundary  of  Il- 
linois as  established  by  the  enabling  act 
of  1818.  Illinois-Michigan  canal  com- 
pleted. First  boat,  "General  Thornton," 
passes  the  entire  length  of  the  canal, 
April  23. 

1849 — Special  session  of  Legislature  charters  In- 
stitution for  the  Blind  at  Jacksonville ; 
passes  resolutions  in  favor  of  the  "Wil- 
mot  Proviso ;''  enacts  township  organi- 
zation law. 

1850 — Congressional  land  grant  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad. 

1851 — Completion  of  the  Bloody  Island  dike,  op; 
posite  St.  Louis.  The  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  incorporated.  First 
geological  survey  provided  for. 

1852 — June.  Special  session  of  Legislature  en- 
acted laws  relating  to. swamp,  seminary, 
and  canal  lands.  Congressional  re-ap- 
pointment. Illinois  gets  nine  congress- 
men. 

1853 — January  i.  State  debt  reaches  highest 
,  point.  $16,724,177.  State  Agricultural 
Society  incorporated.  First  state  fair 
held  at  Springfield.  Act  providing  for 
the  erection  of  an  executive  mansion. 
Sale  of  remaining  lands  of  the  State 

1854 — Special  session  of  the  Legislature  re-ap- 
pointed the  State  for  the  General  As- 
sembly and  established  the  office  of 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion. Ninian  W.  Edwards  appointed 
first  superintendent. 

1855 — General  education  act;  basis  of  the  pres- 
ent school  system. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


1856 — May  29.  State  convention  at  Blooming- 
ton  organizes  the  republican  party  in  Il- 
linois. September.  Completion  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  from  Cairo  to 
East  Dubuque. 

1857 — Building  of  State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet. 
State  Board  of  Education  created.  State 
Normal  University  at  Normal  estab- 
lished. 

1858 — Republican  State  convention  nominated 
Lincoln  for  United  States  Senator. 
Lincoln-Douglas  debate. 

1859 — Bill  passed  in  relation  to  the  "Canal 
Fraud." 

1860 — May  19.  Lincoln  nominated  for  presi- 
dent at  the  republican  national  conven- 
tion at  Chicago.  Elected  November  6. 

1861 — -General  re-apportionment  act.  Illinois  gets 
thirteen  congressmen.  April  15.  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  calls  for  volunteers.  April 
16.  First  call  for  volunteers  by  Gover- 
nor Yates.  April  19.  Governor  Yates 
takes  military  charge  of  Cairo.  April 
23.  Special  session  of  Legislature  for 
war  emergencies.  April  26.  Arms  at 
St.  Louis  seized  and  transferred  to 
Springfield.  June  3.  Death  of  Stephen 
A.  Douglas.  August.  Logan  resigns 
his  seat  in  Congress  and  accepts  com- 
mission as  colonel.  September  4.  U. 
S.  Grant  takes  command  at  Cairo.  No- 
vember. Election  of  delegates  to  the 
constitutional  convention. 

1862 — January  7.  Third  constitutional  conven- 
tion met  at  Springfield.  The  constitu- 
tion it  drafted  was  rejected  by  the  peo- 
ple. Fall  elections  in  Illinois  go  against 
the  State  and  national  administrations 
on  the  war  issues. 

1863 — General  Assembly  adopts  a  hostile  atti- 
tude toward  the  State  and  national  ad- 
ministrations. February.  House  passes 
the  "Armistice  Resolutions.''  June  10. 
Governor  Yates  prorogues  the  Legisla- 
ture. June  17.  Mass  convention  of 
democrats  opposed  to  the  war  meets  at 
Springfield.  September  3.  Union  mass 
meeting  at  Springfield. 


1864 — March.  Clash  at  Charleston  between 
soldiers  and  citizens  opposed  to  the  war. 
August.  Democratic  national  conven- 
tion at  Chicago  nominated  George  B. 
McClellan.  November.  Discovery  of 
plot  to  liberate  Confederate  prisoners  at 
Camp  Douglas.  Lincoln  re-elected. 

1865— Asylum  for  Feeble  Minded  Children  at 
Jacksonville  and  the  Soldiers'  Orphans' 
Home  at  Normal  established.  Feb- 
ruary i.  Illinois  the  first  State  to  rati- 
fy the  Thirteenth  Amendment.  April 
14.  Lincoln  assassinated.  May  5. 
Buria.1  of  Lincoln  at  Springfield. 

1867 — Legislative  acts:  Illinois  ratifies  the  Four- 
teenth Amendment ;  State  Reformatory 
at  Pontiac  established;  Erection  of 
present  State  House  provided  for ;  Es- 
tablishment of  Illinois  Industrial  Uni- 
versity, now  University  of  Illinois,  at 
Urbana ;  State  Board  of  Equalization 
created;  Office  of  State  Entomologist 
established.  June.  Special  sessions 
provided  for  taxing  banks  and  bankir.g 
corporations  and  for  the  management 
of  the  State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet. 

1868 — May.  Republican  National  Convention  at 
Chicago  nominated  U.  S.  Grant.  No- 
vember. Call  for  constitutional  con- 
vention carried  by  the  people. 

1869 — Legislative  acts:  Fifteenth  Amendment 
ratified ;  Lincoln  and  West  Park  boards 
created ;  Establishment  of  State  Board 
of  Charities ;  Northern  Hospital  for  the 
Insane  at  Elgin  and  of  the  Southern 
Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Anna.  De- 
cember 13.  Fourth  constitutional  con- 
vention met  at  Springfield. 

THE  ERA  OF  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT,    I?70-IyOI. 

1870. — Present  constitution  adopted  in  conven- 
tion May  13,  ratified  by  the  people  July 
2,  in  force  August  8. 

1871 — Legislative  acts:  Railroad  and  Ware- 
house Commission  created.  October 
9-10.  Great  Chicago  fire.  October  13. 
Special  session  of  the  Legislature  to 
relieve  the  city  of  Chicago.  October  2O. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Governor  Palmer  protests  against  the 
use  of  United  States  troops  in  Chicago. 

1872 — Congressional  and  legislative  reappor- 
tionment.  Illinois  gets  nineteen  con- 
gressmen. 

1873 — Legislative  acts:  Women  allowed  to 
hold  office  under  the  school  law;  Gov- 
ernor Oglesby  elected  Senator;  bill  to 
prevent  discrimination  in  railroad  rates ; 
bill  to  establish  three  cent  railroad  fares. 

1874 — State  Board  of  Canal  Commissioners 
created.  July  14.  Second  great  fire  in 
Chicago. 

1875 — January  i.  New  State  house  occupied; 
asylum  for  Feeble-Minded  Children  re- 
moved to  Lincoln. 

1876 — Illinois  railroad  sustained  by  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court. 

1877 — Legislative  acts:  Palmer- Logan  contest; 
election  of  David  Davis  United  States 
Senator;  State  Board  of  Health  creat- 
ed ;  the  State  Commission  of  Claims  es- 
tablished ;  appellate  courts  created ;  ap- 
propriation for  the  completion  of  the 
State  House.  July  25.  Beginning  of 
the  great  railroad  strike  at  Chicago. 

1878 — Amendment  to  the  Constitution,  giving 
the  Legislature  power  to  create  drain- 
age districts. 

1879 — Creation  of  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics 
and  Board  of  Fish  Commissioners ;  tax- 
ing power  of  cities  and  villages  limited. 

1880 — June.  Republican  national  convention  at 
Chicago  nominated  James  A.  Garfield ; 
greenback  national  convention  nomi- 
nated James  B.  Weaver  at  Chicago ;  the 
power  of  Railroad  and  Warehouse 
Commission  sustained  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States. 

1881 — January.  Last  State  bonds  called  in;  the 
State  debt  practically  extinguished. 
Legislative  acts :  Creation  of  the  Board 
of  Dental  Examiners  and  the  Board  of 
Pharmacy ;  pure  food  law. 

1882 — State  and  congressional  re-apportion- 
ments; Illinois  gets  twenty  congress- 
men. 

1883 — Legislative  acts:  Creation  of  State  Min- 
ing Board  and  the  office  of  State  Inspec- 


tor of  Mines;  "Harper  High  License 
Law." 

1884 — June.  Republican  national  convention  at 
Chicago  nominated  James  G.  Elaine. 
July.  Democratic  national  convention  at 
Chicago  nominated  Grover  Cleveland. 
An  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  per- 
mitting the  Governor  to  veto  items  in 
appropriation  bills. 

1885 — Legislative  acts:  Logan-Morrison  sena- 
torial contest,  Logan  elected;  establish- 
ment of  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  at 
Ouincy;  office  of  State  Veterinarian 
and  State  Game  Wardens;  Illinois  In- 
dustrial University  becomes  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois. 

1886— Labor  troubles:  April.  Railroad  strike 
at  East  St.  Louis.  March.  Strike  at 
McCormick  Harvester  works.  May  4. 
Anarchist  riot,  Haymarket  square,  Chi- 
cago. Trial  and  conviction  of  anarchists. 
Amendment  to  the  Constitution,  for- 
bidding the  contracting  of  convict  labor. 

1887 — Legislative  acts:  Creation  of  Live  Stock 
Commission  and  the  Industrial  Home 
for  the  Blind  at  Chicago;  laws  against 
conspiracy ;  provision  for  Arbor  day. 
Execution  of  Chicago  Anarchists. 

1888 — Republican  national  convention  at  Chi- 
cago nominated  Benjamin  Harrison. 

1889 — Legislative  acts:  Establishment  of  Asy- 
lum for  Insane  Criminals  at  Chester; 
State  Horticultural  Society,  and  Chicago 
Sanitary  District;  a  general  school  law 
with  compulsory  clauses,  "The  Ed- 
wards Law."  Coal  miners  strike  in  La- 
Salle  and  adjoining  counties. 

1890 — World's  Columbian  Exposition:  Febru- 
ary. Congress  selects  Chicago  as  the 
site;  special  session  of  the  Legislature 
to  provide  for  the  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion ;  amendment  to  the  Constitution, 
enabling  Chicago  to  issue  five  millions 
of  five  per  cent,  bonds  for  World's  Fair 
purposes.  New  University  of  Chicago 
incorporated. 

1891 — Legislative  acts:  Palmer-Oglesby  sena- 
torial contest ;  Palmer  elected  by  a  com- 


i6 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


bination  of  democratic  and  F.  M.  B.  A. 
votes ;  anti-trust  law ;  legal  rate  of  in- 
terest reduced  to  five  per  cent. ;  child 
labor  law ;  Australian  ballot  system  is 
adopted. 

1892 — October  I.  Chicago  University  opened. 
October  21.  Dedication  of  World's 
Fair  buildings. 

1893 — Legislative  acts  :  Congressional  and  leg- 
islative re-apportionment ;  Illinois  gets 
twenty-two  congressmen ;  modification 
of  Edward's  compulsory  educational 
law ;  creation  of  the  State  Insurance 
Department,  State  Board  of  Factory 
Inspectors  and  State  Home  for  Juve- 
nile Female  Offenders.  June  26.  Gov- 
ernor Altgeld  pardons  the  anarchists, 
Nebee,  Fielden  and  Schwab.  World's 
Columbian  Exposition  opened  May  i. 
Closed  October  30. 

1894 — Labor  troubles  :  Pullman  and  American 
Railway  Union  strikes.  State  and  Fed- 
eral troops  called  out.  Protest  by  Gov- 
ernor Altgeld  against  the  use  of  Fed- 
eral troops  in  Chicago. 

1895 — Legislative  acts:  Establishment  of  East- 
ern Normal  School  at  .Charleston,  the 
Northern  Normal  at  DeKalb,  Asylum 
for  Incurable  Insane  at  Bartonville  and 
Farmer's  institutes ;  prison  parole  sys- 
tem adopted  ;  inheritance  tax  law  ;  mu- 
nicipal civil  service  law.  Special  ses- 
sions, June  25  to  August  2,  provided 
additional  revenue  and  established  the 
State  Board  of  Arbitration. 

1896— July.  Democratic  national  convention  at 
Chicago  nominated  William  Jennings 
Bryan  and  adopted  the  "Chicago  Plat- 
form." 

1897 — Legislative  acts  :  Establishment  of  State 
Board  of  Pardons.  State  Board  of  Ex- 
aminers of  Architects,  State  Board  of 
Examiners  of  Horseshoers ;  second 
"Torrens  Land  Act"  (first  act  of  1895 
declared  unconstitutional.) 

1898 — Special  session  of  the  Legislature,  Decem- 
ber, 1897.  February,  1898.  New  pri- 


mary election  law ;  general  revision  of 
the  revenue  law.  ,,. 

1899 — Legislative  acts:  "Juvenile  Court  Act;" 
establishment  of  offices  of  State  Food 
Commissioner  and  State  Commissioner 
of  Game;  creation  of  Western  Normal 
School  at  Macomb. 

1900 — Chicago  drainage  canal  in  operation;  wa- 
ter turned  in  January  2. 

1901 — Legislative  acts.  Senatorial  and  congres- 
sional re-apportionment.  Illinois  gets 
twenty-five  congressmen ;  the  "Little 
Ballot  Law ;"  new  primary  election  law. 

THE    CAPITALS    AND    CAPITOLS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Since  its  organization  as  a  state,  Illinois  has 
had  three  capitals  or  seats  of  government,  and 
five  capitol  buildings  which  were  the  property  of 
the  State — three  at  Vandalia  and  two  at  Spring- 
field. Of  these  five  capitol  buildings,  three  are 
still  standing,  one  at  Vandalia,  now  the  court 
house  of  Fayette  county,  and  two  at  Springfield, 
one  the  present  court  house  of  Sangamon  county, 
and  the  other  the  present  State  capitol. 

From  the  earliest  occupation  of  the  country 
until  its  organization  as  a  state  in  1818,  a  period 
of  nearly  150  years,  the  seat  of  government  was 
at.  or  iii  the  near  vicinity  of,  Kaskaskia. 

During  the  occupation  of  the  Illinois  country 
by  the  French  and  their  immediate  successors, 
the  British,  the  government  was  essentially  mili- 
tary in  character,  and  the  seat  of  government  was 
the  principal  fort  or  block  house  occupied  as 
headquarters  by  the  military  commandant  of 
the  country.  For  a  short  time,  about  1680,  Fort 
Creve  Couer,  near  the  present  site  of  Peoria,  was 
the  military  headquarters  of  the  country  and  the 
seat  of  government,  so  far  as  the  country  had 
a  government  and  so  far  as  that  government  re- 
quired a  seat.  But  the  "American  Bottom" 
seemed  to  have  greater  attractions  for  the  early 
French  settlers  than  any  other  part  of  the  im- 
perfectly explored  country,  and  Kaskaskia  soon 
thereafter  became  the  metropolis  of  the  country, 
the  center  of  missionary  effort  among  the  Indians 
as  well  as  military  headquarters  and  seat  of  gov- 
ernment. In  1711,  by  royal  decree  of  the  king  of 


roc *TV  tf*" 


LINCOLN  MONUMENT,  SPRINGFIELD 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


France,  the  Illinois  country  ceased  to  be  a  de- 
pendency of  Canada  and  was  attached  to  the  Dis- 
trict of  Louisiana,  the  lieutenant  commandant 
and  acting  governor  still  maintaining  his  head- 
quarters at  Kaskaskia  until  the  erection  of  Fort 
Chartres  about  twenty  miles  northwest  of  Kas- 
kaskia in  1720,  which  then  became  the  seat  of 
government  and  so  continued  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  French  administration  of  affairs,  and 
after  the  British  occupation  in  1765  until  1772. 
In  this  year  the  walls  of  the  fort,  yielding  to  the 
gradually  encroaching  waters  of  the  Mississippi, 
tumbled  into  the  river,  and  the  military  head- 
quarters and  seat  of  government  were  trans- 
ferred once  more  to  old  Kaskaskia. 

After  the  conquest  of  the  country  by  the  Vir- 
ginia troops  in  1778  under  Colonel  George  Rog- 
ers Clark,  military  headquarters  were  continued 
at  Kaskaskia;  and  when  in  1778  Virginia  created 
the  "County  of  Illinois,"  including^  not  only  all 
the  area  of  the  present  State,  but  that  of  Ohio 
and  Indiana  as  well,  Colonel  John  Todd,  of  Ken- 
tucky, was  commissioned  lieutenant  command- 
ant, with  his  headquarters  at  Kaskaskia,  and  was 
acting  governor  of  the  entire  region,  which  later 
(1787)  was  organized  as  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory. 

From  1787  to  1800,  while  a  part  of  the  North- 
west territory,  Marietta  first,  and  Chillicothe 
and  Cincinnati  afterward,  were  the  capitals  of  the 
territory,  but  Illinois  retained  its  name  and  ident- 
ity as  a  county  with  its  county  seat  at  Kaskas- 
kia until  1790,  when  the  name  of  the  county  was 
changed  by  Governor  St.  Clair,  in  honor  of  him- 
self, to  St.  Clair  county,  and  the  county  seat  was 
established  at  Cahokia.  From  this  time  until  the 
organization  of  the  territory  in  1809,  "Illinois" 
had  no  place  upon  the  map  and  no  legal  status 
anywhere;  and  Kaskaskia  ceased  to  be  the  seat 
of  government,  either  civil  or  military,  for  terri- 
tory or  county,  until  1795,  at  which  time  St.  Clair 
county  was  divided,  Randolph  being  formed  out 
of  the  southern  portion.  The  county  seat  of  the 
new  county  was  fixed  at  Kaskaskia,  where  it  re- 
mained until  its  removal  to  Chester  in  1848. 

In  1800,  when  Indiana  territory  was  organized 
with  General  Harrison  its  first  governor  and 
Vincennes  its  capital,  the  division  of  the  Illinois 


country  into  the  two  counties  of  St.  Clair  and 
Randolph,  with  their  respective  county  seats  at 
Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia,  was  continued;  and  in 
1809,  upon  the  organization  of  the  Illinois  terri- 
tory, the  same  division  of  counties  was  preserved 
and  confirmed  by  proclamation  of  the  acting  gov- 
ernor. By  the  act  of  1809  creating  the  territory, 
the  name  "Illinois"  was  officially  restored  to  the 
country  and  the  government  re-established  at  its 
ancient  seat  at  Kaskaskia. 

During  the  territorial  period  of  nine  years  and 
the  first  two  years  of  statehood  with  the  seat  of 
government  at  Kaskaskia,  it  seems  that  no  capi- 
tol  building,  assembly  hall  for  the  Legislature 
nor  offices  for  the  executive  departments  was 
ever  owned  by  the  territory  or  State.  Nothing 
of  the  sort  had  been  inherited  by  the  common- 
wealth nor  were  any  provisions  made  for  such 
purchase  or  construction.  Several  of  the  early 
historians  inform  us  that  the  first  territorial  leg- 
islature met  (November  25,  1812)  in  a  house 
formerly  occupied  'by  the  military  commandant 
during  the  French  and  English  periods  and  de- 
scribe it  as  "a  large,  rough  old  building  of  uncut 
limestone,  with  steep  roof  and  gables  of  un- 
painted  boards,  situated  in  the  center  of  a  square. 
The  first  floor,  a  large,  low,  cheerless  room,  was 
fitted  up  for  the  House  (seven  members)  and  a 
smaller  room  above  for  the  Council  (five  mem- 
bers). The  two  houses  had  one  doorkeeper  in 
common  and  the  twelve  legislators  constituting 
the  assembly  all  boarded  with  the  same  family 
and  lodged  in  the  same  room."  However  this 
may  be,  it  appears  from  the  acts  of  the  several 
territorial  legislatures  and  of  the  first  General 
Assembly  of  the  State,  that  each  assembly  held 
its  session  in  a  different  building,  or  else  that  the 
rented  "capitol"  was  continually  changing  own- 
ers. The  appropriation  bills  of  the  various  as- 
semblies show  that,  at  the  first  session  of  the 
First  Assembly,  an  appropriation  was  made  (De- 
cember 26,  1812)  "To  Hugh  H.  Maxwell,  agent 
for  the  heirs  of  Elijah  Backus,  deceased,  for  a 
house  for  the  use  of  the  Legislature  during  the 
present  session,  $1.00  per  day  for  each  day  the 
same  may  have  been  occupied."  At  the  second 
session  of  the  same  assembly  no  appropriation 
was  made  for  house  rent;  but  (December  n, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


1813),  there  was  appropriated  to  "John  Hogue 
for  certain  repairs  done  to  the  court  house  of 
Randolph  county  for  the  use  of  the  Legislature 
during  the  present  session,  $15.00,"  and  "To 
Pierre  Menard  for  plank  furnished  for  repairs 
on  court  house  and  for  two  tin  pitchers,  $10.40;" 
from  which  it  seems  that  this  session  was  held  in 
the  Randolph  county  court  house.  At  the  third 
session  an  appropriation  was  made  (December 
24,  1814)  "To  James  Gilbraith  for  firewood  and 
house  rent,  $1.25  per  day  during  the  present  ses- 
sion." At  the '  fourth  session  an  appropration 
was  made  (January  n,  1816)  "To  William  Ben- 
nett for  house  room  and  firewood  during  the 
present  session,  $2.00  per  day."  Again  at  the 
fifth  session  an  appropriation  was  made  (Janu- 
ary 13,  1817)  "To  William  Bennett,  $2.00  per 
day  for  rent  and  firewood  for  two  days  during 
the  present  session,"  and  "To  William  Morrison, 
for  house  rent  furnished  the  present  session, 
$1.50  per  day."  Again  at  the  sixth  and  last  ses- 
sion of  the  territorial  legislature  an  appropriation 
was  made  (January  9,  1818)  "To  John  W.  Gillis, 
$2.00  per  day  for  each  day  the  Legislature  sat  in 
,his  house  at  this  session." 

At  the,  second  session  of  the  First  General  As- 
sembly of  the  State  appropriations  were  made 
(March  29,  1819)  to  cover  rent  for  the  two  ses- 
sions of  the  First  General  Assembly  of  the  State, 
as  well  as  for  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1818,  as  follows:  "To  George  Fisher  for  the  use 
of  three  rooms  of  his  house  during  the  present 
and  preceding  session,  $4.00  per  day ;  also  for  the 
use  of  one  room  during  the  sitting  of  the  conven- 
tion, $2.00  per  day." 

From  these  appropriation  items  it  seems  clear 
that,  while  the  seat  of  government  remained  at 
Kaskaskia,  neither  the  State  nor  the  territory 
owned  a  capitol  building,  that  each  legislature 
was  left  to  its  own  devices  to  provide  a  place  of 
meeting,  and  that  each  session  secured  a  different 
building,  or,  at  least,  paid  rent  to  a  different  land- 
lord. If,  by  the  term,  "Capitol"  or  "State  House" 
is  meant  any  building  in  which  the  legislative 
body  holds  its  sessions,  there,  may  have  been,  and 
most  probably  were,  several  capitals  at  Kaskas- 
kia. If,  however,  the  term  is  restricted  in  its  ap- 
plication to  a  building  owned  by  the  State  and 


used  for  legislative  assemblies  and  executive  of- 
fices, the  first  capitol  of  Illinois  was  located  at 
Vandalia. 

THE    FIRST    STATE    CAPITOL. 

At  the  first  session  of  the  First  General  As- 
sembly of  the  State,  in  compliance  with  section 
13,  of  the  schedule  of  the'  constitution  of  1818, 
a  petition  was  prepared  arid  approved  (October 
12,  1818)  asking  Congress  to  donate  to  the  State 
not  less  than  one  nor  more  than  four  sections  of 
land  "situate  on  the  Kaskaskia  river,  as  near  as 
may  be  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian  for  a 
seat  of  government  for  this  State."  On  March 
3,  1819,  Congress  passed  an  act  in  conformity 
with  this  petition  donating  four  sections  of  land 
for  the  purposes  set  forth  in  the  petition,  and  on 
March  30,  1819,  at  the  second  session  of  the 
First  General  Assembly  an  act  was  passed  in  con- 
formity to  the  constitution,  appointing  five  com- 
missioners who  were  authorized  to  make  a  proper 
selection  for  a  site,  to  employ  a  surveyor  to  lay 
off  a  town,  to  select  a  name  for  the  town,  to  sell 
150  lots,  not  more  than  ten  of  which  were  to  be 
on  the  public  square  and  to  contract  for  the 
building  of  a  suitable  house  for  the  reception  of 
the  General  Assembly.  The  act  provided  that  the 
said  house  should  be  located  on  some  lot  belong- 
ing to  the  State,  but  not  on  the  public  square, 
that  it  should  consist  of  two  stories,  and  be  of 
sufficient  capacity  to  accommodate  the  House  of 
Representatives  on  the  lower  floor  and  the  Sen- 
ate on  the  upper  floor,  with  suitable  rooms  for  the 
council  of  revision,  clerks,  etc.,  all  of  which  was 
to  be  done  within  six  months  ;  and  the  act  further 
provided,  "That  the  next  stated  session  of  the 
General  Assembly  shall  be  holden  at  the  town 
thus  laid  off  and  in  the  building  before  de- 
scribed." 

The  commissioners  did  their  work  within  the 
time  specified,  locating  the  capital  eight  or  ten 
miles  north  of  the  point  where  the  third  principal 
meridian  crosses  the  Kaskaskia  river.  The  place 
was  known  at  the  time  as  "Reeve's  Bluff,"  and 
was  about  eighty  miles  from  Kaskaskia  and 
twenty  miles  from  the  nearest  "settlement."  To 
the  capital  they  gave  the  name  of  Vandalia,  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


the  capitol  building  has  been  described  as  "a  plain 
two  story  wooden  structure,  the  lower  floor  of 
which  was  devoted  to  one  room  for  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  a  passage  and  stairway  to 
the  second  floor.  The  second  story  consisted  of 
two  rooms — the  larger  for  the  Senate  chamber 
and  the  smaller  for  the  Council  of  Revision.  The 
Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  and  Treasurer  oc- 
cupied offices,  detached  from  the  capitol,  rented 
for  their  use. 

The  State  archives,  constituting  a  small  wagon 
load,  were  removed  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vandalia 
by  Sidney  Breese,  then  clerk  to  the  Secretary 
of  State,  for  which  service  he  received  $25.00; 
and  the  first  session  of  the  Second  General  As- 
sembly met  in  the  first  capitol  owned  by  the  State. 
December  4,  1820.  During  the  session  an  act 
was  passed  (January  27,  1821)  approving  and 
confirming  all  the  acts  of  the  commissioners  and 
declaring  Vandalia  to  be  the  "permanent  seat  of 
government  for  twenty  years  from  and  after  De- 
cember i,  1820."  Another  act  of  this  session 
incorporated  the  town  of  Vandalia;  and  among 
other  powers  and  duties  vested  in  the  board  of 
trustees,  they  were  authorized  to  "employ  some 
skillful  person  to  paint  the  State  House  in  a  neat 
and  workmanlike  manner,  and  to  make  such  al- 
terations in  the  chimneys  of  the  house  as  they 
may  deem  necessary."  It  was  further  made  the 
duty  of  the  trustees  of  the  town  of  Vandalia  "to 
take  possession  of  and  keep  in  good  repair  the 
State  House  during  each  and  every  recess  of 
the  General  Assembly."  The  said  trustees  were 
further  authorized  to  "allow  the  Secretary  of 
State  to  occupy  one  of  the  small  rooms  in  the 
State  House,  and  the  Auditor  of  Public  Ac- 
counts the  other  small  room  until  the  meeting  of 
the  next  General  Assembly." 

THE  SECOND  CAPITOL. 

The  building  just  described  was  destroyed  by 
fire  December  9,  1823,  after  having  been  occu- 
pied but  three  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  a 
more  pretentious  brick  structure  costing  about 
$15,000,  of  which  amount  the  citizens  of  Van- 
dalia contributed  $3,000.  This  second  State  cap- 
itol was  erected  during  the  summer  of  1824.  In 


Governor  Cole's  biennial  message  (November  16, 
1824)  he  says  concerning  the  rebuilding  of  the 
capitol:  "The  citizens  of  Vandalia  have  rebuilt 
it,  and  will,  doubtless,  not  be  disappointed  in 
their  just  expectation  of  being  reimbursed  for  the 
expenses  they  have  incurred  in  thus  providing  for 
the  public  accommodation."  The  confidence  of 
the  citizens,  it  seems,  was  not  misplaced ;  for  the 
General  Assembly  made  an  appropriation  (De- 
cember 8,  1824)  of  $12,164.71  to  different  citi- 
zens of  Vartdalia,  to  be  paid  in  the  paper  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Illinois,  for  money,  labor  and  ma- 
terial advanced  in  the  construction  of  the  new 
capitol.  This  capitol  continued  in  use  until  1836, 
the  last  legislative  session  held  in  the  building 
being  the  second  session  of  the  Ninth  General 
Assembly  (December  7,  1835,  to  January  13, 
1836). 

The  schedule  to  the  constitution  providing  for 
the  location  of  the  capital  specified  that  the  place 
chosen  should  remain  the  capital  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  and  the  act  changing  the  capital 
from  Kaskaskia  to  Vandalia  specifically  declared 
Vandalia  to  be  the  "permanent  seat  of  govern- 
ment for  twenty  years  on  and  after  December  i, 
1820;"  still,  before  half  of  the  specified  twenty 
years  had  passed,  the  question  of  removal  was 
agitated  and  a  strong  sentiment  was  soon  created 
in  favor  of  a  location  farther  north  and  nearer  the 
center  of  population,  which  was  already  leaving 
Vandalia  far  to  the  south.  In  1833,  this  senti- 
ment took  shape  in  an  act  of  the  Eighth  General 
Assembly  (February  5)  providing,  "That  at  the 
next  election  to  be  held  in 'the  several  counties 
of  this  State  for  members  of  the  Legislature, 
there  shall  be  opened  at  each  place  of  voting,  a 
book,  in  which  shall  be  entered  the  votes  of  the 
qualified  voters  in  favor  of  the  following  named 
places,  as  their  choice  for  the  permanent  location 
of  the  seat  of  government  of  this  State,  after  the 
time  prescribed  by  the  constitution  for  its  re- 
maining at  Vandalia,  to-wit :  Geographical  center 
of  the  State,  Jacksonville,  Springfield,  Vandalia, 
Alton  and  Peoria.  The  place  receiving  the  high- 
est number  of  votes  shall  forever  thereafter  re- 
main the  seat  of  government  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois." The  question  was  submitted  to  the  people 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  election,  which  was  held  August  4,  1834,  re- 
sulted as  follows : 

Votes 

The  Geographical  Center  received 790 

Jacksonville  received    273 

Springfield  received   7>°75 

Peoria  received   423 

Alton  received   8,157 

Vandalia  received  7.73° 

At  this  election  Sangamon  county  polled  the 
largest  vote  of  any  county  in  the  State,  2,297  (51 
votes  more  than  were  cast  for  sheriff  at  the  same 
election),  of  which  2,261  were  for  Springfield, 
21  for  the  Geographical  Center  (which  was  sup- 
posed to  be  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  II- 
liopolis),  i  for  Jacksonville,  3  for  Peoria,  10  for 
Alton,  and  I  for  Vandalia.  Putman,  on  the  other 
hand,  polled  the  smallest  vote,  only  4,  of  which 
3  went  to  Peoria  and  i  to  Springfield ;  369  votes 
were  cast  in  this  county  for  sheriff  at  the  same 
election.  Cook  county,  like  Putman,  was  more 
interested  in  local  affairs  than  in  locating  a  State 
capital,  casting  at  this  election  515  votes  for  sher- 
iff and  but  52  on  the  capital  question.  Of  these 
52  Cook  county  votes  Peoria  received  23  and 
Springfield  13,  while  9  went  to  the  Geographical 
Center,  4  to  Vandalia,  2  to  Jacksonville,  and  i  to 
Alton.  Fayette  county  was  naturally  interested 
in  the  question  and,  while  but  627  votes  were  cast 
for  sheriff,  668  votes  were  rounded  up  on  the 
question  of  locating  the  capital ;  of  which  Alton 
received  7,  Peoria  2,  Springfield  I,  and  Vandalia 
the  remaining  658.  Calhoun  was  the  only  county 
casting  a  unanimous  vote  for  any  place,  Alton 
receiving  her  entire  vote  of  158. 

THE  THIRD  CAPITOL. 

Though  Alton  received  the  highest  number  of 
votes  and  was  entitled,  under  the  act  of  1833,  to 
be  made  the  permanent  seat  of  government,  this 
fact  was  never  officially  declared,  and  so  far  as 
the  public  records  show,  the  vote  was  never  can- 
vassed, nor  the  matter  referred  to  during  either 
session  of  the  Ninth  Assembly.  Outside  of  the 
Legislature,  however,  the  matter  continued  to  be 
discussed,  and  one  of  the  arguments  in  favor  of 


removal  was  the  need  of  a  better  State  house, 
and  as  one  had  to  be  built  it  would  be  better  to 
locate  it  nearer  the  center  of  population.  The 
wide-awake  citizens  of  Vandalia,  who  had  al- 
ready built  one  State  capital  without  legislative 
warrant,  sought  to  overcome  this  argument  and, 
accordingly,  in  the  summer  of  1836,  during  the 
recess  of  the  General  Assembly,  tore  down  the 
building  which  they  had  built  twelve  years  be- 
fore and  used  the  material  so  far  as  it  was  avail- 
able in  the  construction  of  a  new  capitol  at  a 
cost  of  about  $16,000.  Of  this  amount  $6,000 
was  paid  by  Governor  Duncan  out  of  the  con- 
tingent fund  and  $10,000  advanced  by  the  citizens 
of  Vandalia.  No  law  "had  been  enacted  authoriz- 
ing the  destruction' of  the  old  State  house  nor  the 
construction  of  a  new  one,  but  the  self-sufficient 
citizens  of  Vandalia  took  the  matter  into  their 
own  hands  as  they  had  done  in  1824,  and  the  first 
official  reference  to  the  tearing  down  of  the  old 
capitol  and  replacing  it  with  a  new  one  is  found 
in  a  brief  paragraph  of  Governor  Duncan's  mes- 
sage to  the  Tenth  General  Assembly  (Decem- 
ber 9,  1836),  as  follows: 

"In  consequence  of  the  dilapidated  and  failing 
condition  of  the  old  State  house,  the  public  offi- 
cers, mechanics  and  citizens  of  this  place,  believ- 
ing that  the  Legislature  would  have  no  place  to 
convene  or  hold  their  session,  have  built  the 
house  you  now  occupy.  This  work  has  been  done 
in  a  time  and  under  circumstances  which  evinces 
an  industry,  zeal  and  public  spirit  that  does  honor 
to  the  place  and  commands  our  grateful  acknowl- 
edgment, and  I  hope  their  services  and  expenses 
will  be  promptly  remunerated." 

The  work  done  on  this  building  was  certainly 
of  a  character  superior  to  that  of  1824,  for,  after 
a  lapse  of  sixty-three  years,  the  building  still 
stands  and  is  the  present  court  house  of  Fayette 
county. 

The  last  session  of  the  Legislature  to  meet  at 
Vandalia  was  the  first  session  of  the  Eleventh 
General  Assembly  which  convened  December  3, 
1838.  During  this  session  (February  16.  1839) 
an  act  was  passed  conveying  the  capitol,  built  less 
than  four  years  before,  to  the  county  of  Fayette 
and  the  town  of  Vandalia,  the  west  half  of  the 
building  to  the  county  to  be  used  as  a  court 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


house  and  the  east  half  to  the  town  for  school 
purposes,  while  all  the  unsold  lots  belonging  to 
the  State  within  the  original  four  sections 
granted  by  the  general  government  to  the  State, 
were  conveyed  to  the  county  of  Fayette,  to  be 
sold  by  the  county  commissioners,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds to  constitute  a  road  and  bridge  fund  for  the 
county.  Until  1857  the  east  half  of  the  old  cap- 
itol  was  used  for  school  purposes  as  contemplated 
by  the  act  of  1839.  In  1851  the  "Fayette  Semi- 
nary" was  incorporated,  and  under  its  charter 
was  entitled  to  the  east  half  of  the  building  "to 
be  held  and  used  as  a  county  seminary."  So  far 
as  can  now  be  ascertained,  the  trustees  never  or- 
ganized an  actual  school  under  this  charter,  but 
June  19,  1856,  they  conveyed  the  property  to  the 
county  of  Fayette.  This  conveyance  was  legal- 
ized by  special  act  of  the  Legislature  (February 
15<  l&57-)  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  were  turned 
over  to  the  Vandalia  school  district,  and  the  old 
capitol  and  surrounding  grounds  have  since  be- 
longed to  the  county  of  Fayette.  Since  that  time 
the  building  has  undergone  material  changes 
both  as  to  its  outside  appearance  and  interior  ar- 
rangement. In  1858-59  the  county  spent  about 
$50,000  in  remodeling  the  building,  the  original 
cost  of  which  was  less  than  one-third  of  this  sum. 
Besides  a  complete  re-arrangement  of  the  inter- 
ior, handsome  porticoes  were  added  to  the  north 
and  south  sides  of  the  building,  supported  by  mas- 
sive brick  pillars  which  added  much  to  the  archi- 
tectural appearance  of  the  plain  old  capitol.  After 
a  lapse  of  forty  years  these  brick  pillars  were  re- 
placed in  the  summer  of  1899  by  modern  iron 
columns.  For  many  years  it  was  one  of  the  hand- 
somest and  largest  court  houses  in  the  State,  and 
even  yet  it  surpasses  many  of  the  county  build- 
ings erected  in  other  counties  half  a  century  later. 
The  enterprising  move  On  the  part  of  the  "pub- 
lic officers,  mechanics  and  citizens"  of  Vandalia, 
however,  did  not  settle  the  State  house  question 
for  an  act  was  passed  (February  25,  1837),  pro- 
viding that  the  long-discussed  question  should  be 
settled  by  joint  ballot  of  the  two  houses,  to  be 
convened  in  joint  session  for  that  purpose,  three 
clays  after  the  passage  of  the  act.  Accordingly, 
on  February  28,  1837,  at  10  o'clock  a.  m.,  the  two 
houses  met  in  joint  session  and  on  the  fourth 


ballot  Springfield  was  chosen  as  the  new  capitol, 
receiving  73  votes,  a  majority  over  all  competi- 
tors for  the  prize.  On  the  final  ballot  Vandalia 
received  16  votes,  Jacksonville  n,  Peoria  8,  Al- 
ton 6,  Illiopolis  3,  and  i  vote  each  was  received 
by  Bloomington,  Shawneetown,  Hillsboro,  Graf- 
ton,  Caledonia  and  Essex. 

THE  FOURTH  CAPITOL. 

Already  an  act  had  been  passed  (February  n, 
1837),  making  an  appropriation  of  $10,268.82, 
including  twenty-eight  separate  items,  "in  full  of 
all  materials  furnished,  money  advanced,  and  the 
work  and  labor  done  to  and  upon  the  said  State 
house,"  so  that  the"  "public  officers,  mechanics 
and  citizens"  of  Vandalia  were  reimbursed  for 
their  outlay  on  the  third  capitol,  and  on  March 
3,  1837,  an  act  supplemental  to  the  act  of  Febru- 
ary 25  was  passed  authorizing  the  commissioners 
of  Sangamon  county  to  convey  to  the  State  the 
"public  square"  in  Springfield,  containing  two 
and  one-half  acres,  more  or  less,  and  naming 
Archibald  Job,  A.  G.  Henry  and  Thomas  Hou- 
gan  (or  Hogan)  as  a  board  of  State  House 
Commissioners  to  superintend  the  erection  of  the 
new  capitol.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  had  already 
been  appropriated  for  building  purposes,  the  citi- 
zens of  Springfield  subscribed  $50,000  additional, 
and  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  building  was  laid 
with  impressive  ceremonies  July  4,  1837.  Major 
E.  D.  Baker,  ten  years  later  a  Representative  in 
Congress  from  this  State,  and  still  later  a  United 
States  Senator  from  Oregon,  who  fell  in  one  of 
the  early  engagements  of  the  Civil  war,  was  the 
orator  of  the  day;  and  the  oration  of  this  bril- 
liant young  lawyer  is  said  to  have  been  worthy 
of  the  occasion.  Dr.  Hogan  declined  to  act  as 
State  House  Commissioner,  and  William  Hern- 
don,  in  1839,  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
John  F.  Rague  was  selected  by  the  commission- 
ers as  the  architect,  and  the  work  went  forward 
on  the  new  capitol.  A  few  months  only  had  been 
required  to  complete  either  of  the  former  capi- 
tols,  but  this  was  a  more  serious  undertaking, 
and  its  completion  proved  to  be  the  work  of  years 
instead  of  months,  the  last  of  the  numerous  "ap- 
propriations for  completion  of  the  State  house" 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


being  made  in  1851  and  the  work  completed  in 
1853,  sixteen  years  after  the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone,  and  at  a  total  cost  of  about  $260,000,  in- 
stead of  $120,000  as  first  estimated. 

The  commissioners  made  their  last  report  to  the 
Twelfth  General  Assembly  (December  15,  1840) 
in  which  they  reported  an  expenditure  of  $182,- 
800,  besides  liabilities  incurred  to  the  amount  of 
$29,153,  and  estimated  as  necessary  to  complete 
the  building  a  further  appropriation  of  $39,000. 
They  were  immediately  legislated  out  of  office 
and  a  new  commission  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  the, Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  and  Treasurer, 
who,  at  this  time,  were  James  Shields,  Lyman 
Trumbull  and  Milton  Carpenter,  respectively. 
They  were  authorized  to  effect  a  settlement  with 
former  commissioners  and  to  complete  the  con- 
struction of  the  State  house,  for  which  work 
$7,000  was  appropriated.  Two  thousand  six  hun- 
dred dollars  more  was  appropriated  at  the  next 
session,  and  in  1847  the  Governor  was  given  a 
place  on  the  commission  instead  of  the  Secretary 
of  State,  and  $20,000  more  appropriated  to  com- 
plete the  work.  In  1849  the  new  commission  re- 
ported that  work  had  been  done  and  contracts 
made  which  had  exhausted  all  available  funds 
and  $7,000  additional  was  appropriated,  and 
again  in  1851  $i  1,000,  the  final  appropriation  for 
completing  the  capitol ;  but  in  1854  $20,000  was 
further  appropriated  for  enclosing  and  embellish- 
ing the  grounds  about  the  building  so  as  to  "cor- 
respond with  and  be  equal  to  the  court  house 
square  in  the  city  of  Chicago." 

THE  FIFTH   CAPITOL. 

The  State  capitol,  the  corner  stone  of  which 
had  been  laid  with  impressive  ceremonies  July 
4,  1837,  was  fifteen  years  in  building;  and,  fif- 
teen years  after  its  completing,  it  was  so  inade- 
quate to  the  wants  of  the  State  that  the  erection 
of  a  new  capitol  seemed  imperative.  At  the  time 
of  is  erection  it  was  the  architectural  wonder  of 
the  State  and  commonly  considered  beyond  the 
necessity  of  the  times,  and  the  tax-paying  abili- 
ties of  the  commonwealth.  It  was  frequently 
characterized  as  a  monument  of  extravagance, 
and  excused  on  the  ground  of  State  pride  rather 


than  the  immediate  or  future  necessities  of  the 
State  government.  The  population  of  the  State 
in  1837  was  less  than  a  half  million.  In  1867  it 
was  nearly  two  and  one-half  millions  ;  an  increase 
of  four  hundred  per  cent  in  thirty  years.  In  the 
meantime  Springfield  had  grown  from  a  town  of 
1,100  to  one  of  17,000,  while  Chicago  had  in- 
creased from  4,000  to  about  a  quarter  of  a  mil- 
lion. The  increase  in  wealth  had  more  than  kept 
pace  with  the  growth  of  population ;  and  in  1867 
(February  25)  the  Twenty-fifth  General  Assem- 
bly passed  an  act  providing  for  the  erection  of  a 
new  State  house.  This  act  authorized  the  Gov- 
ernor to  convey  to  the  county  of  Sangamon  and 
the  city  of  Springfield  the  existing  capitol  and 
grounds  in  consideration  of  $200,000  and  the 
further  consideration  of  the  site  for  the  erection 
of  the  new  capitol.  The  act  limited  the  cost  to 
three  million  dollars,  and  named  a  board  of  seven 
commissioners  to  carry  out'  the  provisions  of  the 
act  in  superintending  the  erection  of  the  building. 
The  act  contained  an  emergency  clause  and  the 
commissioners  proceeded  to  their  work  without 
delay.  On  March  II,  1868,  ground  was  broken 
for  the  new  building.  On  June  nth  the  first 
stone  was  laid,  and  on  October  5,  1868,  the 
formal  laying  of  the  corner  stone  took  place. 
Judge  J.  D.  Caton  making  the  principal  address 
— an  eloquent  and  scholarly  essay  of  historic 
value,  fortunately,  has  found  a  place  in  the  prin- 
cipal libraries  of  the  State.  In  September,  1869, 
the  foundation  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  nearly 
half  a  million  dollars  ;  in  1876  the  capitol  was  first 
occupied  in  an  unfinished  condition;  in  1885  the 
final  appropriation  was  made,  and  it  was  com- 
pleted in  1888. 

The  first  appropriation,  $450,000,  made  in  1867, 
was  wholly  exhausted  before  the  completion  of 
the  foundation,  which  cost  $465,686.67.  In  1869, 
a  further  appropriation  was  made  of  $450,000 ;  in 
1871,  $600,000  more;  in  1873,  $1,000,000,  and  in 
1875,  $800,000.  These  appropriations  made  a 
total  of  three  and  one-half  million  dollars,  the 
limit  fixed  by  the  constitution  of  1870,  beyond 
which  the  Legislature  could  not  go  without  a  vote 
of  the  people  ratifying  further  appropriation.  In 
1877,  an  appropriation  of  $531,712,  contingent 
upon  the  approval  of  the  people,  was  made  for 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


the  completion  of  the  State  house,  and  submitted 
at  the  November  election  of  that  year.  The  prop- 
osition received  but  80,222  affirmative  votes  out 
of  a  total  of  389,189  cast  at  the  election.  Again, 
in  1881,  a  similar  appropriation  was  made  and 
again  submitted  at  the  election  in  November, 
1882,  and  was  again  defeated,  receiving  but  231,- 
632  votes  out  of  a  total  of  532,683.  Again,  in 

1884,  the  same  proposition  was  once  more  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  at  the  November  election,  and  se- 
cured the  endorsement  of  the  people,   receiving 
364,796  votes  out  of  a  total  of  673,086.    June  29, 

1885,  an  act  was  passed  to  render  effective  the 
act  of  1883,  and  the  final  appropriation  of  $531,- 
712  was  made  available  after  October  i,  1885.  A 
new  State  house  commission  was  appointed  by 
the  Governor  to  superintend  its  expenditure,  and 
the   capitol   was   completed    in    1888,   twenty-one 
years  after  its  building  was  authorized.    The  sev- 
eral  appropriations   enumerated   above,   together 
with  smaller  sums  appropriated  during  the  prog- 
ress of  the  work,  as   well   as  during  the  years 
when  work  was  practically  suspended,  made  for 
repairs,  for  protection  and  preservation  of  work 
already  done;  for  vaults,  laying  walks  upon  the 
grounds,    planting   trees,   and    other   items,    not, 
perhaps,  properly  chargeable  to  the  first  cost  of 
building,  amounted  in  the  aggregatte  to  nearly 
four  and  one-half  million  dollars. 

The  first  Board  of  State  House  Commission- 
ers, named  in  the  act  of  1867,  consisted  of  seven 
members  as  follows:  John  W.  Smith,  John  J. 
S.  Wilson,  Philip  Wadsworth,  James  C.  Robin- 
son, William  T.  Vandeveer,  William  L.  Hamble- 
ton  and  James  H.  Beveridge.  March  12,  1867, 
Jacob  Bunn  was  appointed,  vice  John  J.  S.  Wil- 
son, and  on  the  organization  of  the  board  was 
elected  president  of  the  commission.  In  1869 
the  board,  by  act  of  the  General  Assembly,  was 
reduced  to  three  members,  and  the  Governor  re- 
appointed  Jacob  Bunn,  James  C.  Robinson  and 
James  H.  Beveridge,  of  the  old  commission,  to 
constitute  the  new  board,  of  which  Mr.  Bunn 
was  made  president  and  Mr.  Beveridge  secre- 
tary. In  1871  Mr.  Robinson  resigned  his  ap- 
pointment and  John  T.  Stuart  was  named  to  fill 
the  vacancy.  These  commissioners  continued  to 
act  until  1877,  at  which  time,  there  being  no 


funds  available  for  carrying  on  the  work  of 
building,  they  were  relieved,  by  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  from  further  duty.  After  the 
favorable  vote  of  1884,  ratifying  the  legislative 
appropriation  of  1883,  Governor  Hamilton  ap- 
pointed, December  30,  1884,  a  new  board,  con- 
sisting of  General  John  Cook,  Rheuna  D.  Law- 
rence and  John  O'Neill ;  but,  on  the  assembling 
of  the  Legislature  the  Senate  failed  to  confirm 
these  appointments,  and  Governor.  Oglesby  ap- 
pointed George  Kirk,  William  Jayne  and  John 
McCreery,  who  directed  the  expenditure  of  the 
final  appropriation  and  completion  of  the  building. 

In  response  to  an  advertisement  by  the  first 
board  of  commissioners  offering  a  premium  of 
$3,000  for  the  best  design  for  the  building,  twen- 
ty-one designs  were  submitted,  from  which  that 
of  John  C.  Cochrane,  of  Chicago,  was  chosen, 
July  2,  1867,  ancl  m  Januar>'»  I868,  Mr.  Cochrane 
was  appointed  architect  and  superintendent  of 
the  works,  on  a  contract  of  two  and  one-half 
per  cent  of  the  cost  of  the  building  and  W.  D. 
Clark,  of  Davenport,  was  appointed  assistant  su- 
perintendent. In  1886  Alfred  H.  Pinquenard, 
of  the  firm  of  Cochrane  &Pinquenard,  undertook 
the  personal  supervision  of  the  work,  and  acted 
as  resident  supervising  architect  until  his  death, 
November  19,  1876.  M.  E.  Bell,  who  had  been 
appointed  assistant  superintendent  in  1874,  vice 
W.  D.  Clark,  assumed  the  personal  supervision 
of  the  work  after  the  death  cf  Mr.  Pinquenard. 

This  great  work,  continuing  through  twenty- 
one  years,  was  not  carried  forward  without  de- 
lays and  embarrassments.  From  the  first  there 
was  a  strong  element  in  the  State  opposed  to  the 
construction  of  the  building.  At  first  this  oppo- 
sition was  confined  to  interested  localities  that 
wanted  the  capital  located  elsewhere,  but  as  times 
got  "hard"  and  the  appropriations  began  to 
mount  into  the  millions,  the  opposition  became 
more  wide-spread  and  of  deeper  significance.  As 
early  as  1871,  petitions,  carrying  40,000  names, 
were  presented  to  the  Generaly  Assembly,  ask- 
ing that  further  appropriations  be  withheld  until 
the  questions  of  location  and  cost  could  be  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  of  the  people.  Peoria  made  a 
munificent  bid  for  the  transfer  of  the  capital  to 
that  city,  and  Chicago,  in  protest  against  the  in- 


26 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


adequate  accommodations  of  the  old  building 
and  the  slow  progress  of  the  new  one,  invited  the 
Twenty-seventh  General  Assembly  to  hold  its 
adjourned  session  in  Chicago,  offering  suitable 
assembly  halls,  executive  and  committee  rooms 
free  of  charge  to  the  State.  This  offer,  in  spite 
of  the  constitutional  provision  that  all  sessions 
of  the  General  Assembly  must  be  held  at  the 
capital,  was  accepted  by  joint  resolution  of  the 
assembly.  The  great  conflagration  which,  in 
1871,  swept  away  all  the  public  buildings  of  Chi- 
cago, prevented  the  carrying  out  of  this  plan  and 
avoided  the  possible  complications  which  might 
have  arisen  on  account  of  it.  From  1875  to  1885 
no  appropriation  was  made  available  for  prose- 
cuting the  work,  and  for  about  eight  years  no 
progress  was  made  toward  the  completion  of  the 
building,  nothing  being  attempted  between  1877 
and  1885  except  to  protect  the  work  done  pre- 
vious to  that  time.  No  report  of  the  last  board 
of  commissioners  is  on  file  concerning  the  com- 
pletion of  the  building,  but  the  Auditor's  reports 
show  that  the  last  of  the  appropriation  of  1885 
was  expended  in  1888. 

The  site  selected  for  the  building  and  given 
by  the  county  of  Sangamon  and  city  of  Spring- 
field, in  part  consideration  of  the  transfer  of  the 
old  capitol  and  grounds  to  the  city  and  county, 
is  a  beautiful  plot  of  ground  about  one-fourth 
of  a  mile  southwest  of  the  old  capitol,  containing 
eight  and  one-half  acres,  sloping  gently  toward 
the  east,  the  direction  in  which  the  capitol  faces 
the  business  part  of  the  city.  The  original  plans 
contemplated  a  further  addition  of  ground  to  the 
south  end  of  the  site  which,  unfortunately,  was 
never  secured,  and  the  south  portico  of  the  build- 
ing, as  provided  for  in  the  original  design,  was 
never  constructed,  for  want  of  necessary  space, 
the  south  wall  of  the  south  wing  being  flush 
with  the  street. 

The  building,  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross,  is  of 
the  composite  order  of  architecture  in  which 
modern  effects  of  utility  and  convenience  are 
happily  combined  with  the  strength  and  beauty 
characteristic  of  ancient  styles  of  building.  The 
circular  foundation,  ninety-two  and  a  half  feet 
in  diameter,  upon  which  the  great  dome  rests,  is 
twenty-five  and  a  half  feet  below  the  grade  line, 


based  upon  the  solid  rock,  and  the  walls  support- 
ing the  dome  are  seventeen  feet  in  thickness  from 
the  foundation  to  the  floor  of  the  first  story.  The 
foundation  for  the  outer  walls  is  eleven  to  sixteen 
feet  below  the  grade  line,  these  walls  being  nine 
feet  thick  up  to  the  first  floor.  The  foundation 
walls  are  all  built  of  granular  magnesian  lime- 
stone of  unquestioned  strength  and  durability,  ob- 
tained from  the  Sonora  quarries  of  Hancock 
county.  The  outer  walls  of  the  superstructure  are 
constructed  of  Niagara  limestone,  the  lower  story 
from  the  quarries  of  Joliet,  and  the  upper  stories 
from  Lemont.  The  extreme  length  of  the  build- 
ing from  north  to  south  is  379  feet,  and  from  east 
to  west  268  feet.  The  height  from  ground  line 
to  top  of  dome  is  361  feet,  and  to  tip  of  flag  staff 
405  feet — higher,  exclusive  of  the  flag  staff  by 
74  feet,  than  the  dome  of  the  national  capitol  at 
Washington.  The  building  consists  of  basement, 
first,  second  and  third  stories,  gallery  floor  and 
dome.  The  basement  is  used  for  vaults,  en- 
gine rooms,  carpenter  shop,  and  storerooms 
for  various  purposes.  The  first  floor  is  de- 
voted (1899)  largely  to  offices  for  various 
State  boards,  the  east  wing  being  occupied 
by  the  Railroad  and  Warehouse  Commission  on 
the  north  side,  and  by  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Sta- 
tistics and  State  Board  of  Health  on  the  south 
side;  the  north  wing,  by  the  Superintendent  of 
Insurance  on  the  east  side,  and  by  the  land  de- 
partment of  the  Auditor's  office,  the  Farmers' 
Institute  and  the  supply  department  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  State  on  the  west ;  the  west  wing  by  the 
Board  of  Live  Stock  Commissioners  on  the  north 
side  and  by  the  chambers  of  the  Supreme  Judges 
on  the  south,  while  the  south  wing  contains  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  ship- 
ping department  of  the  Secretary  of  State's  of- 
fice and  the  War  Museum  on  the  west  side,  and 
the  offices  of  the  Adjutant  General  and  State 
Board  of  Pharmacy  on  the  east.  The  second  floor 
(called  the  main  floor  by  the  architect,  and  origi- 
nally reached  from  the  outside  by  a  broad  flight  of 
marble  steps  on  the  east  front)  contains  the  ex- 
ecutive offices,  the  east  wing  being  occupied  by 
the  Governor's  suite  of  rooms  on  the  north  side 
and  the  Secretary  of  State's  on  the  south ;  the 
north  wing  by  the  State  Board  of  Public  Chari- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


ties,  the  Board  of  Agriculture  and  Agricultural 
Museum  on  the  east  side  and  the  offices  of  the 
Auditor  and  Treasurer  on  the  west ;  the  west  wing 
by  the  Attorney  General's  office  on  the  north  side, 
the  Law  Library  in  the  west  end,  while  the  south 
side  of  this  wing  and  the  west  side  of  the  south 
wing  are  devoted  to  the  use  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  The  east  side  of  the  south  wing  is  oc- 
cupied by  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction and  the  anti-trust  and  index  depart- 
ments of  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State. 

On  the  third  floor  the  north  wing  is  occupied 
by  the  Senate  Chamber,  the  south  wing  by  the 
Hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  the  east 
wing  by  the  Geological  and  Natural  History 
Museum  and  offices  of  the  State  Board  of  Par- 
dons and  Printer  Expert,  and  the  west  wing  by 
the  State  Library  and  State  Historical  Library. 
There  are  also  numerous  committee  rooms  and 
offices-  for  the  officers  of  the  General  Assembly 
on  this  floor,  while  the  gallery  floor  and  mansard 
story  are  wholly  occupied  by  committee  rooms. 

The  porticoes  of  the  east  and  north  fronts,  sup- 
ported by  massive  arches  and  columns  of  Joliet 
limestone  and  stately  pillars  of  polished  Fox  Is- 
land granite,  with  the  gigantic  but  perfectly  pro- 
portioned and  graceful  dome,  constitute  the 
notable  architectural  features  of  the  outer  build- 
ing, while  the  magnificent  rotunda  and  grand 
stairway  of  the  interior  were  the  special  pride  of 
the  architects  and  builders. 

The  floors  of  the  rotunda  and  of  the  corridors 
are  mosaic  work  of  different  colored  marble.  The 
walls  of  the  rotunda  in  the  first  and  second 
stories  and  to  the  spring  of  the  arches,  as  well  as 
the  arches  themselves,  are  of  solid  stone  faced 
with  Bedford  blue  limestone  and  Missouri  red 
granite.  The  grand  stairway,  leading  from  the 
second  floor  to  the  third,  constructed  of  solid 
marble,  with  columns,  pilasters,  arches,  rails,  bal- 
usters, wainscoting  and  soffits  connected  with  it, 
also  of  solid  marble,  was,  at  the  time  of  its  con- 
struction, considered  superior  in  design,  mate- 
rial and  finish,  to  any  similar  stairway  in  the 
world.  The  polished  columns  in  the  second  story 
of  the  rotunda  are  of  Missouri  red  granite  with 
bases  of  blue  granite  and  rich  foliated  caps  of 
Tuckahoe  marble.  The  wainscoting  of  the  cor- 


ridors of  vari-colored  marbles,  domestic  and  im- 
ported (including  white  Italian,  Alps  green,  Lis- 
bon, Glens  Falls,  old  Tennessee,  Concord,  and 
other  varieties)  artistically  paneled,  is  a  piece  of 
work  unexcelled  for  beauty  and  durability  and  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  other  parts  of  the  spa- 
cious hallways.  The  ceilings  of  the  principal 
rooms  are  heavily  paneled  and  tastefully  deco- 
rated ;  those  of  the  Supreme  Court  room  and  the 
Assembly  halls  being  particularly  worthy  of  note. 

The  paintings  and  statuary  intended  to  adorn 
the  interior  are  hardly  in  keeping  with  the  archi- 
tectural beauty  of  the  building,  though  some  of 
the  work  is  of  unquestioned  merit.  The  panels 
of  the  main  corridor  of  the  first  floor  are  deco- 
rated with  paintings  illustrative  of  scenes  and 
events  closely  connected  with  the  early  history 
of  the  State,  such  as  old  Fort  Chartres  on  the 
Mississippi,  Starved  Rock  on  the  Illinois,  old 
Fort  Dearborn,  New  Salem  in  the  time  of  Lin- 
coln, General  Grant  taking  command  of  the 
troops  at  Cairo  at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war, 
Marquette  and  Joliet  in  a  conference  with  the  In- 
dians during  the  earliest  recorded  exploration  of 
Illinois  in  1673,  and  Governor  Coles  liberating 
his  slaves  as  they  drift  down  the  Ohio  river  in  a 
flat  boat  on  their  immigration  to  Illinois.  A  large 
painting  representing  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark 
negotiating  a  treaty  with  the  Illinois  Indians  fills 
the  large  panel  on  the  wall  above  the  landing  of 
the  grand  stairway.  Full  length  portraits  of  Lin- 
coln and  Douglas  are  found  in  the  hall  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  of  Washington 
and  Lafayette  in  the  State  Library,  while  por- 
traits, varying  widely  in  artistic  merit,  of  all  the 
Governors  of  the  State  adorn  the  walls  of  the 
Governor's  office. 

In  the  center  of  the  first  floor  at  the  intersection 
of  the  main  corridors,  as  a  relic  of  the  World's 
Fair  at  Chicago,  stands  a  bronze  female  figure 
of  heroic  size  representing  "Illinois  welcoming 
the  world,"  to  the  Columbian  Exposition  of  1892. 
This  piece  of  statuary  was  placed  on  exhibition 
by  the  woman's  exposition  committee  during  the 
exposition,  in  the  Illinois  building,  and  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  state  after  the  close  of  the  fair. 

On  the  second  floor  are  marble  statues  of  Lin- 
coln, Douglas  and  Governor  Wood,  and  high  up 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


on  the  walls  of  the  rotunda  on  pedestals  near  the 
base  of  the  inner  dome  are  heroic  bronze  casts 
of  eight  men  prominent  in  the  civil  and  military 
history  of  the  state — Ninian  Edwards,  governor 
by  appointment  and  re-appointment  during  the 
entire  territorial  period,  1809  to  1818,  and  third 
of  governor  of  the  state;  Shadrach  Bond,  the 
state's  first  governor;  Edward  Coles,  the  second 
governor ;  Sidney  Breese,  judge  of  the  supreme 
court  of  the  state  for  many  years,  and  United 
States  senator ;  Lyman  Trumbull,  United  States 
senator  and  eminent  jurist;  U.  S.  Grant,  com- 
mander of  all  the  armies  of  the  Union  at  the  close 
of  the  Civil  war  and  afterwards  twice  elected  to 
the  presidency ;  John  A.  Logan,  Major  General  of 
Volunteers  during  the  Civil  war,  and  afterwards 
for  many  years  United  States  senator — a  brilliant 
figure  in  the  military  and  political  history  of  the 
state;  and  William  R.  Morrison,  eminent,  alike, 
as  a  statesman  and  jurist,  the  only  one  of  these 
eight  worthies  still  living. 

Still  above  these  statues,  and  just  at  the  base  of 
the  inner  dome,  is  a  series  of  allegorical  and  his- 
torical pictures,  in  bas  relief,  of  conceded  artis- 
tic merit.  Among  them  are  the  discussion  of  the 
stamp  act,  in  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses, 
with  Patrick  Henry  as  the  central  figure,  making 
his  memorable  address,  and  Washington  and 
Richard  Henry  Lee  among  his  attentive  auditors ; 
the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  by  the  British  forces  ; 
Peter  Cartwright,  the  pioneer  preacher,  conduct- 
ing a  religious  service  in  a  "settler's"  cabin ;  the 
surrender  of  Black  Hawk  at  Prairie  du  Chien  ; 
and  a  joint  debate  between  those  giants  of  the 
political  forum,  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  in  their  great  campaign  of  1858.  In 
these  historical  representations  all  of  the  figures 
are  supposed  to  be  portraits  of  historical  charac- 
ters. Many  of  them  are  easily  recognized,  but 
others  it  seems  impossible  to  identify,  as  the 
gifted  artist,  T.  Nicolai,  who  designed  and  exe- 
cuted the  work,  dying  before  it  was  wholly  com- 
pleted, left  no  key  to  the  different  groups  so 
graphically  represented. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  in  detail  such  a  build- 
ing without  making  the  description  tedious  to  the 
average  reader.  It  is  unnecessary,  perhaps,  to  de- 
scribe it  at  all.  It  stands  to  speak  for  itself,  and 


except  for  some  unforeseen  disaster,  will  yet 
stand  for  many  years  a  monument  to  the  fore- 
sight of  those  who  conceived  it,  as  well  as  to  the 
skill  of  the  architects  and  workmen  who  designed 
and  constructed  it.  At  the  time  of  its  construc- 
tion there  was  no  public  building  in  the  United 
States,  except  the  capital  at  Washington,  to  com- 
pare with  it  in  size,  cost  or  elegance ;  and  now. 
thirty-five  years  after  the  drawing  of  the  plans 
by  which  it  was  built,  there  are  few  buildings  in 
the  country  surpassing  it  for  architectural  beauty 
or  which  more  adequately  serve  the  purpose  for 
which  they  were  intended. 

THE  CAPITAL  CITIES  OF  ILLINOIS. 

KASKASKIA. 

No  reliable  data  can  be  found  from  which  the 
earliest  settlement  of  Kaskaskia  may  positively 
be  determined.  Authentic  records  show  that  in 
1675  Marquette  established  a  mission  among  the 
Kaskaskia  Indians,  known  as  the  Kaskaskia  Mis- 
sion, near  the  present  site  of  Utica,  LaSalle 
county,  and  that,  on  account  of  the  repeated  at- 
tacks of  the  warlike  Iroquois,  this  mission,  with 
a  considerable  body  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians,  was 
removed,  in  1700,  to  the  present  site  of  Kaskas- 
kia. Some  authorities  claim  that  a  settlement  had 
previously  been  formed  here  as  early  as  1682  by 
some  of  LaSalle's  followers  on  the  return  voyage 
from  their  exploration  of  the  lower  Mississippi. 
Others"  state  that  the  first  settlement  was  the  estab- 
lishment at  this  point  of  a  trading  post  by  Tonti 
in  1685.  It  is  probable  that  the  settlement  was 
no  continuous  from  the  first,  for  the  early  French 
traders  and  trappers  were  as  migratory  in  their 
habits  as  the  Indians  themselves ;  and  probably 
those  authorities  are  not  far  wrong  who  fix  the 
earliest  settlement  in  1700,  reckoning  from  the 
date  of  the  transfer  of  the  Kaskaskia  Mission  from 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Illinois  to  the  lower  Kas- 
kaskia river.  It  is  .known,  at  least,  that  Kaskas- 
kia was  among  the  earliest  French  settlements  in 
the  Illinois  country,  that  it  soon  outstripped  all  of 
its  neighboring  villages  in  wealth  and  population, 
and  at  an  early  date  became  the  center  of  coloniza- 
tion and  exploration,  as  well  as  the  headquarters 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


of  missionary  effort  and  mercantile  and  military 
enterprise  in  that  part  of  New  France  known  as 
the  Illinois  country.  The  first  military  occu- 
pation of  the  village  by  the  French  govern- 
ment was  in  1718.  1719  saw  the  first 
regular  parish  organization.  A  monastery  and 
college  were  erected  as  early  as  1721,  and  in  1725 
the  village  was  incorporated  and  received  from 
Louis  XV.  a  grant  of  commons  to  the  inhabitants. 
Under  French  rule  the  village  gradually  increased 
in  population  and  importance,  until  in  1763,  at  the 
close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war,  it  is  said  to 
have  had  a  population  of  2,000  or  3,000.  These 
figures,  however,  are  not  well  authenticated.  In 
1765,  at  the  time  of  the  British  occupation,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  population,  estimated  at  one- 
third  of  the  whole,  left  the  village  and  took  up 
their  residences  at  St.  Louis  and  Ste.  Genevieve. 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  During  the 
Piritish  occupation,' from  1765  to  1778,  few  acces- 
sions were  made  to  the  village ;  but  after  the  con- 
trol passed  into  the  hands  of  the  colonies,  at  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration from  the  older  colonies  set  toward  Kas- 
kaskia ;  but  its  growth  was  slow  until  afte'r  the 
organization  of  Illinois  as  a  territory.  The  terri- 
torial period,  from  1809  to  1818,  included  the 
most  prosperous  years  in  the  history  of  the  vil- 
lage, and-  after  the  removal  of  the  state  capital 
to  Vandalia  it  never  again  acquired  so  large  a 
population  as  it  had  fA  that  time.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  village  since  that  event  has  steadily  di- 
minished in  population  and  importance,  and  even 
its  ancient  site  is  disappearing,  a  prey  to  the  an- 
nual spring  floods  of  the  Mississippi.  In  1818, 
Kaskaskia  was  incorporated  as  a  town  under  the 
laws  of  the  territory.  In  1820,  the  state  govern- 
ment removed  to  Vandalia — the  new  capital  of  the 
state.  In  1848,  four  years  after  a  disastrous  in- 
undation, the  county  seat  was  removed  to  Ches- 
ter. From  1836  to  1871  no  town  officers  were 
elected  under  that  charter.  In  1871,  a  town  gov- 
ernment was  again  formed  under  the  old  char- 
ter, and  in  1873  the  town  reorganized  under  the 
general  law.  In  1880.  the  town  retained  a  popu- 
lation of  350.  In  1881,  the  Mississippi  broke 
through  the  narrow  neck  of  alluvial  land  above 
the  town  and  joined  its  waters  with  those  of  the 


Kaskaskia,  leaving  the  old  town  on  an  island,  and 
washing  away  a  considerable  part  of  the  old  town 
site.  Each  recurring  spring  flood  takes  away  a 
portion  of  the  old  site,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
spring  of  1900  will  witness  the  disappearance  of 
the  last  vestige  of  the  old  town.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  of  its 
remaining  houses  occupied  —  its  population  less 
than  half  a  hundred,  its  postoffice  and  last  busi- 
ness house  long  since  departed,  the  building 
known  in  tradition  as  the  Old  State  House  stand- 
ing on  the  edge  of  the  crumbling  bank  of  the 
river,  waiting  for  the  next  flood  to  carry  it  away 
—  its  total  obliteration  now  seems  to  be  a  ques- 
tion of  a  few  months  only,  after  an  eventful  ex- 
istence of  two  hundred  ears. 


VANDALIA. 

When  Vandalia  was  made  the  state  capital  in 
1820,  the  site  of  the  town  and  all  the  country 
round  about  it  was  an  unbroken  wilderness.  Fay- 
ette  county  was  not  organized  nor  the  town  in- 
corporated until  the  following-  year..  In  1830 
the  population  of  Fayette  county  had  grown  to 
2,700  and  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  capi- 
tal, ten  years  later,  the  population  had  more  than 
doubled,  being  something  more  than  6,000,  of 
which  number  900,  perhaps,  lived  in  the  town  of 
Vandalia.  After  the  removal  of  the  capital  to 
Springfield  the  population  of  the  town  fell  away 
for  several  years,  and  as  late  as  1854  contained 
but  about  800  people.  The  present  population  is 
about  2,500  or  3,000  and  the  present  area  is  less 
than  half,  perhaps,  of  the  four  sections  constitut- 
ing the  original  town  site,  much  of  which  now 
forms  corn  and  wheat  fields  adjoining  the  town 
as  it  exists  to-day.  Recent  years  have  brought 
to  it  a  gradual  but  steady  increase  of  population, 
and  though  it  has  not  kept  pace  with  its  successor, 
Springfield,  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  its  total 
extinction,  the  fate  that  seems  meted  out  to  its 
predecessor,  historic  old  Kaskaskia. 

SPRINGFIELD. 

Springfield,  at  the  time  it  became  the  capital  of 
the  state,  was  but  little  larger  than  the  deserted 
village  of  Vandalia.  The  act  of  1821,  organizing 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  county  of  Sangamon,  authorized  the  commis- 
sioners to  locate  a  temporary  county  seat,  by  which 
authority  they  proceeded,  according  to  the  final 
clause  of  their  own  report,  to  "fix  and  designate 
a  certain  point  in  the  prairie  near  John  Kelly's 
field  on  the  waters  of  Spring  creek,  at  a  stake  set 
marked  Z.  D.,  as  the  temporary  seat  of  justice  of 
said  county,  and  do  further  agree  that  the  said 
county  seat  be  called  and  known  by  the  name  of 
Springfield."  The  "stake  marked  Z.  D."  was 
driven  near  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Jefferson  streets,  and  later  in  the  same  year  a 
court  house  and  jail,  the  total  cost  of  which  was 
$84,  was  erected  on  this  spot.  The  following 
year  Elijah  lies  and  Pascal  Enos  caused  to  be 
surveyed .  and  platted  a  town  which  surrounded 
this  "temporary  seat  of  justice"  and  called  the 
town  Calhoun.  But  as  Springfield  was  the  official 
title  of  the  county  seat  as  well  as  of  the  postoffice, 
established  in  1823,  the  name  Calhoun  was  seldom 
used ;  and  the  town,  in  spite  of  its  owners  and 
godfathers,  was  generally  called  Springfield.  In 
1824,  by  act  of  the  legislature,  the  boundary  lines 
of  the  county  were  readjusted  and  the  commis- 
sioners authorized  to  permanently  locate  a  county 
seat,  in  the  doing  of  which  they  were  directed  to 
procure  a  donation  of  not  less  than  thirty-five 
acres  of  land  upon  which  they  were  to  lay  off  a 
town  site.  Rather  than  lose  for  their  town  the 
prestige  which  attaches  to  a  county  seat,  the  pro- 
prietors of  Calhoun  donated  forty-two  acres  ad- 
joining their  own  town  and  including  a  portion  of 
it,  for  the  site  of  the  permanent  county  seat.  The 
donation  was  accepted  by  the  commissioners, 
"platted"  by  them  into  blocks  and  lots  with 
streets  and  alleys  to  correspond  with  those  of  the 
old  town  of  Calhoun,  and  without  change  of  name 
and  but  a  slight  change  in  location,  the  permanent 
county  seat  was  fixed  May  18,  1825.  Neither 
town  was  incorporated  and  neither  had  any  form 
of  municipal  government  until  1827,  when  an  act 
was  passed  by  the  general  assembly  authorizing 
the  county  commissioners  to  appoint  a  supervisor 
for  the  town  whose  principal  duty,  as  defined  by 
the  act,  was  "to  have  all  the  trees  and  stumps  in 
any  of  the  streets  described,  cut  off  as  nearly  level 
with  the  ground  as  possible."  He  was  also  made 
custodian  of  certain  fines  and  penalties  collected 


by  the  justices  within  the  town,  which  he  was  to 
expend  for  the  improvement  of  streets  and  alleys. 
In  1832  the  town  was  incorporated  under  the 
general  act  of  1831,  and  was  governed  by  the 
president  and  board  of  trustees  of  the  town,  who 
continued  in  municipal  control  until  its  incorpora- 
tion as  a  city.  In  1833  an  act  was  passed  by  the 
general  assembly  providing  for  a  resurvey  of  the 
town  and  declaring  that  "hereafter  the  plat  of  the 
town  of  Calhoun  shall  be  forever  known  and  de- 
clared as  a  part  of  the  town  of  Springfield."  In 
1840,  after  having  been  designated  as  the  capital 
of  the  state,  the  town  was  reincorporated  as  a 
city,  at  which  time  it  had  a  population  of  about 
1,100. 

This  charter  of  1840  was  the  subject  of  amend- 
ment at  nearly  every  session  of  the  legislature  for 
many  years,  and  in  1882  the  city  was  reorganized 
under  the  general  law.  Since  that  time  its  growth 
in  area  as  well  as  in  wealth  and  population  has 
steadily  gone  forward  and  its  present  estimated 
population  is  35,000  or  40,000.  Besides  the  im- 
portance which  attaches  to  it  as  the  county  seat  of 
a  large  and  properous  county  and  as  the  capital 
city  of  a  great  state,  its  location  in  the  midst  of 
a  great  coal  region  furnishing  an  inexhaustible 
supply  of  cheap  fuel,  makes  it  an  important  min- 
ing and  manufacturing  center.  Its  excellent  ho- 
tels together  with  the  accommodations  afforded 
for  large  assemblies  by  its  public  buildings,  make 
it  a  favorite  convention  city  for  political,  religious, 
educational  and  social  organizations.  It  has  be- 
come in  recent  years  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  prosperous  cities  of  the  state,  and  apparently 
there  is  nothing  likely  to  interrupt  its  continued 
growth  and  prosperity. 

ILLINOIS  AS  A  STATE. 

ORGANIZATION. 

In  January  of  1818  the  territorial  legislature 
forwarded  to  Nathaniel  Pope,  delegate  in  con- 
gress from  Illinois,  a  petition  praying  for  admis- 
sion into  the  national  Union  as  a  state.  On  April 
1 8th  of  the  same  year  congress  passed  the  enabling 
act,  and  December  3,  after  the  state  government 
had  been  organized  and  Governor  Bond  had 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


signed  the  constitution,  congress  by  a  resolution 
declared  Illinois  to  be  ''one  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  admitted  into  the  Union  on  an  equal 
footing  with  the  original  states  in  all  respects." 

The  ordinance  of  1787  declared  that  there 
should  be  at  least  three  states  carved  out  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory.  The  boundaries  of  the 
three,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  were  fixed  by 
this  law.  Congress  reserved  the  power,  however, 
of  forming  two  other  states  out  of  the  territory 
which  lies  north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn 
through  the  southern  boundary  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. It  was  generally  conceded  that  this  line 
would  be  the  northern  boundary  of  Illinois;  but 
as  this  would  give  the  state  no  coast  on  Lake 
Michigan ;  and  rob  her  of  the  port  of  Chicago  and 
the  northern  terminus  of  the  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan canal  which  was  then  contemplated,  Judge 
Pope  had  the  northern  boundary  moved  fifty  miles 
further  north. 

BOUNDARY    CHANGED. 

Not  only  is  Illinois  indebted  to  Nathaniel  Pope 
for  the  port  where  now  enter  and  depart  more 
vessels  during  the  year  than  in  any  other  port  in 
the  world,  for  the  northern  terminus  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  canal,  and  for  the  lead  mines 
at  Galena,  but  the  nation,  the  undivided  Union, 
is  largely  indebted  to  him  for  its  perpetuity.  It 
was  he, — his  foresight,  statesmanship  and  energy, 
— that  bound  our  confederated  Union  with  bands 
of  iron  that  can  never  be  broken.  The  geograph- 
ical position  of  Illinois,  with  her  hundreds  of 
miles  of  water-courses,  is  such  as  to  make  her  the 
key  to  the  grand  arch  of  northern  and  southern 
states.  Extending  from  the  great  chain  of  lakes 
on  the  north,  with  snow  and  ice  of  the  arctic 
region,  to  the  cotton  fields  of  Tennessee ;  peopled, 
as  it  is,  by  almost  all  races,  classes  and  conditions 
of  the  human  family ;  guided  by  the  various  and 
diversified  political,  agricultural,  religious  and 
educational  teachings  common  to  both  North  and 
South, — Illinois  can  control,  and  has  controlled, 
the  destinies  of  our  united  and  beloved  republic. 
Pope  seemingly  foresaw  that  a  struggle  to  dis- 
solve the  Union  would  be  made.  With  a  pro- 
phetic eye  he  looked  down  the  stream  of  time  for  a 


half  century  and  saw  the  great  conflict  between 
the  South  and  North,  caused  by  the  determination 
to  dissolve  the  confederation  of  states ;  and  to  pre- 
serve the  Union,  he  gave  to  Illinois  a  lake  coast. 

Governor  Ford,  in  his  History  of  Illinois, 
writen  in  1847,  while  speaking  of  this  change  of 
boundary  and  influence  upon  our  nation,  says : 

"What,  then,  was  the  duty  of  the  national  gov- 
ernment ?  Illinois  was  certain  to  be  a  great  state, 
with  any  boundaries  which  that  government 
could  give.  Its  great  extent  of  territory,  its  un- 
rivaled fertility  of  soil  and  capacity  for  sustain- 
ing a  dense  population,  together  with  its  com- 
manding position,  would  in  course  of  time  give 
the  new  state  a  very  controlling  influence  with 
her  sister  states  situated  upon  the  Western  riv- 
ers, either  in  sustaining  the  federal  Union  as  it  is, 
or  in  dissolving  it  and  establishing  new  govern- 
ments. If  left  entirely  upon  the  waters  of  these 
great  rivers,  it  was  plain  that,  in  case  of  threat- 
ened disruption,  the  interest  of  the  new  state 
would  be  to  join  a  souhern  and  western  confeder- 
acy; but  if  a  large  portion  of  it  could  be  made 
independent  upon  the  commerce  and  navigation  of 
the  great  northern  lakes,  connected  as  they  are 
with  the  eastern  states,  a  rival  interest  would  be 
created  to  check  the  wish  for  a  western  and  south- 
ern confederacy. 

"It  therefore  became  the  duty  of  the  national 
government  not  only  to  make  Illinois  strong,  but 
to  raise  an  interest  inclining  and  binding  her  to 
the  eastern  and  northern  portions  of  the  Union. 
This  could  be  done  only  through  an  interest  in 
the  lakes.  At  that  time  the  commerce  on  the 
lakes  was  small,  but  its  increase  was  confidently 
expected,  and,  indeed,  it  has  exceeded  all  antici- 
pations, and  is  yet  only  in  its  infancy.  To  accom- 
plish this  object  effectually,  it  was  not  only  neces- 
sary to  give  to  Illinois  the  port  of  Chicago  and  a 
route  for  the  canal,  but  a  considerable  coast  on 
Lake  Michigan,  with  a  country  back  of  it  suffi- 
ciently extensive  to  contain  a  population  capable 
of  exerting  a  decided  influence  upon  the  councils 
of  the  state. 

"There  would,  therefore,  be  a  large  commerce 
of  the  north,  western  and  central  portion  of  the 
state  afloat  on  the  lakes  for  it  was  then  foreseen 
that  the  canal  would  be  made;  and  this  alone 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


would  be  like  turning  one  of  the  many  mouths  of 
the  Mississippi  into  Lake  Michigan  at  Chicago. 
A  very  large  commerce  of  the  center  and  south 
would  be  found  both  upon  the  lakes  and  rivers. 
Associations  in  business,  in  interest,  and  of  friend- 
ship would  be  formed,  both  with  the  north  and 
the  south.  A  state  thus  situated,  having  such  a 
decided  interest  in  the  commerce,  and  in  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  whole  confederacy,  can  never  con- 
sent to  disunion ;  for  the  Union  can  not  be  dis- 
solved without  division  and  disruption  of  the 
state  itself.  These  views,  urged  by  Judge  Pope, 
obtained  the  unqualified  assent  of  the  statesmen 
of  1818. 

"These  facts  and  views  are  worthy  to  be  re- 
corded in  history  as  a  standing  and  perpetual  call 
upon  Illinoisans  of  every  age  to  remember  the 
great  trust  which  has  been  reposed  in  them,  as 
the  peculiar  champions  and  guardians  of  the 
Union  by  the  great  men  and  patriot  sages  who 
adorned  and  governed  this  country  in  the  earlier 
and  better  days  of  the  republic.'' 

During  the  dark  and  trying  days  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, well  did  she  remember  this  sacred  trust,  to 
protect  which  two  hundred  thousand  of  her  sons 
went  to  the  bloody  field  of  battle,  crowning  their 
arms  with  the  laurels  of  war,  and  keeping  invio- 
late the  solemn  obligations  bequeathed  to  them  by 
their  fathers. 

FIRST    CONSTITUTION. 

In  July  and  August  of  1818  a  convention  was 
held  at  Kaskaskia  for  the  purpose  of  drafting  a 
constitution.  This  constitution  was  not  submit- 
ted to  a  vote  of  the  people  for  their  approval  or 
rejection,  it  being  well  known  that  they  would  ap- 
prove it.  It  was  about  the  first  organic  law  of 
any  state  in  the  Union  to  abolish  imprisonment 
for  debt.  The  first  election  under  the  constitu- 
tion was  held  on  the  third  Thursday  and  the  two 
succeeding  days  in  September,  1818.  Shadrach 
Bond  was  elected  governor,  and  Pierre  Menard 
lieutenant  governor.  Their  term  of  office  extended 
four  years.  At  this  time  the  state  was  divided 
into  fifteen  counties,  the  population  being  about 
40.000.  Of  this  number  by  far  the  larger  portion 
were  from  the  southern  states.  The  salary  of  the 


governor  was  $1,000,  while  that  of  the  treasurer 
was  $500.  The  legislature  re-enacted,  verbatim, 
the  territorial  code,  the  penalties  of  which  were 
unnecessarily  severe.  Whipping,  stocks  and  pil- 
lory were  used  for  minor  offenses,  and  for  arson, 
rape,  horse-stealing,  etc.,  death  by  hanging  was 
the  penalty.  These  laws,  however,  were  modi- 
fied in  1821. 

The  legislature  first  convened  at  Kaskaskia, 
the  ancient  seat  of  empire  for  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years,  both  for  the  French  and 
Americans.  Provisions  were  made,  however,  for 
the  removal  of  the  seat  of  government  by  this 
legislature.  A  place  in  the  wilderness  on  the  Kas- 
kaskia river  was  selected  and  named  Vanclalia. 
From  Vandalia  it  was  removed  to  Springfield 
in  the  year  1837. 

DERIVATION    OF    THE    NAME    ILLINOIS. 

The  name  of  this  beautiful  "Prairie  State"  is 
derived  from  Illini,  an  Indian  word  signifying  su- 
perior men.  It  has  a  French  termination,  and  is 
a  symbol  of  the  manner  in  which  the  two  races, 
the  French  and  Indians,  were  intermixed  during 
the  early  history  of  the  country.  The  appellation 
was  no  doubt  well  applied  to  the  primitive  inhab- 
itants of  the  soil,  whose  prowess  in  savage  war- 
fare long  withstood  the  combined  attacks  of  the 
fierce  Iroquois  on  the  one  side,  and  the  no  less 
savage  and  relentless  Sacs  and  Foxes  on  the 
other.  The  Illinois  were  once  a  powerful  con- 
federacy, occupying  the  most  beautiful  and  fertile 
region  in  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  their  enemies  coveted  and  struggled  long 
and  hard  to  wrest  from  them.  By  the  fortunes 
of  war  they  were  diminished  in  number  and 
finally  destroyed.  "Starved  Rock,"  on  the  Illinois 
river,  according  to  tradition,  commemorates  their 
last  tragedy,  where,  it  is  said,  the  entire  tribe 
starved  rather  than  surrender. 

The  low  cognomen  of  "Sucker,"  as  applied  to 
Illinoisans,  is  said  to  have  had  its  origin  at  the 
Galena  lead  mines.  In  an  early  day,  when  these 
extensive  mines  were  being  worked,  men  would 
run  up  the  Mississippi  river  in  steamboats  in  the 
spring,  work  the  lead  mines,  and  in  the  fall  re- 
turn, thus  establishing,  as  was  supposed,  a  simili- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


33 


tude  between  their  migratory  habits  and  those  of 
the  fishy  tribe  called  "suckers."  For  this  reason 
the  Illinoisans  have  ever  since  been  distinguished 
by  the  epithet  "Suckers."  Those  who  stayed  at 
the  mines  over  winter  were  mostly  from  Wiscon- 
sin, and  were  called  "Badgers."  One  spring  the 
Missourians  poured  into  the  mines  in  such  num- 
bers that  the  state  was  said  to  have  taken  a  puke, 
and  the  offensive  appellation  of  "Pukes"  was  aft- 
erward applied  to  all  Missourians. 

The  southern  part  of  the  state,  known  as 
"Egypt,"  received  this  appellation  because,  being 
older,  better  settled  and  cultivated,  grain  was  had 
in  greater  abundance  than  in  the  central  and 
northern  portion,  and  the  immigrants  of  this  re- 
gion, after  the  manner  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
went  "thither  to  buy  and  to  bring  from  thence 
that  they  might  live  and  not  die." 

'STATE   BANK. 

The  legislature,  during  the  latter  years  of  terri- 
torial existence,  granted  charters  to  several  banks. 
The  result  was  that  paper  money  became  very 
abundant,  times  flush,  and  credit  unlimited;  and 
everybody  invested  to  the  utmost  limit  of  his 
credit,  with  confident  expectation  of  realizing  a 
handsome  advance  before  the  expiration  of  his 
credit,  from  the  throng  of  immigrants  then  pour- 
ing into  the  country.  By  1819  it  became  appar- 
ent that  a  day  of  reckoning  would  approach  be- 
fore their  dreams  of  fortune  could  be  realized. 
Banks  everywhere  began  to  waver,  paper  money 
became  depreciated,  and  gold  and  silver  driven 
out  of  the  country.  The  legislature  sought  to 
bolster  up  the  times  by  incorporating  the  "Bank 
of  Illinois,"  which,  with  several  branches,  was 
created  by  the  session  of  1821.  This  bank,  being 
wholly  supported  by  the  credit  of  the  state,  was 
to  issue  one,  two,  three,  five,  ten  and  twenty-dol- 
lar notes.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  bank  to  ad- 
vance, upon  personal  property,  money  to  the 
amount  of  $100,  and  a  larger  amount  upon  real 
estate.  All  taxes  and  public  salaries  could  be 
paid  in  such  bills;  and  if  a  creditor  refused  to 
take  them,  he  had  to  wait  three  years  longer  be- 
fore he  could  collect  the  debt.  The  people  imag- 
ined that  simply  because  the  government  had  is- 


sued the  notes,  they  would  remain  at  par;  and 
although  this  evidently  could  not  be  the  case,  they 
were  yet  so  infatuated  with  their  project  as  actu- 
ally to  request  the^  United  States  government  to 
receive  them  in  payment  for  their  public  lands! 
Although  there  were  not  wanting  men  who,  like 
John  McLean,  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, foresaw  the  dangers  and  evils  likely 
to  arise  from  the  creation  of  such  a  bank,  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  the  people  were  in  favor  of  it. 
The  new  bank  was  therefore  started.  The  new 
issue  of  bills  by  the  bank  of  course  only  aggra- 
vated the  evil,  heretofore  so  grievously  felt,  of  the 
absence  of  specie,  so  that  the  people  were  soon 
compelled  to  cut  their  bills  in  halves  and  quar- 
ters, in  order  to  make  small  change  in  trade. 
Finally  the  paper  currency  so  rapidly  depreciated 
that  three  dollars  in  these  bills  were  considered 
worth  only  one  in  specie,  and  the  state  not  only 
did  not  increase  its  revenue,  but  lost  full  two- 
thirds  of  it,  and  expended  three  times  the  amount 
required  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  state  govern- 
ment. 

LA  FAYETTE'S  VISIT. 

In  the  spring  of  1825  the  brave  and  generous 
LaFayette  visited  Illinois,  accepting  the  earnest 
invitation  of  the  general  assembly,  and  an  affec- 
tionately written  letter  of  Governor  Cole's,  who 
had  formed  his  personal  acquaintance  in  France 
in  1817.  The  general  in  reply  said :  "It  has  been 
my  eager  desire,  and  it  is  now  my  earnest  inten- 
tion, to  visit  the  western  states,  and  particularly 
the  state  of  Illinois.  The  feelings  which  your 
distant  welcome  could  not  fail  to  excite  have  in- 
creased that  patriotic  eagerness  to  admire  on  that 
blessed  spot  the  happy  and  rapid  results  of  repub- 
lican institutions,  public  and  domestic  virtues.  I 
shall,  after  the  22d  of  February  (anniversary 
day),  leave  here  for  a  journey  to  the  southern 
states,  and  from  New  Orleans  to  the  western 
states,  so  as  to  return  to  Boston  on  the  I4th  of 
June,  when  the  corner-stone  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
monument  is  to  be  laid, — a  cerernony  sacred  to  the 
whole  Union  and  in  which  I  have  been  engaged 
to  act  a  peculiar  and  honorable  part." 

General  LaFayette  and  suite,  attended  by  a 
large  delegation  of  prominent  citizens  of  Mis- 


34 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


souri,  made  a  visit  by  the  steamer  Natchez  to  the 
ancient  town  of  Kaskaskia.  No  military  parade 
was  attempted,  but  a  multitude  of  patriotic  citi- 
zens made  him  welcome.  A  reception  was  held, 
Governor  Cole  delivering  a  glowing  address  of 
welcome.  During  the  progress  of  a  grand  ball 
held  that  night,  a  very  interesting  interview  took 
place  between  the  honored  General  and  an  Indian 
squaw  whose  father  had  served  under  him  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  The  squaw,  learning  that  the 
great  white  chief  was  to  be  at  Kaskaskia  on  that 
night,  had  ridden  all  day,  from  early  dawn  till 
sometime  in  the  night,  from  her  distant  home,  to 
see  the  man  whose  name  had  been  so  often  on  her 
father's  tongue,  and  with  which  she  was  so  famil- 
iar. In  identification  of  her  claim  to  his  distin- 
guished acquaintance,  she  brought  with  her  an 
old  worn  letter  which  the  General  had  written  to 
her  father,  and  which  the  Indian  chief  had  pre- 
served with  great  care,  and  finally  bequeathed  on 
his  death-bed  to  his  daughter  as  the  most  precious 
legacy  he  had  to  leave  her. 

By  12  o'clock  at  night  General  LaFayette  re- 
turned to  his  boat  and  started  south.  The  boat 
was  chartered  bv  the  state. 


PIKE  COUNTY. 


Pike  county  was  established  January  31,  iS^ji, 
and  then  had  all  the  territory  west  of  the  Illinois 
river  and  north  to  the  Wisconsin  line.  It  was 
named  in  honor  of  Hon.  Zebulon  Montgomery 
Pike,  an  American  soldier  and  explorer.  He  was 
born  in  New  Jersey  and  died  near  Toronto,  Can- 
ada, in  April,  1813.  He  served  in  the  war  of 
1812,  explored  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi 
and  the  interior  of  the  Louisiana  territory,  was 
the  discoverer  of  Pike's  Peak,  whose  summit  is 
•\  14,200  feet  above  sea  level.  Pike  county  has  7^6. 
-  square  miles  as  it  now  is  and  a  population  in  1900 
of  31,595,  with  twenty-four  townships,  sixteen  in- 
corporated towns  antl thirty-one  towns  and 
villages. 

GEOLOGY. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  upland  of  Pike 
county  was  originally  heavily  timbered,  but  there 
are  several  small  prairies  in  the  central  and  north- 


ern portions.  It  is  a  well  watered  county,  and  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi  is  from  eight  to  twelve 
miles  wide,  most  of  it  lying  on  the  Illinois  side. 
More  than  one-fifth  of  the  area  of  the  county  lies 
in  this  valley.  The  general  level  of  the  uplands 
may  be  estimated  at  from  200  to  300  feet  above 
the  great  water  courses,  with  no  very  well  de- 
fined water-shed.  The  soil  on  the  timbered  lands 
is  generally  a  chocolate-colored  clay  loam,  becom- 
ing- lighter  in  color  on  the  banks  of  the  streams 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  bluffs. 

The  geological  structure  of  this  county  is  some- 
what peculiar,  and  the  strata  exposed  within  its 
limits  comprise  the  upper  part  of  the  Niagara 
limestone,  the  whole  series  of  lower  carboniferous 
limestones  except  the  Chester  group,  and  a  limited 
thickness  of  coal  measures,  with  the  usual  surface 
deposits  of  loess  and  drift.  The  most  northerly 
outcrop  of  Devonian  beds  is  in  Calhoun  county. 
The  loess  and  drift  measure  is  40  to  100  feet  in 
thickness  in  Pike  county,  the  coal  measures 
twenty  to  sixty,  St.  Louis  limestone  one  to  thirty, 
Keokuk  group  100  to  125,  Burlington  limestone 
150  to  200,  Kinderhook  100  to  120,  and  the 
Niagara  limestone  one  to  fifty. 

The  Niagara  limestone  is  found  only  in  the 
southwest  part  of  the  county,  where  its  main  out- 
crop is  at  the  base  of  the  bluffs  between  Rockport 
and  the  south  line  of  the  county  and  for  a  short 
distance  up  Six-Mile  creek.  It  contains  a  few 
fossils  at  the  outcrop  near  Pleasant  Hill,  among 
which  are  trilobites  and  a  few  shells.  At  Mr. 
Wells'  place,  northwest  quarter  section  17,  Pleas- 
ant Hill  township,  the  buff-colored  magnesia  beds 
of  this  group  are  exposed  about  ten  feet  in  thick- 
ness, and  the  rock  has  been  quarried  for  building- 
stone.  On  the  southeast  quarter  section  8  there  is 
an  exposure  of  about  twenty-two  feet  of  this  lime- 
stone, the  lower  ten  feet  being  a  gray,  even-bed- 
ded limestone,  and  the  upper  twelve  feet  a  buff- 
colored  magnesian  rock,  closely  resembling  the 
rock  from  the  Grafton  quarries.  It  is  the  prevail- 
ing rock  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where  it  forms  a  lime- 
stone bench  about  thirty  feet  high,  above  the  road, 
at  the  base  of  the  bluffs.  Two  miles  north  of 
Pleasant  Hill,  on  a  branch  of  Six-Mile  creek,  the 
upper  part  of  this  limestone  is  exposed  in  the  bed 
of  the  creek. 


FIRST  COURTHOUSE,   1821 


on  HE 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


37 


KINDERHOOK  GROUP. 

One  of  the  best  exposures  of  this  group  in  this 
county  is  just  above  Kinderhook ;  whence  the 
name.  It  is  at  the  point  of  the  bluff,  and  com- 
prises twenty  feet  of  loess,  fifteen  of  Burlington 
limestone,  six  of  thin-bedded,  fine-grained  lime- 
stone, thirty-six  of  thin-bedded  sandstone  and 
sandy  shales,  and  forty  feet  of  clay  and  sandy 
shales,  partly  hidden.  Fossil  shells  are  found  in 
the  sandstone.  This  group  is  also  well  exposed 
at  Rockport  and  two  miles  below  Atlas,  and  some- 
what exposed  at  the  base  of  the  Illinois  river 
bluffs.  Almost  everywhere  in  the  county  the  Bur- 
lington limestone  overlies  the  group,  which  de- 
termines the  topographical  features  of  the  region 
also  underlaid  by  the  shales  and  gritstones  of  the 
group. 

BURLINGTON  LIMESTONE. 

This  limestone  forms  the  bed  rock  over  fully 
one-half  the  uplands.  It  is  from  fifty  to  100  feet 
in  thickness,  and  its  best  exposures  are  among  the 
river  bluffs.  It  is  a  rather  coarse-grained,  gray 
stone,  interspersed  with  brown  layers,  and  is 
largely  composed  of  the  fossilized  remains  of 
crinoids  and  mollusks.  In  the  Mississippi  bluff, 
near  the  north  line  of  the  county,  forty  feet  or 
more  of  the  lower  portion  of  this  limestone  is  ex- 
posed, forming  the  upper  escarpment  of  the 
bluff,  and  consisting  of  alternate  beds  of  gray  and 
brown  limestone,  usually  in  regular  and  tolerably- 
thick  beds.  It  has  fossils,  and  has  been  exten- 
sively quarried  on  Big  Blue  creek  for  building 
purposes.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  county  the 
most  northerly  outcrop  of  this  limestone  is  near 
Griggsville  Landing,  where  the  cherty  beds  of  the 
upper  division  of  this  rock  are  exposed  at  the  base 
of  the  bluff.  The  outcrop  here  is  about  fifty  feet 
thick.  It  appears  about  the  same  at  Montezuma. 
and  is  seen  exposed  at  points  all  along  these  bluffs. 
It  is  well  exposed  on  Bay  creek,  forming  the 
main  portion  of  the  bluffs  along  this  stream  from 
near  Pittsfield  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
county.  It  is  the  most  important  of  all  the  lime- 
stones exposed  in  this  county,  both  as  regards  ex- 
tent of  exposure  and  its  economical  value.  As  a 
building  stone  it  is  not  equal  to  the  magnesian 


beds  of  the  Niagara  group,  as  found  near  Pleas- 
'ant  Hill,  but  is  nevertheless  very  durable.  It  can 
be  found  over  half  the  county. 


KEOKUK  GROUP. 

This  group  lies  just  above  the  Burlington  lime- 
stone, and  outcrops  over  a  large  portion  of  the 
northern  and  northeastern  parts  of  the  county, 
where  it  is  frequently  found  immediately  beneath 
the  coal  measures.  The  St.  Louis  group,  which 
should  properly  intervene,  was  worn  away  before 
the  coal  epoch.  It  consists  of  light  gray  and  blu- 
ish gray  cherty  limestones  at  the  base,  which 
closejy  resemble  the  upper  beds  of  the  Burlington 
limestone.  ^*Some  of  the  limestone  strata  are  as 
crinoidal  in  their  structure  as  the  Burlington,  but 
they  are  usually  more  bluish  gray  in  color.  There 
is  usually  a  series  of  cherty  beds,  ten  to  thirty  feet 
in  thickness,  separating  the  main  limestones  of 
the  two  groups,  which  may  properly  be  regarded 
as  transitional.  The  upper  division  consists  of 
lime-clay  shales  and  thin-bedded  limestones,  con- 
taining geodes  lined  with  crystallized  quartz, 
chalcedony,  calcite,  dolomite,  crystals  of  zinc 
blende  and  iron  pyrites.  The  pyrites  is  usually  in 
minute  crystals  implanted  on  quartz. 

This  division  may  be  seen  a  mile  and  a  half 
southeast  of  Griggsville,  and  where  it  first  ap- 
pears beneath  the  coal  measures  the  geodes  are  im- 
bedded in  a  ferruginous  sandstone,  which  perhaps 
represents  the  conglomerate  usually  lying  at  the 
base  of  the  coal  measures.  This  indicates  that  be- 
fore or  during  the  formation  of  this  conglomerate 
the  shales  originally  inclosing  the  geodes  were 
swept  away,  and  the  geodes  were  then  enclosed  in 
sand  which  subsequently  hardened.  These  geode- 
bearing  limestones  are  exposed  near  Perry 
Springs,  where  the  waters  derive  the  mineral  in- 
gredients from  these  beds.  At  Chambersburg, 
the  limestones  of  this  group  form  the  bed  of  Mc- 
Gee's  creek.  Other  prominent  exposures  of  these 
limestones  are  at  Griggsville  Landing,  on  Hadley's 
creek,  near  Huntley's  coal-bank,  etc.  From  this 
stratum  much  good  building  stone  has  been  quar- 
ried. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


ST.    LOUIS    GROUP. 

On  the  banks  of  McGee's  creek  only  are  indica- 
tions of  the  presence  of  this  group.  The  beds  ex- 
posed here  consist  of  brown  magnesian  limestone 
and  shales,  twenty  to  thirty  feet  thick.  A  mile 
and  a  half  northwest  of  Perry  quarries  have  been 
opened  in  these  beds,  and  about  three  miles  north 
of  Perry  Springs  they  are  again  exposed,  overlaid 
by  shale,  the  whole  being  about  twenty  feet  in 
thickness. 

COAL    MEASURES. 

The  coal  formation  occupies  but  a  limited  area 
in  the  central  and  northern  portions  of  this 
county,  underlying  the  whole  of  New  Salem 
township,  and  a  portion  only  of  the  four  sur- 
rounding townships.  The  thickness  does  not 
probably  exceed  sixty  feet.  The  following  are  the 
principal  points  where  coal  has  been  dug  in  Pike 
county : 

Huntley's,  northwest  quarter  section  15,  Had- 
ley  township ;  coal  sixteen  to  twenty-four  inches 
thick,  overlaid  by  about  six  inches  of  black  shale. 

Huntley's  new  bank,  northwest  quarter  section 
10,  Hadley  township ;  bed  six  feet  thick,  with  a 
parting  of  clay  shale  in  the  middle,  about  two 
inches  in  thickness.  The  coal  in  the  upper  part 
of  this  seam  is  rather  soft,  and  contains  consider- 
able iron  bisulphide.  The  lower  division  affords 
a  harder  and  better  coal  and  rests  upon  a  gray 
fire  clay  two  feet  or  more  in  thickness. 

Three  miles  east  of  Barry  coal  has  been  dug 
on  a  small  branch  south  of  the  Philadelphia  road ; 
and  a  mile  further  south  there  is  a  blue  clay  shale 
twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  thick  exposed  along  the 
creek  which  intersects  the  river  bluffs  near  New 
Canton.  It  contains  septaria  and  tuten-mergel, 
and  closely  resembles  the  shale  over  the  coal  at 
Huntley's  mine. 

From  this  point  the  western  boundary  of  the 
coal  measures  trends  southeastwardly  to  House- 
worth's  coal  bank,  two  miles  and  a  half  north- 
west of  Pittsfield,  on  northwest  quarter  section 
1 6,  Pittsfield  township.  Coal  about  eighteen  inches 
thick,  overlaid  by  about  three  feet  of  dark  blue 
shale,  passing  upward  into  sandy  shale  ten  feet 
more. 


Four  miles  west  of  Griggsville,  coal  is  found 
on  Mr.  Dunham's  place.  It  is  fourteen  to  twenty 
inches  thick,  overlaid  by  about  two  feet  of  fossil- 
iferous  black  shale.  This  seam  of  coal  outcrops 
on  southeast  quarter  section  n,  same  township, 
and  in  the  ravines  between  Griggsville  and  Phila- 
delphia, via  New  Salem. 

A  half  mile  south  of  Griggsville  coal  has  also 
been  worked,  the  seam  being  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  inches  thick. 

On  Lazarus  Ross'  place,  a  mile  and  a  half 
northwest  of  Perry  Springs,  some  indications  of 
coal  may  be  seen  in  the  bluffs  of  the  middle  fork 
of  McGee's  creek. 

QUATERNARY   SYSTEM. 

A  broad  belt  of  alluvial  bottom  lands,  six  to 
twelve  miles  wide,  skirts  the  whole  western  bor- 
der of  Pike  county.  The  deposit  consists  of  alter- 
nations of  clay,  sand  and  loam,  in  quite  regular 
strata,  but  of  variable  thickness.  The  soil  is  ex- 
ceedingly fertile,  and  where  they  are  above  high 
water,  they  constitute  the  most  productive  and 
valuable  lands  in  the  county.  A  large  proportion 
of  this  land  was  originally  prairie,  but  now  there 
are  many  belts  of  heavy  timber  skirting  the  small 
streams  intersecting  these  bottoms. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  county  there  is  very 
little  bottom  land  from  the  south  line  of  the 
county  to  the  north  line  of  Flint  township,  where 
it  begins  to  widen,  and  thence  to  the  north  line 
of  the  county  the  Illinois  bottoms  are  two  to  five 
miles  wide ;  but  they  are  too  low  and  wet  for  cul- 
tivation. A  portion  of  them  is  heavily  timbered 
with  cotton  wood,  sycamore,  soft  maple,  elm,  ash, 
hackberry,  honey  locust,  linden,  black  walnut, 
water  oak,  hickory,  etc. 


The  river  bluffs  on  both  sides  of  the  county  are 
capped  with  this  formation,  which  ranges  from 
ten  to  sixty  feet  or  more.  It  always  overlies  the 
drift,  where  both  are  present,  and  hence  is  of  more 
recent  origin.  It  generally  consists  of  buff  or 
brown  marly  clays  or  sands,  usually  stratified, 
and  often  so  coherent  as  to  remain  in  vertical 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


39 


walls  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high  when  cut  through. 
F,rom  seventy-five  to  eighty  per  cent  of  it  is  silica, 
ten  to  fifteen  per  cent  alumina  and  iron  per- 
oxide, three  to  four  per  cent  lime,  and  one  to  two 
per  cent  magnesia.  In  the  vicinity  of  Chambers- 
burg  the  loess  is  sixty  to  seventy  feet  thick.  Ev- 
erywhere it  furnishes  a  light,  porous  sub-soil, 
which  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  growth  of  fruit 
trees,  vines  and  small  fruits.  In  some  places  it 
contains  a  variety  of  fossil  shells  which  present 
the  usual  bleached  and  water-worn  appearance  of 
the  dead  shells  of  our  ponds  and  bayous.  It  also 
affords  a  variety  of  chalky  lumps  and  masses 
which  assume  many  imitative  forms,  as  of  pota- 
toes and  the  disks  called  "clay-stones"  in  New 
England.  It  also  gives  origin  to  the  bald  knobs 
so  frequently  met  with  along  the  river  bluffs,  and 
is  often  rounded  into  natural  mounds  which  have 
been  very  generally  used  by  the  Indians  as  burial 
places.  The  bones  of  extinct  animals  are  often 
found  in  the  marly  beds  of  this  formation,  along 
with  land  and  fresh-water  shells. 


This  deposit  consists  of  variously  colored  clays 
containing  gravel  and  boulders.  It  underlies  the 
loess,  and  hence  is  not  visible  along  the  bluffs. 
In  the  interior  of  the  county  it  is  often  penetrated 
by  well-diggers.  It  thins  out  toward  the  bluffs. 
At  the  base  of  the  drift  near  Barry  there  is  a  bed 
of  clean,  yellow  flint  gravel,  partially  cemented 
by  iron  oxide  into  a  ferruginous  conglomerate. 

ECONOMICAL  GEOLOGY. 

Pike  county  has  an  abundance  of  building 
stone.  The  Niagara  limestone  near  Pleasant  Hill 
furnishes  a  buff  magnesian  rock,  in  very  regular 
beds,  fully  equal  in  quality  to  that  of  Grafton  and 
Joliet.  Part  of  the  stone  in  the  public-school 
building  at  Pittsfield  was  brought  from  Joliet, 
while  stone  just  as  good  and  beautiful  was  out- 
cropping within  ten  miles  of  that  town.  "A  want 
of  the  knowledge  of  this  fact,"  says  Mr.  Worthen, 
"has  probably  cost  the  citizens  of  Pike  county  far 
more  than  their  proportion  of  the  entire  cost  of 
the  geological  survey  of  Illinois." 
3 


The  Burlington  limestone,  which  outcrops  over 
a  wide  area  in  this  county,  will  furnish  an  unlim- 
ited supply  of  excellent  building  stone.  It  is 
probably  not  less  than  150  feet  thick.  The  more 
flinty  portions  are  the  best  material  for  macad- 
amizing roads.  Near  Montezuma  is  a  ten-foot 
bed  of  excellent  dimension  stone.  Similar  beds 
are  exposed  on  Big  Blue  creek  four  miles  south- 
east of  Pittsfield,  where  they  are  forty  feet  thick, 
containing  masses  two  to  four  feet  in  thickness. 
On  the  west  side  of  the  county  it  forms  an  almost 
continuous  outcrop,  ten  to  forty  feet  thick,  along 
the  river  bluffs ;  and  on  the  east  side  of  the  county 
it  also  forms  a  continuous  outcrop  in  the  bluffs 
from  Griggsville  Landing  south. 

The  lower  portion  of  the  Keokuk  limestone  is 
fully  as  useful  as  the  preceding.  Excellent  quar- 
ries are  worked  two  miles  north  of  Griggsville 
on  the  south  fork  of  McGee's  creek.  The  stone  is 
composed  almost  entirely  of  the  joints  and  plates 
of  crinoids,  cemented  together  by  a  calcareous 
paste. 

The  St.  Louis  group,  although  limited  in  ex- 
tent, furnishes  some  good  building  stone,  mostly 
found  in  Perry  township  and  vicinity,  as  already 
described. 

The  coal  deposits  in  this  county  are  all,  except 
at  Huntley's  place,  too  thin  for  profitable  work- 
ing. Where  surface  "stripping,"  however,  can 
be  done,  it  pays  to  mine  the  thinner  deposits. 
Huntley's  is  probably  a  local  deposit,  a  "pocket," 
which  will  soon  be  exhausted. 

No  mineral  ore,  except  a  little  iron,  has  been 
found  in  Pike  county. 

The  Burlington  and  Keokuk  groups  furnish 
the  best  of  material  for  quick-lime.  The  St. 
Louis  group,  which  is  generally  preferred,  is  very 
limited. 

Good  hydraulic  limestone  for  cement  can  be 
obtained  from  the  Kinderhook  group. 

Fire  clay,  which  usually  underlies  the  coal, 
can  be  mined  with  coal  to  advantage.  The  brown 
clays  of  the  drift  and  the  loess  furnish  superior 
material  for  brick. 

For  marble  the  bed  of  oolitic  conglomerate  of 
the  Kinderhook  group  at  Rockport  furnishes  a 
stone  capable  of  a  fine  polish  and  makes  a  beauti- 
ful variegated  marble ;  but  the  bed,  so  far  as  ex- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


amined,  is  rather  thin  for  profitable  working. 
Some  of  the  sub-crystalline  beds  of  the  Burling- 
ton limestone  also  receive  a  high  polish  and  make 
a  fine  ornamental  stone. 

The  Perry  mineral  springs,  three  in  number,  is- 
sue from  the  upper  part  of  the  Keokuk  limestone 
which  underlies  the  valley  and  outcrops  along  the 
bluffs.  The  principal  ingredients  of  the  water 
here  are  the  bi-carbonates  of  lime  and  magnesia, 
the  silicate  of  potash  and  soda  and  the  carbonate 
of  potash.  For  further  account  of  these  springs 
see  history  of  Perry  township  in  this  volume. 

There  are  a  few  small  caves  in  Pike  county, 
two  near  Barry,  into  one  of  which  one  can  enter 
a  distance  of  550  feet  and  the  other  400  feet.  In 
early  day  panthers  were  known  to  inhabit  these 
caves.  In  Pearl  township,  on  land  owned  by 
Judge  Atkinson,  the  railroad  employes  of  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Company  were  blasting  rock  in 
1871  or  1872,  when  they  discovered  a  small  cave 
in  which  were  found  lime  carbonate  drippings  in 
the  form  of  stalagmites  and  stalactites.  Many  of 
these  are  of  imitative  forms  and  can  be  imagined 
to  be  petrified  human  beings  or  aniamls.  An  ex- 
aggerated account  of  this  cave  was  published  in 
the  Pittsfield  papers  at  the  time,  which  led  many 
people  to  believe  something  wonderful  was  found 
at  the  place. 

ARCHAEOLOGY. 

Perhaps  no  district  of  country  in  the  west  con- 
tains more  traces  of  that  pre-historic  people 
known  to  us  only  as  the  "Mound  Builders"  than 
the  district  between  the  Illinois  and  the  Missis- 
sippi rivers.  There  is  scarcely  a  township  of  land 
in  this  section  which  does  not  contain  more  or  less 
of  these  traces,  and  in  some  of  them  are  works 
which  in  extent  and  character  will  compare  with 
any  in  the  west. 

The  mounds  in  this  county  are  evidently  of 
three  classes:  sacred  mounds,  which  were  used 
for  the  sacrificial  fires ;  burial  mounds,  which 
were  erected  over  the  last  remains  of  important 
personages ;  and  mounds  which  were  used  for 
domestic  habitations.  These  were  probably  resi- 
dences similar  to  those  of  some  tribes  of  our  pres- 
ent Indians.  First,  poles  or  logs  set  up  in  a  cir- 
cle, then  covered  with  brush  or  grass,  and  the 


whole  with  earth  to  a  considerable  extent.  The 
sacrificial  mounds  always  contained  burnt  earth, 
burnt  bones,  and  frequently,  too,  the  charred 
bones  of  human  beings.  In  the  burial  mounds 
only  the  bones  of  a  few  persons  are  found,  prob- 
ably of  some  chief  and  his  immediate  family,  and 
usually  near  them  are  utensils  of  the  kitchen,  ar- 
rows, pottery,  and  such  other  articles  as  were 
most  prized  in  life  by  the  departed. 

In  some  localities  immense  shell-heaps  exist, 
while  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  in  the  mounds 
shells  from  the  sea,  notably  the  conch-shell  and 
sea-periwinkles,  the  latter  very  common.  Imple- 
ments of  both  hardened  copper  and  copper  in  a 
soft  state  are  often  found,  and  a  metal  resembling 
iron  in  texture  and  color,  but  hard  enough  to  cut 
glass  and  which  resists  the  action  of  almost  all 
the  acids. 

That  these  mounds  were  not  erected  by  the  same 
race  as  our  present  Indians  is  at  once  apparent 
from  the  bones  of  the  latter  being  of  a  reddish 
hue,  while  those  of  the  Mound  Builders  are  of  a 
different  shade  and  much  larger. 

It  is  our  opinion  that  the  Mound  Builders  were 
a  pastoral  people,  who  had  made  considerable 
progress  in  civilization.  In  the  winter,  doubtless, 
they  drove  their  flocks  and  herds  to  the  bluffs  and 
rich,  sheltered  bottoms  where  they  could  obtain 
shelter,  and  in  the  summer  they  drove  them  to  the 
prairies  for  pasturage.  Doubtless,  like  the  Chi- 
nese of  to-day,  they  esteemed  their  native  hills 
sacred  and  sought  to  be  buried  there,  no  matter 
where  the  iron  hand  of  death  overtook  them ;  and 
their  friends,  respecting  this  desire,  were  in  the 
habit  of  bringing  the  bones  of  each  family  or  tribe 
to  these  sacred  burial  places,  after  they  had  been 
stripped  of  their  flesh,  for  permanent  burial. 

Perhaps  some  future  archaeologist  will  delve 
among  these  ruins  and  find  a  key  to  the  mystery 
of  the  Builders,  of  whom  we  to-day  know  next 
to  nothing;  and  unless  some  means  are  taken  by 
the  government  or  societies  organized  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  these  measures  at  no  distant  day,  they 
will  have  become  so  far  obliterated  by  the  plow 
and  by  unskilled  diggers  that  the  slight  clues  they 
contain  will  be  buried  in  oblivion  greater  than 
now  enshrouds  the  history  of  their  builders. 

A  few  years  ago  some  of  the  prominent  gentle- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


men  of  Pike  county  interested  themselves  in  or- 
ganizing an  "Archaeological  Society,"  but  of  late 
the  interest  seems  to  have  abated  very  perceptibly, 
and  the  Society  so  enthusiastically  organized  can 
now  scarcely  be  said  to  be  in  existence. 

The  gentlemen  proposing  to  organize  an  "Anti- 
quarian Society"  met  at  the  court-house  in  Pitts- 
field,  May  24,  1873,  when  Dr.  T.  Worthington 
was  called  to  the  chair  and  R.  H.  Criswell  ap- 
pointed secretary.  They  organized  the  "Pike 
County  Antiquarian  Society,"  and  the  permanent 
officers  elected  at  this  meeting  were,  president, 
Wm.  A.  Grimshaw ;  vice  presidents,  Wm.  McAd- 
ams,  Esq.,  Dr.  E.  S.  Hull,  of  Madison  county, 
Capt.  W.  H.  Reed,  of  Calhoun,  Dr.  T.  Worthing- 
ton, of  Pike,  Dr.  A.  Mittower,  of  Pike,  Richard 
Perry,  of  Pike,  H.  J.  Harris,  of  Pike,  C.  L.  Obst, 
of  Pittsfield,  archaeological  artist;  Dr.  Thomas 
Aiton,  secretary ;  William  R.  Archer,  treasurer. 

W,  B.  Grimes,  Dr.  Mittower  and  C.  L.  Obst 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  solicit  contribu- 
tions to  the  cabinet  of  the  Society,  and  invite  the 
exhibition  of  such  relics  as  owners  are  unwilling 
to  part  from,  the  object  being  to  obtain  possession 
of  evidences  and  traces  of  the  people  of  antiquity, 
their  implements  and  usages  as  far  as  practicable. 

A  letter  was  read  before  the  Society  from  Mr. 
McAdams,  of  Waterville,  Jersey  county,  May  18, 
1873,  as  follows: 

"I  see  in  the  papers  a  call  for  a  meeting  in 
Pittsfield  on  the  24th  inst.,  to  organize  a  society 
with  a  view  of  further  investigation  and  more  per- 
fect knowledge  of  relics  and  ancient  remains  near 
the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers.  I  have  for  the 
last  fifteen  years,  during  my  leisure  hours,  been 
making  some  investigations  of  the  mounds  and 
tumuli  of  Jersey  and  Calhoun  counties.  There  is 
not  perhaps  in  all  the  west  a  section  richer  or  more 
interesting  in  its  great  number  of  relics  of  an  al- 
most unknown  race  of  people  who  once  inhabited 
this  country.  No  thorough  investigation  has 
been  made.  Already  many  of  them  have  been  de- 
stroyed by  the  cultivation  of  new  fields.  Before 
many  years  the  majority  of  them  will  be  obliter- 
ated, or  so  defaced  that  the  original  plan  of  con- 
struction will  be  lost.  There  should  be  a  society 
like  the  one  you  propose  to  organize,  not  only 
for  the  purpose  of  investigation  but  also  for  the 


purpose  of  making  some  record  of  their  work. 
Comparatively  little  is  known  of  the  mounds  of 
Jersey  and  Calhoun,  although  I  have  visited  many 
of  them  and  collected  quite  a  number  of  inter- 
esting relics.  Yours  truly, 

"WM.  McADAMS." 

The  second  week  in  June,  1873, the  society  made 
an  excursion  to  the  southern  part  of  the  county 
and  spent  several  days  among  the  numerous 
mounds  in  that  locality,  where  they  found  many 
relics  of  the  aborigines,  among  which  were  arrow 
heads,  fish  spears,  stone  knives  and  hatchets, 
earthen  vessels  of  various  •  kinds,  copper  kettles, 
stone  pipes,  shell  and  copper  beads,  silver  ear- 
rings, silver  buckles,  etc.  Nearly  all  these  arti- 
cles were  found  imbedded  in  the  mounds  with 
human  bones,  pieces  of  pottery,  etc.,  generally  at 
a  depth  of  about  three  feet  below  the  surface.  In 
some  cases  stone  vaults  containing  bones  and  other 
relics  were  discovered  a  few  feet  beneath  the  sur- 
face. The  members  of  the  Society  who  went  on 
that  excursion  say  they  had  a  most  enjoyable  trip 
and  consider  themselves  well  repaid  for  their 
trouble. 

In  the  summer  of  1873,  Col.  D.  B.  Bush  pre- 
sented to  the  Society  for  its  museurh  Indian  trap- 
pings of  great  value.  Thomas  James,  of  Martins- 
burg,  presented  a  large  lot  of  beautiful  beads  and 
amulets  from  the  Big  Mound  of  Sacramento  Val- 
ley, California ;  also,  moss,  peat,  cinnabar  and  Chi- 
nese corn,  etc., — all  from  California.  Col.  S.  S. 
Thomas  presented  a  rare  and  beautiful  specimen 
of  coquine  and  concrete  shells  from  St.  Augus- 
tine, Fla.  In'  September  of  the  same  year,  Col. 
A.  C.  Matthews  contributed  to  the  museum  one 
beaked  saw-fish  (Pristis)  from  Matagorda  Isl- 
and, Texas;  autograph  letter  of  Henry  Clay, 
dated  October  5,  1829,  Ashland,  Ky. ;  pass  of 
Gen.  S.  B.  Buckner,  C.  S.  A. ;  one  copy  of  army 
correspondence;  also  coin  and  fossils.  George 
H.  French  presented  a  stone  mortar  from  Pilot 
Bluff,  Illinois  river;  E.  N.  French,  specimens  of 
columnar  limestone ;  Hon.  J.  M.  Bush  presented 
one  copy  of  the  Massachusetts  Centennial,  pub- 
lished at  Boston,  September  5,  1789,  about  four 
months  after  the  inauguration  of  President  Wash- 
ington ;  Hon.  W.  A.  Grimshaw  presented  books 
as  follows :  American  volume,  Ancient  Armeca ; 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Lines  of  Humboldt;  two  volumes  of  Smithsonian 
Institute  Reports,  i865-'6;  two  volumes  of  His- 
tory of  Wisconsin;  stone  and  flint  implements, 
bone  needle  and  specimens  of  pottery.  Patrick 
Halpin  presented  specimens  of  American  and 
Italian  marble. 

In  December  Mr.  R.  Perry  contributed  speci- 
mens of  silicious  and  ferruginous  conglomerate; 
Dr.  A.  McFarland,  a  very  nice  human  skeleton, 
five  bottles  containing  in  alcohol  specimens  of 
ophidian,  all  indigenous  to  Pike  county,  and  also 
one  containing  taenia ;  Thomas  Williams,  seven 
beautiful  flint  implements ;  and  N.  W.  Kibler, 
a  very  large  tooth  of  a  pachyderm. 

February  21,  1874,  George  Bell,  Thomas 
Bloomer,  Hiram  Horton  and  G.  S.  Pennington 
found  remains  of  five  human  skeletons  in  the 
Mississippi  bluffs  on  the  farm  of  Mrs.  L.  B. 
Lyon  at  the  mouth  of  Dutch  creek  hollow.  One 
skull  measured  twenty-six  inches  from  the  top  of 
the  cranium  around  under  the  lower  jaw.  In- 
deed, many  more  skeletons  are  in  these  bluffs. 
Several  wagon-loads  of  rock  had  been  thrown 
over  these  remains.  The  heads  appeared  to  be  laid 
toward  a  common  center  of  about  three  feet 
space.  One  skull  contained  a  rock  which  had 
doubtless  been  thrown  there  when  the  remains 
were  buried.  The  bones  were  very  brittle  and 
difficult  to  secure  in  their  intirety  from  among 
the  roots.  There' are  seven  of  the  mounds  in  Mr. 
Horton's  field,  in  a  semi-circle,  all  containing 
human  remains.  Also  a  species  of  pottery  has  been 
found  there. 

In  the  southeast  part  of  Pearl  township  about  a 
mile  from  the  Illinois  river  two  copper  vessels 
were  once  found,  one  smaller  than  the  other,  un- 
der some  flat  stones  which  had  been  plowed  up, 
and  a  little  lower  down  stone  coffins  were  found  in 
a  field  where  they  had  been  plowing;  but  these 
"remains"  were  probably  left  there  by  early 
French  explorers. 

.Mr.  C.  L.  Obst,  photographer  in  Pittsfield.  who 
is  a  fine  archaeologist  and  the  virtual  founder  of 
the  "Pike  County  Antiquarian  Society."  has  a 
splendid  collection ;  namely.  100  varieties  of  flint 
implements,  four  varieties  of  stone  hatchets,  four 
of  wedges,  varieties  of  stone  disks  of  various  ma- 
terials, as  iron  ore,  sandstone,  granite  and  green- 


stone, four  varieties  of  plummets,  mostly  iron  ore, 
.two  of  hammers,  pestles,  round  stone  for  clubs, 
eight  kinds  of  pipes,  iron  ore  and  greenstone  chis- 
els, plowshares  and  hoes,  a  large  variety  of  pot- 
tery and  mortars,  bone  of  the  pre-historic  bison, 
sinkers,  weights,  etc.  Mr.  Obst  has  also  a  good 
collection  of  geological  specimens. 

The  museum  of  the  society  is  in  the  Public  Li- 
brary room  over  the  postoffice  in  Pittsfield,  but 
the  association  is  not  active  at  present  and  their 
collection  of  relics  seems  neglected. 

ORGANIC  HISTORY. 


At  the  close  of  the  war  between  the  United 
States  and  England  in  1812  our  government  laid 
off  a  tract  of  land  in  Illinois  for  the  soldiers  who 
participated  in  that  war.  The  land  thus  appro- 
priated was  embraced  in  the  region  between  the 
Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  rivers,  and  south  of 
the  north  line  of  Mercer  county.  Its  northern 
boundary,  therefore,  ran  east  to  Peru  on  the  Illi- 
nois river,  and  a  little  south  of  the  middle  of  Bu- 
reau and  Henry  counties.  To  it  the  name  "Mili- 
tary Tract"  was  given,  and  by  that  name  this  sec- 
tion is  still  known.  Within  this  boundary  is  em- 
braced one  of  the  most  fertile  regions  of  the 
globe.  Scarcely  had  Congress  made  the  proper 
provisions  to  enable  the  soldiers  to  secure  their 
land  ere  a  few  of  the  most  daring  and  resolute 
started  to  possess  it.  There  were  only  a  few,  how- 
ever, who  at  first  regarded  their  "quarter-section" 
of  sufficient  value  to  induce  them  to  endure  the 
hardships  of  the  pioneer  in  its  settlement  and  im- 
provement. Many  of  them  sold  their  patent  to  a 
fine  "prairie  quarter"  in  this  county  for  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  others  for  less,  while  some  traded 
theirs  for  a  horse,  a  cow,  or  a  watch,  regarding 
themselves  as  just  so  much  ahead.  It  is  said  that 
an  old  shoemaker  of  New  York  city  bought  sev- 
eral as  fine  quarters  of  land  as  are  in  Pike  county 
with  a  pair  of  shoes.  He  would  make  a  pair  of 
shoes  for  which  the  soldier  would  deed  him  his 
"patent  quarter"  of  land.  This  was  a  source 
of  no  little  trouble  to  the  actual  settlers,  for  they 
could  not  always  tell  which  quarter  of  land  be- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


43 


longed  to  a  soldier,  or  which  was  "Congress 
land"  and  could  be  pre-empted.  Even  when  a 
settler  found  a  suitable  location  known  to  be 
"patent  land,"  with  a  desire  to  purchase,  he  ex- 
perienced great  difficulty  in  finding  the  owner, 
and  often  did  not  find  him  until  he  had  put  hun- 
dred of  dollars'  worth  of  improvements  on  it, 
when  the  patentee  was  sure  to  turn  up.  Many  of 
the  early  settlers  presumed  that  the  owner  never 
won  Id  be  known;  but  in  many  instances,  after  a 
patent  quarter-section  was  made  valuable  by  im- 
provement, .the  original  patent  would  be  brought 
on  by  some  one,  who  would  oust  the  occupant  and 
take  possession,  sometimes  paying  him  something 
for  his  improvments  and  sometimes  not.  Many 
holders  of  patents  had  no  pity.  This  condition  of 
affairs  presented  a  temptation  to  merciless  "land- 
sharks."  who  would  come  into  this  section  and 
work  up  cases,  ostensibly  for  the  original  paten- 
tees, but  really  for  their  own  pockets.  The  'most 
notorious  of  these  was  one  Toliver  Craig,  who 
actually  made  it  a  business  to  forge  patents  and 
deeds.  This  he  carried  on  extensively  from  1847 
to  1854,  especially  in  Knox  and  Fulton  counties, 
and  to  some  extent  in  Pike.  He  had  forty  bogus 
deeds  put  on  record  in  one  day  at  Knoxville.  He 
was  arrested  in  New  York  state,  in  1854,  by  O. 
M.  Boggess,  of  Monmouth,  and  taken  to  the  jail 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  attempted  suicide 
by  arsenic ;  but  at  the  end  of  the  year  he  was  re- 
leased on  bail. 

PIKE  COUNTY. 

As  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Illinois  in  1790 
all  that  portion  of  Illinois  south  of  what  is  now 
Peoria  was  made  a  county  and  named  St.  Clair, 
in  honor  of  General  St.  Clair,  Governor  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory.  Cahokia  was  the  county 
seat  of  this  county.  In  1812  that  part  of  Illi- 
nois Territory  above  St.  Louis,  was  created  into  a 
county  called  Madison,  with  Edwardsville  as  the 
county  scat.  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  State  in 
1818,  and  in  1821  all  that  part  of  Madison  county 
between  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers  was 
organized  into  a  county  and  named  Pike.  Its 
iiaiiH'  was  chosen  in  honor  of  General  Pike  of  the 
war  of  1812.  The  tract  of  countrv  now  known  as 


Pike  county  was  surveyed  by  the  government  in 
the  years  1817-9,  and  soon  afterward  attracted  at- 
tention on  account  of  its  natural  advantages  for 
commerce,  fertility  of  soil  and  abundance  of  wa- 
ter. It  is  the  oldest  county  in  the  Military  Tract, 
and  one  of  the  largest,  containing  510,764  acres, 
or  800  square  miles,  in  23  townships.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  copy  of  the  act"o"rganizing  the  county  : 
An  act  to  form  a  new  county  of  the  bounty  lands. 
Approved  January  31,  1821. 

Section  i.  Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  that  all  that  tract 
of  country  within  the  following  boundaries,  to- 
wit :  Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river 
and  running  thence  up  the  middle  of  said  river  to 
the  fork  of  the  same,  thence  up  to  the  south  fork  of 
said  river  until  it  strikes  the  State  line  of  Indiana, 
thence  north  with  said  line  to  the  north  boundary 
line  of  this  State,  thence  west  with  said  line  to  the 
west  boundary  line  of  this  State,  and  thence  with 
said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  constitute 
a  separate  county  to  be  called  Pike. 

Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted  that  there 
shall  be  appointed  the  following  persons,  to-wit: 
Levi  Roberts,  John  Shaw  and  Nicholas  Hanson,  to 
meet  at  the  house  of  Levi  Roberts,  in  said  county, 
on  or  before  the  first  day  of  March  next,  to  fix  the 
temporary  seat  of  justice  of  said  county,  the  said 
justice  to  be  south  of  the  base  line  of  said  county. 

Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  etc.,  that  the 
citizens  of  Pike  county  be  hereby  declared  en- 
titled in  all  respects  to  the  same  rights  and  privi- 
leges that  are  allowed  in  general  to  other  counties 
in  the  State. 

Sec.  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  etc.,  that  "said 
county  of  Pike  be  and  form  a  part  of  the  first  ju- 
dicial circuit. 

This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and 
after  its  passage. 

COUNTY    SEAT    LOCATED. 

The  following  act  was  passed  at  the  next  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature : 

An  act  defining  the  boundaries  of  Pike  county, 
and  for  other  purposes.  Approved  December 
30.  1822. 

Section  I.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  represented  in  the  General  As- 


44 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


sembly,  that  the  county  of  Pike  shall  be  bounded 
as  follows,  to-wit :  On  the  north. by  the  base  line  ; 
on  the  east  by  the  Illinois  river;  on  the  west  by 
the  Mississippi ;  and  all  the  rest  and  residue  of 
the  territory,  composing  the  county  of  Pike  before 
the  passage  of  this  act,  shall  be  attached  to,  and  be 
a  part  of,  said  county  until  otherwise  disposed  of 
by  the  General  Assembly  of  this  State. 

Sec.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted,  etc.,  for  the 
purpose  of  fixing  the  permanent  seat  of  justice 
of  said  county,  the  following  persons  be  and  the 
same  are  hereby  appointed  commissioners,  to-wit : 
Garrett  Van  Dusen,  Ossian  M.  Ross,  John  M. 
Smith,  Daniel  Ford  and  Daniel  Shinn,  who,  after 
being  duly  sworn  by  some  judge  or  justice  of  the 
peace  of  this  State,  faithfully  and  impartially  to 
discharge  the  duties  imposed  upon  them  by  this 
act,  shall  meet  at  the  house  of  John  Shaw,  in  said 
county,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  March  next, 
and  proceed  to  determine  on  the  permanent  seat 
of  justice  of  said  county,  and  designate  the  same 
taking  into  consideration  the  condition  and  con- 
venience of  the  people,  the  future  population  of 
the  county,  and  the  health  and  eligibility  of  the 
place;  and  they  are  hereby  authorized  to  receive 
as  a  donation  for  the  use  of  said  county  any  quan- 
tity of  land  that  may  be  determined  on  by  them, 
from  any  proprietor  that  may  choose  to  offer  such 
donation  of  land ;  which  place,  so  fixed  and  de- 
termined upon,  the  said  commissioners  shall  cer- 
tify, under  their  hands  and  seals,  and  return  the 
same  to  the  next  Commissioners  of  the  Court  in 
said  county,  which  shall  cause  an  entry  thereof 
to  be  made  upon  their  books  of  record. 

Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  etc.,,  that  the 
said  commissioners  shall  receive  as  a  compensa- 
tion for  their  service,  the  sum  of  two  dollars  per 
day  for  each  day  by  them  necessarily  spent  in  dis- 
charging the  duties  imposed  upon  them  by  this 
act  to  be  allowed  by  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Court,  and  paid  out  of  the  county  treasury. 

Pursuant  to  that  portion  of  the  above  act  as  re- 
lating to  locating  the  county  seat,  the  commis- 
sioners made  their  report  to  the  County  Commis- 
sioners at  their  March  term  of  court,  1823,  and 
presented  the  court  with  a  deed  from  William 
Ross  and  Rufus  Brown  for  an  acre  of  land  upon 
section  27,  Atlas  township. 


COUNTIES   CUT   FROM    PIKE. 

When  Pike  county  was  organized  it  embraced 
all  of  that  country  between  the  Illinois  and  Mis- 
sissippi rivers,  and  extended  east  along  the  line 
of  the  main  fork  of  the  Illinois,  the  Kankakee 
river,  to  the  Indiana  State  line,  and  on  to  the 
'  northern  boundary  of  the  State,  including  the 
country  where  Rock  Island,  Galena,  Peoria  and 
Chicago  now  are.  It  was  indeed  a  large  county, 
and  embraced  what  is  now  the  wealthiest  and 
most  populous  portion  of  the  Great  West.  The 
extensive  lead  mines  of  Galena  had  not  yet  been 
discovered,  and  Chicago  was  only  a  trading  and 
military  post.  The  commissioners  of  Pike  county, 
as  will  be  noticed  in  the  following  chapter,  ex- 
ercised full  authority,  so  far  as  the  duties  of  their 
respective  offices  were  concerned,  over  all  this 
vast  region. 

Settlers  soon  began  to  locate  here  and  there  in 
the  Military  Tract.  Two  years  had  scarcely  passed 
ere  the  few  settlers  east  of  the  fourth  principal 
meridian  and  north  of  the  base  line  desired  a 
county,  and  appealed  to  the  Legislature  for  power 
to  organize  one.  Ossian  M.  Ross,  the  founder  of 
Lewistown,  Fulton  county,  and  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  organization  of  that  county,  was 
at  that  time  a  member  of  the  County  Commis- 
sioners' Court  of  Pike  county.  The  following 
is  an  abstract  of  the  act  referred  to : 

An  act  approved  Janunary  28,  1823,  forming 
the  county  of  Fulton  out  of  all  the  attached  part 
of  Pike,  beginning  where  the  fourth  principal 
meridian  intersects  the  Illinois  river,  thence  up 
the  middle  of  said  river  to  where  the  line  between 
ranges  five  and  six  east  strikes  the  said  river, 
thence  north  with  the  said  line  between  ranges 
five  and  six  east,  to  the  township  line  between 
townships  nine  and  ten  north,  then  west  with  said 
lint  to  the  fourth  principal  meridian,  then  south 
to  the  place  of  beginning ;  and  all  the  rest  and  resi- 
due of  the  attached  part  of  the  county  of  Pike  east 
of  the  fourth  principal  meridian  shall  be  attached 
to  Fulton  county. 

January  13,  1825,  Schuyler  county  was  cut  off 
from  Pike  and  Fulton,  and  included  all  that  coun- 
try within  the  following  boundaries :  "Com- 
mencing at  a  place  where  the  township  line  be- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


45 


tween  townships  two  and  three  south  touches  the 
Illinois  river,  thence  west  on  said  line  to  the  range 
line  between  ranges  four  and  five  west,  thence 
north  from  said  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of 
township  three  north,  range  one  west,  thence  east 
on  said  township  line  to  the  Illinois  river,  thence 
down  the  said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

The  same  year  an  act  was  passed  forming  new 
counties.  Those  formed  were  Adams,  Hancock, 
McDonough,  Warren,  Mercer,  Henry,  Putnam 
and  Knox.  Their  boundaries  were  fixed  by  the 
act  of  January  30,  1825.  Calhoun  county  was  cut 
off  from  Pike  county  and  organized  in  1825. 

GENERAL  REVIEW. 

No  whites  settled  north  of  Alton  for  agricul- 
tural purposes  prior  to  1819.  During  that  year 
and  the  next  three  there  was  a  sufficient  number 
of  settlers  to  organize  a  county.  Accordingly  the 
Legislature  of  1820-1,  as  above  seen,  organized 
the  county  of  Pike,  which  then  included  all  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  between  the  Illinois  and  Missis- 
sippi rivers.  The  county  seat  was  first  fixed  at 
Coles'  Grove,  adjoining  the  locality  of  Gilead, 
afterward  the  county  seat  of  Calhoun  county. 
This  place  was  named  after  Edward  Coles,  Gov- 
ernor of  Illinois. 

We  copy  the  following  topographical  sketch  of 
Pike  county  from  "Peck's  Illinois  Gazeteer,"  pub- 
lished in  1834,  as  giving  an  idea  of  the  county  at 
that  early  date : 

"Pike  county  is  the  oldest  county  in  the  Mili- 
tary Tract,  and  was  erected  from  Madison  and 
other  counties  in  1821.  It  then  embraced  the 
whole  country  northwest  of  the  Illinois  river,  but 
by  subsequent  formation  of  new  counties  it  is 
now  reduced  to  ordinary  size,  containing  twenty- 
two  townships,  or  about  800  square  miles.  It  is 
bounded  north  by  Adams,  east  by  Schuyler  and 
the  Illinois  river,  south  by  that  river  and  Cal- 
houn, and  west  by  the  Mississippi.  Besides  the 
Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers,  which  wash  two 
sides,  it  has  the  Sny  Carte  slough,  running  the 
whole  length  of  its  western  border,  which  floats 
steamboats  to  Atlas  at  a  full  stage  of  water.  Pike 
county  is  watered  by  the  Pigeon,  Hadley,  Keyes, 
r.lack.  Dutch  Church,  Six-Mile  and  Bav  creeks, 


which  flow  into  the  Mississippi ;  and  Big  and  Lit- 
tle Blue,  and  the  North  and  West  Forks  of  Mc- 
Gee's  creek,  which  enter  into  the  Illinois.  Good 
mill  sites  are  furnished  by  these  streams. 

"The  land  is  various.  The  section  of  country, 
or  rather  island,,  between  the  Sny  Carte  slough 
and  the  Mississippi,  is  a  sandy  soil,  but  mostly 
inundated  land  at  the  spring  flood.  It  furnishes  a 
great  summer  and  winter  range  for  stock,  afford- 
ing considerable  open  prairie,  with  skirts  of  heavy 
bottom  timber  near  the  streams.  Along  the  bluffs 
and  for  two  or  three  miles  back  the  land  is  chiefly 
timbered,  but  cut  up  with  ravines  and  quite  roll- 
ing. Far  in  the  interior  and  toward  Schuyler 
county  excellent  prairie  and  timber  lands  are 
found,  especially  about  the  Blue  rivers  and 
McGee's  creek.  This  must  eventually  be  a  rich 
and  populous  county. 

"In  Pleasant  Vale,  on  Keyes  creek,  is  a  salt 
spring  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  which  boils  from 
the  earth  and  throws  off  a  stream  of  some  size, 
and  forms  a  salt  pond  in  its  vicinity.  Salt  has 
been  made  here,  though  not  in  great  quantities. 

"In  the  county  are  seven  water  saw  mills,  four 
grist  mills,  one  carding  machine,  five  stores,  and 
a  horse  ferryboat  across  the  Mississippi  to 
Louisiana." 

HANSON  AND  SHAW. 

The  State  constitution,  adopted  on  the  admis-  i- 
sion  of  Illinois  into  the  Union  in  .1818,  prohibited 
slavery  in  this  State.  Owing  to  this  fact  many  of 
the  early  immigrants  coming  west,  who  were 
from  the  slave  States  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
passed  right  through  this  garden  of  Eden  into 
Missouri.  An  effort  was  made,  therefore,  to  so 
amend  the  constitution  as  to  permit  slavery  in  this  ^, 
State  that  it  might  be  more  attractive  to  settlers, 
and  the  sequel  showed  that  Illinois  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  the  dreadful  evils  of  slavery.  When 
the  necessary  preliminary  resolution  was  offered 
in  the  Senate  it  was  ascertained  that  the  requisite 
two-thirds  vote  to  pass  the  resolution  for  the  call 
of  a  convention  to  amend  the  constitution  could 
be  obtained  and  to  spare ;  but  in  the  House  they 
needed  one  vote.  At  first  it  was  strenuously 
argued  that  the  two-thirds  vote  meant  two-thirds 
of  the  two  Houses  in  joint  convention ;  but  the 


46 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


opponents  were  too  powerful  in  their  argument 
upon  this  point.  The  majority,  however,  was  not 
to  be  foiled  in  their  purpose.  Another  mode  pre- 
sented itself ;  all  that  was  required  was  courage 
to  perpetrate  a  gross  outrage  on  a  recalcitrant 
member.  There  had  been  a  contested  election  case 
from  Pike  county.  The  sitting  member  decided 
by  the  House  to  be  entitled  to  the  seat  was  Nicho- 
las Hanson,  and  the  contestant,  John  Shaw,  the 
"Black  Prince."  Hanson's  vote  had  been  obtained 
for  the  re-election  of  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  strongly 
pro-slavery,  to  the  United  States  Senate;  but 
further  than  this  he  would  not  go.  Shaw,  who 
favored  the  convention  project,  was  now  dis- 
covered to  be  entitled  to  the  seat.  A  motion  was 
thereupon  made  to  reconsider  the  admission  of 
Hanson,  which  pervailed.  It  was  next  further 
moved  to  strike  out  the  name  of  Hanson  and 
insert  that  of  Shaw.  During  the  pendency  of  the 
resolution  a  tumultuous  crowd  assembled  in  the 
evening  at  the  State  house,  and  after  the  delivery 
of  a  number  of  incendiary  speeches,  inflaming 
the  minds  of  the  people  against  Hanson,  they  pro- 
ceeded through  the  town  (Vandalia)  with  his  ef- 
figy in  a  blaze,  accompanied  with  the  beating  of 
drums,  the  sound  of  bugles,  and  shouts  of  "Con- 
vention or  death."  A  motion  to  expel  Hanson 
and  admit  Shaw  was  adopted,  and  the  later 
awarded  the  majority  by  voting  for  the  conven- 
tion resolution,  which  thus  barely  passed.  The 
night  following,  a  number  of  members  of  both 
Houses  entered  the  solemn  protest  against  this 
glaring  outrage  of  unseating  Hanson,  both  with 
the  object  intended  and  the  manner  of  perpetrat- 
ing it.  Many  reflecting  men,  earnest  in  their  sup- 
port of  the  convention  question,  condemned  it, 
and  it  proved  a  powerful  lever  before  the  people 
in  the  defeat  of  the  slavery  scheme.  The  passage 
of  the  convention  resolution  was  regarded  as  tan- 
tamount to  its  carriage  at  the  polls. 

The  pro-slavery  party  celebrated  their  triumph 
by  an  illumination  of  the  town,  and  the  procession, 
accompanied  by  all  the  horrid  paraphernalia  and 
discordant  music  of  a  charirari,  marched  to  the 
residence  of  Governor  Coles,  and  the  quarters  of 
the  chief  opponents  of  the  measure,  where  they 
performed  with  their  demoniac  music  to  annoy 
and  insult  them. 


The  convention  resolution  was  finally  defeated 
by  i ,800  majority  at  the  polls. 

It  is  thus  seen  how  Pike  county  gave  the  casting 
vote  on  the  slavery  question  in  this  State  in  1820. 

MAROUETTE  COUNTY. 

The  counties  now  bounding  Pike  county  on 
the  north  are  Adams  and  Brown;  but  in  1841 
there  was  a  county  struck  off  from  the  east  side 
of  Adams  and  called  Marquette.  Columbus,  being 
more  centrally  located  in  Adams  county,  became 
ambitious  for  the  county  seat,  but  as  Quincy  was 
too  powerful  against  this  project,  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  Adams  county  was  struck  off  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature  in  order  that  the  ambition  of 
Columbus  might  be  satisfied  and  become  a  county 
seat.  No  attempt  was  made  to  organize  the  county 
until  1846,  when  Quincy  again  proved  too  power- 
ful for  them,  and  the  following  Legislature  re- 
pealed the  act  defining  the  boundaries  of  the 
county. 

COUNTY    SEAT    CONTEST. 

In  1842-3  an  effort  was  made  to  divide  the 
county,  the  new  county  seat  to  be  at  Barry.  Dr. 
Thomas  Worthington  was  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate,  and  William  Blair  of  the  House,  each  rep- 
resenting the  interests  of  his  section  of  the  county. 
The  bill  .introduced  by  Mr.  Blair  proposed  to  di- 
vide the  county  by  a  line  running  north  and  south 
through  its  extent :  but,  after  the  presentation  of 
many  petitions  and  remonstrances,  and  a  period 
of  considerable  excitement,  the  bill  failed  to  pass 
the  House.  In  1850  the  county  was  divided  into 
nineteen  townships,  and  organized  under  the 
township  organization  law  of  the  constitution  of 
'1848.  Under  this  mode  the  county  is  at  present 
conducted.  And  that  was  the  end  of  this  little 
fight.  The  county  remains,  therefore,  to  the  pres- 
ent day  as  it  was  outlined  by  the  Legislature  of 
1825.  In  the  fall  of  1846  the  effort  was  renewed. 
Meetings  were  held  in  various  parts  of  the  county 
and  speeches  were  made  on  both  sides  of  the  ques- 
tion ;  but  public  interest  soon  died  down. 

In  1893  another  effort  was  made  to  move  the 
county  capital  to  Barry,  but  at  the  election  in  No- 
vember, 1803,  tlle  voters  decided  to  leave  it  at 
Pittsfield. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


47 


FIRST  AMERICAN    SETTLEMENTS. 

Coming  on  down  through  the  years  for  over  a 
century,  we  wish  to  speak 'of  the  first  American 
settlements  in  the  State,  as  an  introductory  to  the 
more  immediate  history  of  the  original  Pike 
county. 

The  first  settlement  made  within  the  borders  of 
the  great  State  of  Illinois  by  citizens  of  the  United 
States  was  in  1784,  when  a  few  families  from 
Virginia  founded  a  small  colony  or  settlement 
near  Bellefontaine,  in  Monroe  county.  The  next 
American  settlement  was  made  in  St.  Clair  county, 
two  of  which  were'  made  prior  to  the  year  1800. 

The  first  American  settlers  in  Illinois  were 
chiefly  from  Kentucky,  Virginia,  Pennsylvania, 
North  Carolina,  Tennessee  and  some  from  Mary- 
land. Some  of  these  had  served  with  General 
Clark,  who  conquered  the  country  from  the  British 
in  1778.  This  whole  people  did  not  number  more 
than  12,000  in  1812,  but  with  the  aid  of  one  com- 
pany of  regular  soldiers  defended  themselves  and 
their  settlements  against  the  numerous  and  power- 
ful nations  of  Kickapoos,  Sacs,  Foxes,  Pottawato- 
mies  and  Shawnees,  and  even  made  hostile  expe- 
dition into  the  heart  of  their  country,  burning 
their  villages  and  defeating  and  driving  them 
from  the  territory. 

When  the  State  was  admitted  in  1818  the  set- 
tlements extended  a  little  north  of  Edwardsville 
and  Alton ;  south  along  the  Mississippi  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio ;  east  in  the  direction  of  Car- 
lyle  to  Wabash,  and  down  the  Wabash  and  Ohio 
to  the  conjunction  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi. 
Such  was  the  extent  of  the  settlement  in  Illinois 
when  the  Territory  was  clothed  with  State 
honors. 

There  were  but  fifteen  organized  counties  rep- 
resented in  the  convention  to  frame  the  first  con- 
stitution. These  were  St.  Clair,  Randolph,  Madi- 
son, Gallatin,  Johnson,  Edwards.  White,  Mon- 
roe, Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union 
Washington  and  Franklin.  The  last  three  were 
the  youngest  counties  and  were  formed  in  1818. 

ORIGINAL   PIKE    COUNTY. 

Pike  county  was  the  first  or  second  county  or- 
ganized after  the  State  was  admitted  into  the 


Union.  It  was  erected  January  31,  1821,  and  in- 
cluded all  of  the  territory  west  and  north  of  the 
Illinois  river,  and  its  south  fork,  now  the  Kanka- 
kee  river.  At  the  first  election  in  Pike  county  af- 
ter its  organization  only  thirty-five  votes  were 
polled,  even  though  it  did  extend  over  the  entire 
northern  part  of  the  State,  and  out  of  which  more 
than  fifty  counties  have  since  been  organized. 

A  "Gazeteer  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,"  pub- 
lished about  1822,  says  that  the  county  "included 
a  part  of  the  lands  appropriated  by  Congress  for 
the  payment  of  military  bounties.  The  lands  con- 
stituting that  tract  are  included  within  a  penin- 
sula of  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi,  and  ex- 
tend on  the  meridian  line  (4th),  passing  through 
the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  162  miles  north.  Pike 
county  will  no  doubt  be  divided  into  several 
counties  ;  some  of  which  will  become  very  wealthy 
and  important.  It  is  probable  that  the  •  section 
about  Fort  Clark  (now  Peoria)-will  be  the  most 
thickly  settled.  On  the  Mississippi  river,  above 
Rock  river,  lead  ore  is  found  in  abundance.  Pike 
county  contains  between  700  and  800  inhabitants. 
It  is  attached  to  the  first  judicial  circuit,  sends 
one  member  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  and, 
with  Greene,  one  to  the  Senate.  The  county  seat 
is  Coles'  Grove,  a  post  town.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1821,  and  is  situated  in  township  n  south,  in 
range  2  west  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian ; 
very  little  improvement  has  yet  been  made  in  this 
place  or  vicinity.  The  situation  is  high  and 
healthy  and  bids  fair  to  become  a  place  of  some 
importance." 

Thus  the  historian  of  three-score  years  ago 
speaks  of  Pike  county  as  it  was  in  its  original 
magnitude  and  wildness.  How  changed  is  the 
face  of  the  country  since  then !  Who  could  have 
foretold  its  future  greatness  with  any  degree  of 
knowledge  or  certainty ! 

We  deem  it  within  the  province  of  this  work 
to  speak  of  the  earliest  settlement  of  all  this  vast 
region.  Much  of  it  was  settled  prior  to  that  por- 
tion contained  within  the  present  boundaries  of 
the  county,  and  as  it  was  for  many  years  a  part 
of  Pike  county  it  is  proper  we  should  refer  to  it, 
briefly  at  least. 

The  earliest  history  and  the  first  occupation  of 
the  original  Pike  county  are  enshrouded  in  almost 


48 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


impenetrable  obscurity.  After  the  lapse  of  more 
than  three-quarters  of  a  century,  the  almost  total 
absence  of  records,  and  the  fact  that  the  whites 
who  visited  or  lived  in  this  region  prior  to  1820 
are  all  dead,  render  it  impossible  now  to  deter- 
mine with  any  degree  of  certainty  the  name  of 
him  who  is  entitled  to  the  honor  of  being  recorded 
as  "first  settler."  Perhaps  the  first  man  who  so- 
journed within  the  Miltary  Tract,  lived  in  what 
is  now  Calhoun  county.  He  went  there  about  1801, 
and  lived  for  years  before  any  other  settler  came, 
and  remained  alone  and  unknown  for  a  long  time 
after  the  first  pioneers  moved  into  that  section.  His 
home  was  a  cave  dug  out  by  himself,  and  was 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  Mississippi 
river.  In  1850  the  boards  of  his  cave  floor  were 
dug  up  and  the  ground  leveled.  Who  'he  was  or 
where  he  came  from  was  known  only  to  himself, 
for  he  refused  all  intercourse  with  the  settlers. 

LOG  CABINS. 

We  shall,  in  this  chapter,  give  as  clear  and 
exact  a  description  of  pioneer  life  in  this  county 
as  we  can  find  language  to  picture  it  in,  com- 
mencing with  the  time  the  sturdy  settlers  first 
arrived  with  their  scanty  stores.  They  had  mi- 
grated from  older  States,  where  the  prospects  for 
even  a  competency  were  very  poor,  many  of  them 
coming  from  Kentucky,  for,  it  is  supposed  they 
found  that  a  good  State  to  emigrate  from.  Their 
entire  stock  of  furniture,  implements  and  family 
necessities  were  easily  stored  in  one  wagon,  and 
sometimes  a  cart  was  their  only  vehicle. 

As  the  first  thing  after  they  arrived  and  found 
a  suitable  location,  they  would  set  about  the  build- 
ing of  a  log  cabin,  a  description  of  which  may  be 
interesting  to  the  younger  readers,  and  especially 
their  descendants,  who  may  never  see  a  structure 
of  the  kind.  Trees  of  uniform  size  were  selected 
and  cut  into  pieces  of  the  desired  length,  each  end 
being  saddled  and  notched  so  as  to  bring  the  logs 
as  near  together  as  possible.  The  cracks  were 
"chinked  and  daubed"  to  prevent  the  wind  from 
whistling  through.  This  had  to  be  renewed  ev- 
ery fall  before  cold  weather  set  in.  The  usual 
height  was  one  story  of  about  seven  or  eight  feet. 
The  gables  were  made  of  logs  gradually  short- 


ened up  to  the  top.  The  roof  was  made  by  laying 
small  logs  or  stout  poles  reaching  from  gable  to 
gable,  suitable  distances  apart,  on  which  were 
laid  the  clapboards  after  the  manner  of  shingling, 
showing  two  feet  or  more  to  the  weather.  The 
clapboards  were  fastened  by  laying  across  them 
heavy  poles  called  "weight  poles,"  reaching  from 
one  gable  to  the  other,  being  kept  apart  and  in 
their  place  by  laying  pieces  of  timber  between 
them  called  "runs"  or  "knees."  A  wide  chimney 
place  was  cut  out  of  one  end  of  the  cabin,  the 
chimney  standing  entirely  outside  and  built  of 
rived  sticks  laid  up  cob-house  fashion  and  filled 
with  clay  or  built  of  stone,  often  using 
two  or  three  cords  of  stone  in  building 
one  chimney.  For  a  window,  a  piece  about 
two  feet  long  was  cut  out  of  one  of  the  wall 
logs,  and  the  hole  closed,  sometimes  with  glass, 
but  oftener  with  greased  paper  pasted  over  it.  A 
doorway  was  also  cut  through  one  of  the  walls, 
and  the  door  was  made  of  spliced  clapboards  and 
hung  with  wooden  hinges.  This  was  opened  by 
pulling  a  leather  latch-string  which  raised  a 
wooden  latch  inside  the  door.  For  security  at 
night  this  latch-string  was  pulled  in,  but  for 
friends  and  neighbors,  and  even  strangers,  the 
"latch-string  was  always  hanging  out,"  as  a  wel- 
come. In  the  interior,  upon  one  side,  was  the  huge 
fireplace,  large  enough  to  contain  a  back  log  as  big 
as  the  strongest  man  could  carry,  and  holding 
enough  wood  to  supply  an  ordinary  stove  a  week ; 
on  either  side  were  poles  and  kettles,  and  over 
all  a  mantel  on  which  was  placed  the  tallow  dip. 
In  one  corner  stood  the  larger  bed  for  the  old 
folks,  under  this  the  trundle  bed  for  the  children  ; 
in  another  corner  stood  the  old-fashioned,  large 
spinning  wheel,  with  a  smaller  one  by  its  side ;  in 
another  the  pine  table,  around  which  the  family 
gathered  to  partake  of  their  plain  food ;  over  the 
door  hung  the  ever-trustful  rifle  and  powder  horn  ; 
while  around  the  room  were  scattered  a  few  splint 
bottomed  chairs  and  three-legged  stools ;  in  one 
corner  was  a  rude  cupboard  holding  the  table- 
ware, which  consisted  of  a  few  cups  and  saucers 
and  blue-edged  plates,  standing  singly  on  their 
edges  against  the  back,  to  make  the  display  of 
table  furniture  more  conspicuous. 

These  simple  cabins  were  inhabited  by  a  kind 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


49 


and  true-hearted  people.  There  were  strangers  to 
mock  modesty,  and  the  traveler,  seeking  lodgings 
for  the  night  or  desirous  of  spending  a  few  days 
in  the  community,  if  willing  to  accept  the  rude 
offering,  was  always  welcome,  although  how  they 
were  disposed  of  at  night  the  reader  may  not  eas- 
ily imagine ;  for,  as  described,  a  single  room  was 
made  to  serve  the  purpose  of  kitchen,  dining 
room,  sitting  room,  bedroom  and  parlor,  and 
many  families  consisted  of  six  or  eight  members. 

STATE  IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  celebrated  internal  improvement  system 
inaugurated  by  the  State  in  1836-7  did  not  give 
Pike  county  any  railroads  or  canals,  or  even 
promise  any ;  but  an  appropriation  of  several 
thousand  dollars  was  made,  which  was  economic- 
ally expended  in  the  improvement  of  highways. 
Commissioners  were  appointed,  men  were  hired 
to  superintend  the  work,  and  wagon  roads  were 
made  evener  or  improved  from  Quincy  through 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  county,  from  Pitts- 
field  to  Florence,  and  one  from  Griggsville  to  the 
Illinois  river.  These  works  were  completed,  how- 
ever, by  county  and  township  aid. 

ORIGIN    OF    NAMES    OF    CREEKS. 

McCraney's  creek,  formerly  called  "McDon- 
ald's creek,"  by  the  government  survey,  was  so 
named  after  McCraney,  who  was  the  first  settler 
upon  its  banks.  He  was  a  man  of  great  endur- 
ance and  a  skillful  sportsman.  One  day  he  chased 
down  a  gray  wolf  with  his  horse,  when  he  placed 
one  foot  upon  the  animal's  neck  and  with  the 
other  succeeded  in  breaking  his  legs  so  -that  he 
could  get  something  with  which  to  completely 
dispatch  him. 

Hadley  creek  was  named  after  Col.  Levi  Had- 
ley,  an  early  settler. 

Dutch  Church  creek  was  named  after  a  rocky 
bluff  near  its  bank  which  is  supposed  to  resemble 
an  old  Dutch  church  in  the  city  of  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Keyes  creek  was  named  after  Willard  Keyes. 

Ambrosia  creek  was  named  from  the  purity  of 
its  waters. 


Two-Mile  creek  was  named  from  its  crossing 
the  bluff  two  miles  from  Atlas. 

Six-Mile  ^creek  is  six  miles  below  Atlas. 

Bay  creek  was  so  called  from  the  bay  into 
which  it  runs. 

FIRST  THINGS  IN   PIKE  COUNTY. 

The  first  settler  in  Pike  county  was  Ebenezer 
Franklin,  who  also  cut  the  first  tree  and  built  the 
first  log  cabin  in  1820. 

The  first  white  female  person  born  in  the  county 
was  Nancy,  daughter  of  Col.  William  Ross,  at 
Atlas,  May  i,  1822,  who  died  November  18,  the 
same  year. 

Marcellus  Ross,  now  living  one  mile  east  of 
Pittsfield,  was  the  second  white  male  child  born 
in  Pike  county. 

The  first  death  in  the  county  was  that  of  Clar- 
endon Ross,  at  Atlas. 

Daniel  Shinn  brought  the  first  wagon  into  the 
county  in  1820. 

Col.  Benjamin  Barney  was  the  first  blacksmith 
in  the  county,  erecting  his  shop  at  Atlas  in  1826. 
He  also  burned  the  first  coal  in  the  county,  it  hav- 
ing been  shipped  from  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

James  Ross  brought  and  used  the  first  grain 
cradle  here,  in  1828. 

James  Ross  also  equipped  and  ran  the  first 
turner's  lathe  and  cabinet  shop  at  Atlas,  in  1828. 

Col.  William  Ross  built  the  first  brick  house  in 
the  county,  at  Atlas,  in  1821. 

He  also  erected  the  first  store  building  at  Atlas 
in  1826,  and  also  the  first  grist  mill,  a  band  mill 
at  Atlas  about  the  same  time. 

Fielding  Hanks  was  the  first  to  follow  tanning 
in  Pike  county. 

The  first  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  Coles' 
Grove,  October  i,  1821. 

The  first  court  at  Atlas  was  held  "on  the  first 
Thursday  .after  the  fourth  Monday  in  April," 
which  would  be  May  I,  1823. 

The  first  courthouse  within  the  present  limits 
of  Pike  county  was  built  at  Atlas  in  1824. 

The  first  jail  was  erected  at  Atlas  in  1824. 

The  first  school  was  taught  at  Atlas  by  John 
Jay  Ross  in  1822. 

The  first   church   was   organized   in  the  Ross 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


family  at  Atlas  prior  to  1830.  It  was  Congre- 
gational. 

The  first  church  building  in  Pittsfield  was  the 
Congregational,  and  built  by  Colonel  Ross. 

Captain  Hale,  a  Baptist  minister,  probably  or- 
ganized the  first  Baptist  church  in  Pike  county. 

The  first  library  was  founded  at  Atlas,  about 
1833-4. 

The  first  Fourth  of  July  celebration  was  held 
at  Atlas  in  1823. 

The  first  political  meeting  was  held  in  Monte- 
zuma  township  in  1834,  when  Colonel  Ross,  who 
was  running  for  the  Legislature,  made  a  speech. 
About  fifty  voters  were  present,  besides  boys.  No 
nominations  or  appointments  were  made. 

The  first  whisky  distilled  in  the  county  was 
manufactured  by  Mr.  Milhizer  in  1826. 

The  first  wheat  was  raised  by  Colonel  Ross 
and  Mr.  Seeley  near  Atlas,  which  was  also  the 
first  ground  in  Pike  county  and  made  into  bis- 
cuit. The  flour  was  bolted  through  book  muslin. 

The  first  apples  were  raised  by  Alfred  Bissell, 
near  New  Hartford,  and  the  first  at  Pittsfield  by 
Col.  William  Ross. 

The  first  man  hanged  in  the  Military  Tract  was 
a  Mr.  Cunningham,  at  Quincy. 

The  first  man  executel  in  Pike  county  was  Bar- 
tholomew Barnes,  at  Pittsfield,  December  29, 
1872. 

The  first  State  Senator  elected  from  Pike 
county  was  Col.  William  Ross. 

The  first  County  Commissioners  were  Capt. 
Leonard  Ross,  John  Shaw  and  William  Ward. 

The  first  County  Treasurer  was  Nathaniel 
Shaw,  appointed  in  1821. 

The  first  County  and  Circuit  Clerk  was  James 
W.  Whitney. 

T.  L.  Hall,  of  Detroit  township,  taught  the  first 
singing  school  at  Atlas. 

The  first  justices  of  the  peace  were  Ebenezer 
Smith  and  Stephen  Dewey,  appointed  in  1821. 

The  first  constable  was  Belus  Jones,  appointed 
in  1821. 

The  first  Masonic  lodge  was  held  upstairs  at  the 
house  of  Colonel  Ross,  in  Atlas,  between  1830 
and  1834.  The  desk  used  on  the  occasion  is  still 
in  the  possession  of  Marcelhis  Ross.  It  is  a  plain 
box,  strongly  built,  fifteen  inches  square  and  two 


and  one-half  feet  high,  and  contains  two  shelves. 
In  one  side  is  a  door  swung  on  hinges. 

FIRST    WHITE    MEN    IN    PIKE    COUNTY. 

The  first  white  men  who  came  to  Pike  county 
were  possibly  Fathers  Marquette,  LaSalle,  Tonti 
and  others  who,  as  history  says,  made  frequent 
trips  up  and  down  the. two  rivers  that  are  Pike 
county's  east  and  west  boundaries  in  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  centuries.  The  first  settler  was 
J.  B.  Tebo,  a  French  Canadian  trapper  and  hunter 
who  had  a  cabin  on  the  bank  of  the  Illinois  river 
just  -north  of  the  line  of  Detroit  township,  or  on 
a  part  of  section  33,  Flint  township.  He  was 
there  in  1817  and  was  killed  at  Milton  in  1844. 

The  first  settlement  of  Pike  county  by  white 
men  was  in  the  summer  of  1820, 'when  four  sons 
of  Micah  Ross,  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  and  a  few 
other  families  started  for  what  was  then  known 
as  the  Far  West — the  State  of  Illinois,  on  the 
Mississippi  bottoms.  They  arrived  safely  at  the 
headwaters  of  the  Allegheny  river,  and  there  pro- 
curing boats  for  their  families,  horses  and  wag- 
ons, set  out  to  descend  the  stream,  then  in  a  very 
low  stage  of  water.  Difficulties  here  began  to  as- 
sail the  little  band.  Again  and  again  the  boats 
ran  hard  aground,  rendering  it  necessary  for  the 
sturdy  emigrants  to  rush  into  the  water,  and 
wield  the  pries  and  levers  with  a  will.  However, 
they  were  not  to  be  disheartened,  but  by  dint  of 
perseverance  succeeded  in  reaching  Pittsburg,  af- 
ter fourteen  days  of  unremitting  exertion.  Here 
they  entered  upon  the  broad  and  beautiful  Ohio, 
which  bore  them  pleasantly  upon  its  ample  bosom, 
permitting  them  to  review,  at  leisure,  the  toils 
and  sufferings  endured  upon  the  Allegheny.  In 
a  few  weeks  they  arrived  at  Shawneetown,  situ- 
ated above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  in  Illinois,  at 
which  point  they  took  leave  of  their  water  pal- 
aces, and  started  with  wagons  and  teams  for  their 
place  of  destination  near  the  Mississippi  river. 

At  Upper  Alton,  which  they  reached  in  due 
time,  they  secured  quarters  for  their  families, 
where  they  left  them,  while  they  went  in  search 
of  their  intended  location.  There  was  but  one 
house  at  this  time  in  what  is  now  the  city  of 
Alton,  .-ind  that  was  occupied  by  Major  Hunter. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


At  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  they  came 
across  at  Indian  camp,  where  they  procured  two 
canoes,  split  puncheons  of  plank  and  laid  across 
them,  an  1  thus  safely  ferried  over  their  wagons. 
The  horses  were  made  to  swim  alongside  of  the 
canoes.  They  then  crossed  the  bluff  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Mississippi  Bottom,  at  the  point 
where  Gilead  ( in  Calhoun  county)  is  now  situated, 
then  continued  up  the  Bottom,  marking  the  trees 
as  they  went,  for  there  were  no  roads,  and  noth- 
ing to  guide  them  but  an  occasional  Indian  trail. 
At  length  they  arrived  in  township  6  south,  5 
west,  Atlas  township,  about  six  miles  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  tract  appropriated  for  military 
bounties.  This  beautiful  prairie  land  charmed 
the  emigrants,  and  they  at  once  set  to  work  their 
energies  and  constructed  a  camp  to  shelter  them- 
selves while  preparing  quarters  for  their  families. 
No  time  was  lost  in  throwing  up  four  rough  log 
cabins,  intended  to  form  the  immediate  settle- 
ment, for  there  were  not  more  than  five  white 
men  within  fifty  miles  of  this  location,  east  of  the 
river.  All  being  prepared,  the  pioneers  returned 
for  their  families,  and  shortly  after  took  perma- 
nant  possession  of  their  habitations.  The  priva- 
tions and  sufferings  endured  by  this  little  band  in 
the  first  years  of  settlement  need  not  be  par- 
ticularized. 

At  this  time  the  Legislature  was  in  session  at 
Vandalia,  and  learning  of  the  location  of  these 
emigrants,  they  took  measures  to  lay  off  and  form 
the  county  of  Pike,  embracing  all  the  territory 
north  and  west  of  the  Illinois  river,  and  including 
what  are  now  known  as  the  cities  of  Chicago,  Pe- 
oria,  Quincy  and  Galena.  At  the  first  election  held 
in  this  vast  territory,  there  were  but  thirty-five 
votes  polled,  including  those  of  the  French  at 
Chicago.  Since  then  more  than  fifty  counties 
have  been  created  out  of  it,  while  the  population 
continues  to  increase  rapidly  every  year. 

For  a  while  the  prospects  of  our  settlers  were 
very  flattering :  but  afterward  sickness  and  death 
entered  their  ranks.  Colonel  Ross  lost  his  first  wife, 
one  brother  and  several  of  the  company,  the  first 
year.  Subsequently,  the  Colonel  visited  New 
York,  and  married  a  Miss  Ednah  Adams,  of  that 
State,  after  which  he  returned  to  Illinois,  laid  out 


a  town,  embracing  his  first  location,  and  named 
it  Atlas.  There  had  previously  been  established 
a  post-office  called  Ross  Settlement,  but  this  desig- 
nation gave  way  to  the  one  now  adopted  by  the 
Colonel,  who  soon  commenced  improving  a  farm, 
and  built  a  mill,  which  was  much  needed  at  the 
time. 

The  seat  of  justice  was  then  at  Coles'  Grove, 
near  what  is  now  known  as  Gilead,  in  Calhoun 
county.  The  first  Probate  Court  was  at  Coles' 
Grove,  May  23,  1821,  by  Judge  Abraham  Beck. 
The  first  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  Coles' 
Grove,  October  i,  1821,  John  Reynolds,  Judge. 
The  sheriff  returned  a  panel  of  grandjurors,  six- 
teen of  them  appearing,  viz. :  Levi  Roberts,  fore- 
man;  Ebenezer  Franklin,  Gardner  H.  Tullis, 
Joseph  Bacon,  George  Kelly,  Ebenezer  Smith, 
David  Dutton,  Amos  Bancroft,  James  Nixon,  Na- 
thaniel Shaw,  Thomas  Procter,  Richard  Dilley, 
Stephen  Dewey,  William  Mossey,  Combart  Shaw, 
and  Daniel  Phillips.  The  following  persons 
were  called,  but  made  default:  Leonard  Ross, 
Henry  J.  Ross,  Daniel  Shinn,  J.  M.  Seeley,  Abra- 
ham Kurtz,  Levi  Newman,  Henry  Loup,  John 
Better  and  John  Jackson.  Joseph  Jervais  and  John 
Shaw,  interpreters,  were  also  sworn  in.  The 
first  case  was  a  divorce  suit — Sally  Durham 
z's  John  Durham,  on  the  ground  of  absence  for 
more  than  two  years.  Granted,  and  given  cus- 
tody of  only  child.  The  next  case  was  that  of  the 
People  vs  Pemison  and  Shorewennekeh,  two  In- 
dians, on  the  charge  of  murder.  The  court  ap- 
pointed David  P.  Cook  and  P.  H.  Winchester  at- 
torneys for  the  prisoners.  The  verdict  was  a 
very  singular  one.  It  was  this:  ."That  we,  the 
jury,  have  agreed  as  to  our  verdict,  according  to 
the  evidence  before  us,  that  Pemison,  otherwise 
called  'Traveler,'  is  guilty  of  manslaughter,  and 
Shorewennekeh,  called  'Spice  Bush,'  is  not  guilty. 
It  is  therefore  ordered  and  adjudged  by  this  court 
that  the  said  Shorewennekeh,  otherwise  called 
'Spice  Bush,'  go  hence  and  be  wholly  discharged 
and  acquitted ;  and  it  is  therefore  further  ordered 
and  adjudged  by  the  court  that  the  said  Pemison, 
otherwise  called  'Traveler,'  make  the  fine  to  the 
people  of  this  State  in  the  sum  of  twenty-five 
cents,  and  be  imprisoned  for  a  term  of  twenty- 


UBRARY 
iiun/rDcnv  nc  M 


5-' 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


four  hours."  The  full  term  of  imprisonment  was 
meted  out  to  him,  in  a  rail  pen,  that  served  the 
purpose  of  jail. 

William  W.  Ward  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Pike  county.  He  was  born  in 
1821,  Nancy  Ross  in  1822  and  Marcellus  Ross 
in  1824.  Hiram  Ward  was  the  first  mail 
carrier  from  Atlas  to  Quincy  in  1827.  The  first 
death  was  Nancy,  wife  of  Col.  William  Ross, 
February  12,  1821.  The  first  marriage  of  which 
we  can  procure  any  information,  was  Peter  J. 
Saxberry  to  Miss  Matilda  Stanley,  June  19,  1827. 
The  first  sheriff  was  Bigelow  C.  Fenton,  who  was 
elected  and  commissioned  October  2,  1821.  James 
W.  Whiting  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  county, 
March  12,  1821. 

The  first  member  of  the  Legislature  was  Gen. 
Nicholas  Hanson.  His  seat  was  contested  by 
John  Shaw,  of  Calhoun  county.  The  first  State 
Senator  was  Tom  Carlin,  of  Greene  county.  The 
present  county  of  Pike  was  organized  in  1821. 
The  first  county  seat  was  Atlas.  In  1833  it  be- 
came evident  that  the  county  seat  must  very  soon 
be  moved  to  some  point  near  the  center  of  the 
county.  Colonel  Ross  joined  enthusiastically  in 
this  movement,  and  advanced  the  money  to  the 
county  authorities  with  which  to  enter  the  land 
on  which  Pittsfield  now  stands.  The  County 
Commissioners,  Colonel  Barney,  George  Hinman 
and  Hawkins  Judd,  in  consideration  of  Colonel 
Ross's  valuable  services  in  securing  the  new  lo- 
cation gave  him  the  honor  to  name  the  new  county 
seat,  which  he  accordingly  did,  naming  it  Pitts- 
field,  in  honor  of  his  old  home  in  Massachusetts. 

The  first  mill  in  the  county  was  built  in  1822, 
by  Colonel  Ross  at  Atlas.  It  was  propelled  by  two 
horses,  and  could  grind  from  a  peck  to  a  half 
bushel  of  corn  per  hour.  In  1822,  Mr.  Van  Du- 
sen  started  a  ferry  at  what  is  now  known  as 
"Phillip's  Ferry,"  on  the  Illinois  river.  He  com- 
menced with  a  canoe,  ferrying  footmen  and 
swimming  horses.  He  subsequently  sold  his 
ferry  and  land  claim  to  Nimrod  Phillips,  many  of 
whose  descendants  are  still  living  in  Pike  county. 
Pike  county  has  much  with  which  to  enrich  his- 
tory and  cause  its  citizens  to  be  proud  of  their 
county.  In  early  days  the  "State  of  Pike,"  as  it  was 
called,  did  much  to  shape  the  political  future  of 


the  great  State  of  Illinois.  It  had  many  sole  and 
influential  men ;  men  whose  pride  for  "Pike"  was 
their  chief  ambition  and  aim,  whether  in  the  Leg- 
islative halls  or  in  the  lobby,  their  power  was  felt 
and  feared. 

In  March  and  April,  1820,  Ebenezer  Franklin 
and  Daniel  Shinn  came  to  what  is  now  Pike 
county  and  settled  near  what  afterward  was  At- 
las. The  Ross  family  came  in  the  summer  of 
1820  and  to  these  sturdy  and  fearless  pioneers 
Pike  county  and  its  people  will  ever  render  proper 
homage.  And  could  they  return  from  the  echo- 
shore,  and  see  the  progress  and  development  in 
their  old  home  county  they  could  truly  say,  Great 
God,  Thou  hast  been  good  and  merciful  to  our 
successors.  All  the  blessings  of  nature  are  freely 
shown  in  the  once  wilderness  now  a  garden  spot. 
And  in  all  the  years  since  1820  no  famine  or 
pestilence  has  smitten  the  land.  Fruits,  flowers, 
cereals  and  material  blessings  have  been  without 
stint.  Colonel  Benjamin  Barney  came  in  1826, 
and  he  with  Col.  William  Ross  and  others  took 
an  active  part  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Colonel 
Ross  was  aide  to  the  commanding  general  and  ap- 
pointed Abraham  Lincoln  as  captain  of  one  of  the 
companies  from  Sangamon  county.  Pike  county 
had  in  that  war  companies  under  command  of 
Captains  Barney,  Petty  and  Hale.  Colonel  Ross 
had  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  Col.  Zachary 
Taylor  and  Capt.  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  were 
afterward  presidents  of  the  United  States.  He 
also  knew  well  the  early  Governors  and  Senators 
of  Illinois. 

BLACK    HAWK    WAR. 

In  November,  1830,  fifty  or  sixty  of  the  Sac  and 
Fox  tribes  of  Indians  came  down  on  a  hunting 
excursion  and  camped  on  Bay  creek.  These  tribes 
at  that  time  were  living  on  Rock  river  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State,  and  wished  once  more 
to  visit  the  scenes  of  their  former  hunting  ground. 
Some  little  trouble  occurred  between  these  In- 
dians and  the  whites  on  account  of  the  disappear- 
ance of  hogs  in  the  neighborhood.  The  settlers 
turned  out  and  caught  some  of  the  red  men,  tied 
them  up  and  administered  to  them  severe  flagella- 
tions with  withes,  and  they  immediately  left  the 
country,  never,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  to  re- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


53 


turn  in  a  body  to  Pike  county.  This  episode 
comes  as  near  as  anything  of  a  warlike  nature, 
especially  a  hostile  collision  with  the  Indians,  as 
any  that  we  have  any  record  of  occurring  in  Pike 
county. 

In  the  fall  of  1831  Black  Hawk  and  his  tribes 
appeared  on  Rock  river,  where  they  committed 
several  petty  depredations.  The  settlers  of  Rock 
river  and  vicinity  petitioned  Governor  Reynolds 
for  aid,  stating  that  "Last  fall  the  Black  Hawk 
band  of  Indians  almost  destroyed  all  of  our  crops, 
and  made  several  attacks  on  the  owners  when  they 
attempted  to  prevent  their  depredations,  and 
wounded  one  man  by  actually  stabbing  him  in 
several  places.  This  spring  they  acted  in  a  more 
outrageous  and  menacing  manner."  This  petition 
represented  that  there  were  600  or  700  Indians 
among  them ;  it  was  signed  by  thirty-five  or  forty 
persons.  Another  petition  sets  forth  that  "The  In- 
dians pasture  their  horses  in  our  wheat  fields, 
shoot  our  cows  and  cattle  and  threaten  to  burn  our 
houses  over  our  heads  if  we  do  not  leave."  Other 
statements  place  the  Indians  at  not  more  than  300. 

According  to  these  petitions,  Governor  Rey- 
nolds in  May,  1831,  called  for  700  mounted  men. 
Beardstown  was  the  designated  place  of  rendez- 
vous, and  such  were  the  sympathy  and  courage 
of  the  settlers  that  the  number  offering  themselves 
was  nearly  three  times  the  number  called  for.  They 
left  Rushville  for  Rock  Island  June  15,  1831 ; 
and  on  the  3Oth  of  the  same  month,  in  a  council 
held  for  the  purpose,  Black  Hawk  and  twenty- 
seven  chiefs  and  warriors  on  one  part,  and  Gen. 
Edmund  P.  Gaines,  of  the  United  States  Army, 
and  John  Reynolds,  Governor  of  Illinois,  on  the 
other  part,  signed  a  treaty  of  peace  and  friend- 
ship. This  capitulation  bound  the  Indians  to  go 
and  remain  west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

In  April,  1832,  in  direct  violation  of  the  treaty 
above  referred  to,  Black  Hawk,  with  some  500 
followers,  appeared  again  upon  the  scene  of  ac- 
tion, and  fear  and  excitement  spread  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  State.  To  again  drive 
them  from  the  State,  Governor  Reynolds  called 
on  the  militia  April  16,  1832. 

TROOPS    RAISED    IN    PIKE   COUNTY. 

No  sooner  had  volunteers  been  called  for  than 
every  county  and  settlement  throughout  this  por- 


tion of  the  State  promptly  responded.  Nowhere 
however,  was  such  alacrity  shown  in  answering 
the  call  as  in  Pike  county.  The  hearts  of  the 
sturdy  pioneers  were  easily  touched  by  the  stories 
of  depredations  by  the  Indians.  These  stories 
were  doubtless  greatly  exaggerated,  yet  the  fron- 
tiersmen who  knew  the  subtlety  and  treachery  of 
the  red  men  well  knew  they  could  not  be  trusted ; 
and  almost  any  crime  was  expected  of  them. 

Col.  Wm.  Ross,  then  Captain  of  the  Pike  Coun- 
ty Militia  Company,  received  word  from  the  Gov- 
ernor on  Friday,  the  2oth,  and  he  immediately  is- 
sued the  following : 

"COMPANY  ORDERS — The  volunteer  company 
of  Pike  county  will  meet  at  Atlas',  on  Monday, 
the  23d  inst.,  ready  to  take  up  their  march  by 
sun-rise,  except  such  part  of  the  company  as  are 
living  on  the  east  side  of  said  county,  which  part 
will  meet  the  company  at  the  house  of  William 
Henman,  about  four  miles  this  side  of  Phillips' 
Ferry,  on  the  same  day,  all  with  a  good  horse, 
and  rifle,  powder-horn,  half  pound  of  powder,  and 
one  hundred  balls,  with  three  days'  provisions. 
The  commanding  officer  of  said  company  flatters 
himself  that  every  man  will  be  prompt  to  his  duty. 

[Signed,]  "W.  Ross, 

"Capt.  ist  Rifles,  Pike  Co." 

"April,  1832." 

The  Captain  then  called  upon  Benj.  Barney  at 
his  blacksmith  shop  and  told  him  of  the  nature  of 
the  order  he  had  received,  and  for  him  to  forth- 
with mount  a  horse  and  start  out  to  notify  the 
settlers  to  assemble  immediately.  Mr.  Barney 
was  engaged  at  his  forge  at  the  time,  making  a 
plow ;  but  he  straightway  laid  down  hammer  and 
tongs,  untied  his  leathern  apron,  left  his  fire  to 
smolder  and  die,  and  started  immediately  upon  his 
mission.  He  first  went  to  a  man  at  the  mouth  of 
Blue  creek ;  from  thence  he  made  a  circuit  of  the 
county,  appealing  to  all  to^assemble  at  Atlas  with- 
out delay.  He  tells  us  that  almost  all  of  them  left 
their  work  and  started  immediately. 

The  men  having  assembled  at  Atlas,  the  martial 
band  began  to  discourse  lively  music  to  stir  the 
patriotism  of  the  militia-men  to  a  high  pitch  so 
that  they  would  enlist  for  the  service.  The  music 
did  not  seem  to  "enthuse"  them  with  as  great  a 
desire  to  enlist  as  their  leaders  had  anticipated. 
Something  more  potent  must  be  had;  so  two 


54 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


buckets  of  whisky  were  summoned  to  their  aid ; 
the  men  were  formed  in  two  lines  facing  each 
other,  and  wide  enough  apart  to  admit  of  two  men 
walking  up  and  down  the  line  between  them.  Capt. 
Ross  and  Lieut.  Seeley  started  down  the  line,  each 
with  a  bucket  of  liquor;  two  boys  followed  with 
water,  and  then  came  the  music.  It  was  under- 
stood that  those  who  would  fall  in  after  the  music 
would  enlist  for  service.  By  the  time  the  third 
round  was  made  100  men  were  in  line,  which  was 
even  more  than  the  quota  of  this  county  under 
that  call.  Wm.  Ross  was  elected  Captain  and 
Benj.  Barney,  ist  Lieutenant.  The  company  ed- 
journed  to  meet  at  Griggsville  on  the  following 
day  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.  The  men  went  to  their 
homes  in  various  parts  of  the  county  to  notify 
their  families  of  their  enlistment  and  to  make 
slight  preparations  for  their  journey.  We  are 
told  that  with  four  or  five  exceptions,  and  those 
lived  along  the  Illinois  river,  every  man  was  at 
Griggsville  by  sunrise  on  the  day  appointed. 

The  company  then  started  for  Beardstown,  the 
place  of  rendezvous  for  the  troops  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  The  Illinois  river  was  very  high  and 
much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  crossing  it. 
The  ferry  would  carry  but  six  horses  at  a  time; 
and  while  waiting  for  transportation  the  horses 
stood  in  mud  up  to  their  knees.  It  was  a  gloomy 
time  and  they  had  no  liquor  with  which  to  cheer 
up  the  new  volunteers.  Capt.  Ross  was  among  the 
first  to  cross  over,  while  Lieut.  Barney  remained 
with  the  men  upon  the  western  bank.  Great  dis- 
satisfaction was  being  manifested  by  the  men 
under  Lieut.  Barney,  who  were  waiting  in  the 
mud  and  water  to  cross  the  river,  all  of  whom  did 
not  get  over  until  i  r  o'clock  that  night.  Lieut. 
Barney  sent  word  to  Capt.  Ross  to  forward  him  a 
jug  of  whisky.  This  was  done;  a  fire  was  built, 
striking  it  by  flint  locks  of  their  guns ;  the  whisky 
was  distributed,  and  once  more  the  troops  were  in 
good  spirits  and  ready  for  any  hardship. 

The  Pike  county  troops  arrived  at  Beardstown 
the  next  day,  being  the  first  company  to  reach  that 
point.  The  Governor  and  some  of  the  leading 
officers  were  already  there.  It  was  found  that  the 
Pike  county  company  was  too  large;  it  accord- 
ingly was  divided  and  formed  into  two  companies. 


Lieut.  Barney  was  chosen  Captain  of  one  of  these, 
and  Joseph  Petty,  Captain  ->f  the  other.  James 
Ross  was  elected  ist  Lieutenant  of  Capt.  Petty's 
company,  and  a  Mr.  Allen,  of  Capt.  Barney's 
company.  Capt.  Ross  was  chosen  Colonel  and 
aid  of  the  commanding  General.  It  was  he  who 
appointed  Abraham  Lincoln,  our  martyr  Presi- 
dent, to  the  captaincy  of  one  of  the  Sangamon 
county  companies  in  this  war. 

The  troops  marched  from  Beardstown  to  Rock 
Island,  where  they  were  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  by  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor.  At  Fort 
Armstrong,  which  was  at  that  point,  there  were 
then  only  about  50  United  States  troops.  The  Pike 
county  volunteers,  with  others,  then  marched  up 
toward  Dixon  on  Rock  river,  the  course  the  In- 
dians had  taken.  They  followed  them  for  some 
days,  but  did  not  overtake  them  or  encounter  them 
in  any  engagement.  During  the  entire  campaign 
the  Pike  county  troops  did  not  meet  the  foe  in 
battle  array ;  not  a  leaden  ball  was  shot  at  any  of 
these  men  during  the  50  days  they  were  out. 
During  this  time  they  ran  short  of  provisions,  and 
sent  to  Chicago,  but  in  that  present  great  city, 
where  millions  of  hogs  are  slaughtered  annually 
and  the  greatest  grain  market  in  the  world  exists, 
they  could  not  get  a  barrel  of  pork  or  of  flour. 
The  Pike  county  volunteers  then  went  to  Ottawa 
and  shared  with  some  of  the  troops  at  that  point. 
They  obtained  rations  enough  there  to  last  them 
about  three  days,  when  they  marched  on  down  the 
river  to  the  rapids,  where  there  was  a  boat  filled 
with  United  States  provisions:  There  they  drew 
rations  for  their  homeward  march.  Capt.  Barney 
drew  seven  days'  rations  for  his  men,  but  Capt. 
Petty  thought  they  would  get  home  in  three  or 
four  days,  so  only  drew  four  days'  rations,  much 
to  the  regret  of  the  hungry  stomachs  of  his  men, 
as  it  took  them  longer  to  get  home  than  he  had 
anticipated.  The  privates  of  this  call  received 
$8  a  month,  and  were  paid  off  that  fall  by  United 
States  agents,  who  came  to  Atlas. 

THE  STAMPEDE. 

While  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  four 
regiments  of  troops  camped  together,  among 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


55 


whom  were  the  men  from  this  county.  They 
formed  a  hollow  square,  upon  the  inside  of  which 
were  the  officers'  tents.  The  horses,  about  1,000 
in  number,  were  guarded  in  a  corral  outside  of 
the  square.  In  the  dead  hour  of  night,  when  not 
a  light  remained  burning,  and  the  slow  tread  of 
the  faithful  sentinel  was  the  only  sound  that  broke 
the  silence,  the  horses  became  frightened  and 
stampeded.  In  the  wildest  rage  they  dashed  for- 
ward, whither  they  knew  not;  they  headed  toward 
the  camp  of  slumbering  soldiers,  and  in  all  the 
mad  fury  of  frightened  brutes  they  dashed  for- 
ward over  cannon,  tents  and  men,  wounding  sev- 
eral of  the  latter  quite  severely.  The  troops 
heard  their  coming  and  supposed  each  wild  steed 
was  ridden  by  a  wilder  and  less  humane  red-skin ; 
the  treacherous  and  subtle  foe  was  momentarily 
expected  and  the  frightened  men  thought  they 
were  now  coming  down  upon  them.  They  all  had 
heard  of  the  night  attack  upon  the  rangers  at  the 
famous  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  and  feared  a  repeti- 
tion of  that  night's  bloody  work.  Capt.  Barney,, 
with  quickness  of  thought  and  military  skill,  in  a 
loud  voice  gave  order  for  his  men  to  form  at  the 
rear  of  their  tents.  He  hallooed  lustily,  and  when 
he  went  up  and  down  the  line  feeling  his  way  he 
found  every  man  in  his  place.  The  commanding 
officers  hearing  the  Captain's  orders  .and  knowing 
there  would  be  safety  with  his  company  if  any- 
where, ran  to  him.  Fortunately  the  horses  were 
riderless,  which  was  soon  discovered,  and  then  the 
frightened  men  began  joking.  Col.  De  Witt 
joked  Capt.  Barney  considerably  about  his  hal- 
looing so  loud,  when  Gen.  Taylor  spoke  up  and 
said  he  was  glad  the  Captain  was  so  prompt  to 
give  orders  for  his  men  to  form,  as  it  showed  a 
soldierly  disposition ;  besides,  it  let  him  know 
where  he  might  go  for  safety. 

The  following  Pike  county  soldiers  were  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war : 

CAPTAIN    OZIAS    HAIL/S    COMPANY 

Of  the  4th  Regiment,  3d  Brigade  of  Illinois 
Mounted  Volunteers,  called  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  on  the  requisition  of  Gen.  Henry 
Atkinson,  by  the  Governor's  proclamation,  dated 


.May  15,  1832.  Mustered  out  August  16,  1832. 
Captain,  Ozias  Hail ;  first  leutenant,  David  Seeley ; 
second  lieutenant,  Robart  Goodin ;  sergeants, 
Enoch  Cooper,  Adam  Harpool,  John  McMullin, 
Isaac  Turnbaugh,  Josiah  Sims ;  corporals,  Ben- 
jamin Shin,  John  Battershall,  William  Cooper, 
Isaac  Dolbaugh,  John  Crass;  privates,  Smith 
Ames,  William  Alcorn,  Culverson  Blair,  Elijah 
liradshaw,  John  Blythe,  Enoch  Bradshaw,  John 
Burcaloo,  Sylvanus  Baker,  Derns  Butler,  Wm. 
Buffenbarger,  David  Cole,  Abner  Clark,  Joshua 
Davis,  William  Davis,  John  Foster,  Frederic 
Franklin,  William  Harpool,  William  Kinney,  Ab- 
salom McLain,  Caleb  Miller,  George  Miller, 
David  Moore,  John  Melhizer,  Wm.  McLain,  Wil- 
liam Mitchell,  Burgess  Neeley,  John  Neeley, 
Samuel  Neeley,  Thomas  Neeley,  Resen  Nisenger, 
James  B.  Prior,  Benjamin  Pulum,  John  Shinn, 
Harris  Spears,  Philip  H.  Stigney,  Joseph  Turn- 
baugh, John  M.  Taylor,  Ebenezer  Yesley. 

The  above  company  volunteered  and  organized 
in  Atlas,  in  Pike  county,  on  June  4,  1832,  and  in 
pursuance  of  orders  then  received,  marched  im- 
mediately to  rendezvous  at  Fort  Wilbourn,  where 
they  arrived  on  June  17,  and  were  mustered  into 
service  June  19,  1832. 

CAPTAIN   BENJAMIN   BARNEY'S   COMPANY 

Of  the  3d  Regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Abram 
B.  Dewitt,  of  the  Brigade  of  Mounted  Volunteers 
commanded  by  Brig.-Gen.  Whitesides.  Mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  at  the  mouth  of  Fox 
River,  on  May  27,  1832.  Distant  250  miles  from 
the  place  of  enrollment.  Captains,  William  Ross, 
Benjamin  Barney;  first  lieutenant.  Israel  N. 
Bert ;  second  lieutenant,  Lewis  Allen ;  ser- 
geants, Bridge  Whitten,  Hawkins  Judd,  Eli 
Hubbard,  Hansel  G.  Horn ;  corporals,  Allen  B, 
Lucas,  Mathias  Bailey,  William  Mallory,  Jesse 
Luster ;  privates,  Jonathan  B.  Allen,  William  Ad- 
ney,  William  Blair,  Alfred  Bush,  Joseph  Card, 
Meredith  W.  Coffee,  Robert  Davis,  Joseph  Gall, 
Louis  A.  Garrison,  Robert  Haze,  David  Hull, 
Eliphalet  Haskins,  Charles  Kannada,  Willis  Lay, 
Chidister  B.  Lewis,  Samuel  W.  Love,  Jesse  Lucas, 
John  McAtee,  Andrew  McAtee,  Richard  Marrow, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Adair  C.  Meredith,  Samuel  P.  Mize,  James 
O'Neil,  John  Perkins,  St.  Clair  Prewitt,  Emery 
Swiney,  Stephen  Shipman,  Lindsay  Tolbert,  Aus- 
tin Wilson,  Lucius  Wells. 

CAPTAIN    ELISHA    PETTY's   COMPANY 

Of  the  3d  Regiment,  commanded  by  Col. 
Ab.ram  B.  Dewitt,  of  the  Brigade  of  Mounted 
Volunteers  of  the  "Illinois  Militia,  commanded  by 
Brig.-Gen.  Samuel  Whitesides.  Mustered  out  of 
the  service  at  the  mouth  of  Fox  river,  May  27, 
1832.  Distance,  250  miles  from  place  of  the  en- 
rollment. 

Captain,  Elisha  Petty ;  first  lieutenant,  James 
Ross ;  second  lieutenant,  John  W.  Birch.  Ser- 
geants, Joab  Brooks,  Gilham  Bailey,  Joel  Har- 
pole,  Cornelius  Jones.  Corporals,  William  Kin- 
man,  William  Gates,  Ira  Shelly,  James  Woosley. 
Privates,  Ira  Andrews,  Caret  Buchalew,  Caleb 
Bailey,  Franklin  P.  Coleman,  Joseph  Cavender, 
Harrison  Decker,  Thomas  Edwards,  Benjamin 
Fugate,  James  Green,  Edwin  Grimshaw,  Appolis 
Hubbard,  Berry  Hume,  Francis  Jackson,  Samuel 
Jeffers,  Sims  Kinman,  Hiram  Kinman,  Thomas 
Kinney,  William  Lynch,  Joseph  McLintock,  Sol- 
omon Main,  Thomas  More,  Mathew  Mays,  Owen 
Parkis,  Samuel  Riggs,  Nathaniel  C.  Triplet,  Wil- 
liam Wadsworth,  B.  Whitten,  Lucius  Wells. 

MEXICAN  WAR. 

COMPANY    K,    FIRST    REGIMENT. 

This  company  was  discharged  at  Alton,  Illi- 
nois, October  17,  1848.  Captains,  Israel  B.  Don- 
alson,  William  Kinman;  first  lieutenant,  Manoah 
T.  Bostick;  second  lieutenants,  Robert  E.  Hicks, 
Constantine  Hicks ;  sergeants,  David  K.  Hobbs. 
Andrew  Main,  Austin  W.  Matthews,  Uriah 
Thomas ;  corporals,  Daniel  Gray,  Joseph  W.  In- 
gals,  George  W.  Freeman,  Jarvis  P.  Rudd ;  mu- 
sicians, William  Kiser,  John  Moore;  privates, 
John  Arnet,  James  H.  Atkins,  Archibald  A. 
Brown,  William  B.  Bobbett,  Alfred  I.  Blair, 
Jackson  Bell,  Lawrence  C.  Bristow,  David  P. 
Baldwin,  Frederick  M.  Bulson,  Alfred  Bissell, 


Robert  F.  Babcock,  Ephraim  Cram,  John  Cooper, 
Calvin  Davis,  Alney  Durall,  Duran  Durall,  Bur- 
ton T.  Gray,  Nathaniel  P.  Hart,  John  Hawker, 
John  C.  Heavener,  Christoph  Heavener,  George 
Henry,  Anderson  Hedrick,  Jackson  Jennings, 
Thomas  I.  Jordan,  John  W.  Kneeland,  Hiram  G. 
Kendall,  Joseph  W.  Kinney,  James  W.  Lewis, 
Josiah  Lippincott,  James  Leeper,  Philip  Main, 
Benjamin  L.  Mastin,  Nicholas  Main,  Daniel  W. 
Meredith,  Franklin  Madison,  John  Mace,  Wil- 
liam Main,  Joseph  McDade,  Reuben  McDade, 
Andrew  J.  Neely,  John  Neely,  Robert  Peterson, 
Lemuel  Parks,  Jacob  Seybold,  John  G.  Seavers, 
Zachariah  L.  Smart,  Charles  A.  Spencer,  Hiram 
G.  W.  Spencer,  Samuel  Schanck,  John  L.  Under- 
wood, Benjamin  F.  Wade,  McDaniel  Welch, 
Henry  P.  Yorke,  J.  C.  Densmore,  J.  S.  Troy, 
Rivers  Sellon,  Charles  Sellon. 

CIVIL  WAR. 

Pike  county  men  went  to  the  Civil  war  in  the 
following  commands: 

SECOND    ILLINOIS    CAVALRY,    COMPANY    K. 

Colonels,  John  J.  Mudd  and  Daniel  B.  Bush; 
major,  T.  W.  Jones;  captains,  Presley  G.  Athey, 
Thomas  W.  Jones,  Montgomery  Demmons ;  first 
lieutenants,  Thomas  W.  Jones,  Benjamin  F.  Gar- 
rett,  William  R.  Scull ;  second  lieutenants,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Garrett,  Franklin  Kinman,  Anson 
Mitchell,  Montgomery  Demmons,  David  C. 
Rothrock ;  first  sergeant,  Franklin  Kinman ; 
quartermaster  sergeant,  Richard  T.  Woolfolk ; 
sergeants,  Samuel  V.  Swearingen,  Richard  A. 
Bard,  Ira  St.  John,  William  R.  Crary ;  corporals, 
Montgomery  Demmons,  George  Miers,  Alex  C. 
McPhail,  Elijah  M.  Williams,  Hiram  D.  Moul- 
ton,  Benjamin  V.  Sharp,  William  A.  Reed ;  bu- 
glers, Dorus  E.  Bates,  Clifford  R.  Scranton; 
wagoner,  John  McCune;  privates,  Cornelius  B. 
Archer,  Logan  W.  Allen,  Carlisle  Burbridge, 
John  Bringman,  James  Bradberry,  Josephus 
Brown,  George  Bickerdike,  James  Collins,  Peter 
Carey,  Charles  C.  Clifford,  Alonzo  Cheek,  Wil- 
liam M.  Cunningham,  Samuel  Dell,  Anthony 
Dell,  George  R.  Carrier,  Jeremiah  Fireman,  Wil- 
liam H.  French,  George  W.  Gunn,  James  Graves, 
Rowland  Green,  Watson  Goodrich,  John  L.  B. 


VICKSBURG  MONUMENT 


UBHARY 

0*  1HE          ,,MC 
V,1Y  0'     '      '     S 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


59 


Goings,  John  W.  Graham,  William  R.  Hale, 
Stephen  B.  Hale,  Bailey  Hayden,  William  E. 
Handel,  William  Hill,  Jacob  Johnson,  John 
Knox,  William  Kelly,  Lawson  Lovett,  David 
Lynch,  Thomas  C.  Leek,  Joseph  A.  P.  Love, 
Michael  McMahon,  Benjamin  F.  Mills,  William 
H.  Mclntyre,  James  Mayo,  Henry  S.  Norton, 
David  Pearcy,  Franklin  Ransom,  David  C.  Roth- 
rock,  Stephen  A.  St.  John,  Riley  Stephens,  John 
Stotts,  William  R.  Scull,  William  L.  Smith,  Guy 
Smith,  David  W.  Sparrow,  William  T.  Sawyers, 
George  W.  Thompson,  Jacob  Wulsey,  Charles 
Wood,  Samuel  White,  Richard  Wade,  Conrad 
Winnant. 


Sergeants,  Montgomery  Demmons,  William  R. 
Scull,  Watson  Goodrich,  William  R.  Hale ;  cor- 
porals, Jacob  Wulsey,  Peter  Carey,  David  C. 
Rothrock,  Samuel  Dell;  privates,  Robert  R. 
Bean,  Oscar  F.  Beach,  M.  William  Cunningham, 
John  Fromelsberger,  John  L.  B.  Goings,  Roland 
Green,  Joseph  Graham,  Stephen  B.  Hale,  Wil- 
liam E.  Handel,  William  L.  Kelley,  Joseph  A.  P. 
Love,  John  W.  Lindsey,  Sylvester  Mullen,  Wil- 
liam H.  Mclntyre,  William  McCormick,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Mills,  Joseph  Polite,  Isaiah  Ruble,  Edwin 

A.  Rockwell,  Stephen  A.  St.  John,  John  Stotts, 
David    W.    Sparrow,    Benjamin    F.    Thompson, 
George  W.  Webster ;  recruits,  William  L.  Allen, 
Cuffner  W.  Allen,  Abel  A.  Adams,  William  M. 
Baldwin,  John  Brown,  Robert  R.  Bean,  William 

B.  Babbitt,   George  Bowman,  George   P.   Beck- 
holdt,     Broadus     Briscoe,    Williston    Beardsley, 
Lewis  D.  Brown,  William  W.  Blackburn,  John 
Boyd,  Buffmgton  Babin,  William  Berry,  Pleasant 
H.  Boston,  Aaron  Carroll,  Giles  Culver,  William 
Dix,  Noble  M.  Dyke,  Samuel  A.  Dunlap,  Charles 
Dickens,    John   C.   Eagle,  John    Fromelsberger, 
Jesse  L.  Fields,  James  P.  Foote,  John  Fisher,  Ben- 
jamin Fisher,  Jonah  Goings,  Julius  C.  Graham, 
John  W.  Graham,  Joseph  Graham,  William  His- 
ted,  John  D.  Hale,  James  Hayden,  John  C.  Han- 
del, Isaac  J.  Handel,  Daniel  H.  Huffman,  Marion 
Heavner,    James    S.    Hyde,    George    W.    Harris, 
Harrison  Johnson,  Henry  Jacobs,  Miller  Johnley, 
William  Jackson,  William  H.  Kerman,  William 
L.   Kelly,   Francis   Keys,  Thomas   Knox,   James 


Kelley.-Andrew  Lytle,  John  W.  Lindsay,  William 
Lytle,  John  Lovett,  George  Main,  Charles  Main, 
William  McCormick,  Alex  C.  McPhail,  John  Mc- 
Clerry,  James  Main,  Andrew  J.  Molar,  Ennis 
Newnham,  Joseph  Polite,  John  Peoples,  Isaiah 
Ruble,  James  or  Elisha  Ransom,  E.  A.  Rockwell, 
John  W.  Reynolds,  Lyman  Ransom,  Francis  M. 
Scanlan,  Peter  Swiggert,  Cicero  Scobey,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Thompson,  William  Trownsell,  Peter 
M.  Tysinger,  William  W.  Walworth,  Samuel  H. 
Wynn,  Hampton  Wade,  George  W.  Webster; 
under  cooks  of  A.  D.,  William  Britton,  Franklin 
Gazaphail,  Edward  Putnam,  Henry  Wilkins. 

FIFTH    ILLINOIS   CAVALRY,   COMPANY  G. 

Captains,  John  A.  Harvey,  Benjamin  B.  Hop- 
kins, Alexander  D.  Pittenger;  first  lieutenant, 
.  William  A.  McAllister ;  second  lieutenants,  Amos 
"  PL  Smith5,  WiHktm  A,  McAllister,  John  W.  Pat- 
terson; quartermaster  sergeant,  Amos  H.  Smith; 
sergeants,  James  P.  Taylor,  William  H.  Cham; 
corporals,  Nathan  Swigget,  Wallis  Dike,  John 
W.  Patterson ;  bugler,  Joshua  Ward ;  blacksmith, 
James  Thompson ;  saddler,  James  Hedger ;  pri- 
vates William  G.  Allen,  Frederick  Akart,  Ziba 
G.  Brown,  Curtis  J.  Brown,  John  Cahl,  Edgar 
W.  Chase,  Thomas  P.  Clark,  Noble  M.  Dike,  Ed- 
ward T.  Gullcross,  William  P.  Gwinn,  Charles 
Havens,  John  J.  Heden,  George  W.  Higgins, 
John  W.  Hill,  William  S.  Hill,  John  Hofsess, 
Benjamin  B.  Hopkins,  Benjamin  J.  Jones,  Henry 
J.  Luckinbill,  Samuel  Lutes,  William  A.  McAl- 
lister, Benjamin  F.  Mclntyre,  John  W.  Meek,  Ol- 
iver H.  Perry,  Jimmerson  Pierce,  Benjamin  J. 
or  B.  Powell,  Cornelius  Rathburn,  John  P.  Rat- 
tic,  John  M.  K.  Reid,  Wesley  Stanley,  Hiram  P. 
•Stetson,  Thomas  B.  Skidmore,  Thomas  Taylor, 
William  H.  Uppinghouse,  Marion  Uppinghouse, 
Albert  Willits,  Charles  G.  Wilson,  John  Wilson, 
Abram  L.  Winsor;  veterans,  Frederick  Akart, 
William  T.  Gwinn,  John  J.  Heden,  Jacob  Her- 
man, John  Hoffses,  William  A.  McAllister,  Alex- 
ander D.  Pittinger,  John  M.  K.  Reed,  Hiram  P. 
Stettson,  Nathan  Swiggett,  Thomas  B.  Skidmore, 
Charles  Sherman,  James  Thomson,  Stephen  B. 
Watson,  John  Wilson,  David  B.  Wacaser;  re- 
cruits, Levi  Brewer,  John  P.  Brower,  Owen  Crea- 


6o 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


son,  John  Clark,  Peter  Cusic,  Jacob  Herman,  John 
Judd,  William  H.  Macaser,  John  Mier,  Samuel  M. 
Miller,  Joseph  Stanley,  Alick  Sanders,  Charles 
Sherman,  Charles  O.  Ward,  Stephen  B.  Watson, 
David  B.  Wacaser,  John  W.  Willey,  Albert 
Watson. 

TENTH    II.LIXOIS   CAVALRY. 

Robert  Wright,  Hart  Quarv.  Xaper  Reeves,  Ja- 
cob Nelson,  H.  C.  Osborn,  John  A.  Beverly. 
James  M.  Champ,  Peter  Brimm,  Oliver  Ellmore, 
Josiah  Taylor.  James  A.  Woods,  Giles  Bulercl, 
Ed.  Bell,  William  Bell,  Press  Crofton,  David 
Chapin,  William  Parkis,  E.  H.  Bently.  John  Cal- 
vert,  J.  H.  Ellege,  Moses  Greenup,  F.  Fewgate, 
J.  T.  Gebhart,  A.  J.  Hill.  Alpheus  Winneger,  W. 
W.  Bell,  Jacob  Butts,  Jack  Woolery,  Martin 
Ayers,  A.  Jackson,  C.  Preston,  J.  P.  Johnston. 


Captain,  William  A.  Hubbard :  first  lieutenant, 
John  H.  Gay ;  second  lieutenant,  William  Athey ; 
first  sergeant,  Nathan  L.  Adams ;  sergeants,  John 
W.  Hill,  Robert  T.  Babcock,  John  Scott,  Josiah 
G.  Williams ;  corporals,  John  Shaffner,  Edgar 
Peckenpaugh,  John  Gallagher,  John  B.  Mills, 
John  Bringman,  Peter  H.  Sullivan,  John  I. 
Sackett,  John  P.  Adams;  musicians,  Jacob  F. 
Miller,  John  Peters;  wagoner,  William  J.  Bran- 
don ;  privates,  Roder  G.  Allen,  Henry  C.  Bran- 
don, Lewis  J.  Bradshaw,  Eli  Bradshaw,  Joseph 
H.  Brown,  Nathan  Baughman,  Jacob  Baughman, 
George  L.  Boyd,  Joshua  N.  Butler,  Lewis  Chase, 
John  L.  Cunningham,  Joseph  H.  'Cooper,  George 
W.  Carrel,  John  Davidson,  John  W.  Foreman, 
Abner  W.  Foreman,  Isaac  Fast,  Andrew  J.  Good- 
win, Benjamin  Goodwin.  William  H.  Goodwin, 
George  Huff,  David  Hadley,  Hartley  Hines,  Wil- 
liam G.  Hopkins,  William  A.  Higgins,  Francis 
L.  Jones.  James  S.  Johnston,  Peter  Johnston, 
William  Kriowles,  Samuel  Kelly,  James  Laforce, 
James  Lee.  James  Low,  Robert  Laughridge,  Wil- 
liam C.  Lynch,  Joseph  J.  Lusk,  Coatsworth 
Aloore,  William  A.  Monroe,  William  McGuire, 
Absalom  C.  Murphy,  John  J.  Miller,  James  Nich- 
olson, John  R.  Noble,  John  D.  Reed.  Burk  Ralph. 


William  J.  Rowley.  Joel  Rowley.  Isaac  Roberts, 
William  Stark,  John  Sharer.  William  C.  Sim- 
mons, Jonathan  R.  Sitton,  Henry  Shaffner,  Wil- 
liam R.  Smith,  John  Shaffner,  John  M.  Smith, 
Henry  T.  Shaw,  James  L.  Saxberry.  George 
Turnbaugh.  Wilberforce  Tuthaker,  Anthony  M. 
Triplett,  Michael  Tinkle,  Edwin  H.  Webster, 
Moody  J.  Webster,  William  S.  Windsor,  Delos 
D.  Walker,  John  Shaw. 

COMPANY  G. 

Captain,  Samuel  N.  Hoyt ;  first  lieutenant,  An- 
drew Moore ;  second  lieutenant,  William  H.  Hal- 
lin ;  first  sergeant,  Gilbert  E.  Brooks ;  sergeants, 
Edward  W.  Baker,  Jesse  Parke,  John  W.  Knee- 
land,  Bartholomew  Brooks ;  corporals,  William 
H.  Hammond,  Stephen  Northrop,  Samuel  S. 
Leeds,  Melvin  T.  Johns,  James  F.  Hameo, 
Thomas  C.  Manchester,  James  Rutherford,  Ben- 
jamin A.  Lord  ;  musicians,  Samuel  Wade,  Henry 
Pool;  teamster,  John  S.  Buster;  privates,  John 
Ayers,  Archibald  D.  Brown,  John  A.  Bell,  George 
W.  Brooks,  James  M.  Brown,  Francis  M.  Bald- 
win, Walter  Bell,  William  Cryder,  Jasper  Cryder. 
John  Caton,  Benjamin  Cawthorn,  James  Craw- 
ford, Thomas  Cunningham,  John  Cahill,  Darius 
Dexter,  John  W.  Davis,  William  H.  Darrah,  John 
J.  Emory,  William  H.  Elliott,  David  Evans.  Wil- 
liam S.  Ellidge,  Henry  C.  Ferry,  John  J.  Frank- 
lin, Josephus  Foreman,  Clark  Gilhan,  John  E. 
Gray,  Thomas  Gowings,  James  P.  Gibbs,  James 
Gleason,  Francis  Houston,  William  Heldrith, 
Hines  A.  Hardy,  Jonah  Hossess,  Philip  Hahn, 
Marion  Kinman,  James  Keyes,  George  R.  Kin- 
cade,  John  Kernan,  Wesley  H.  Mayfield,  Harri- 
son Mitchell,  Francis  Miller,  Franklin  Morrison, 
Samuel  Oliphant.  Andrew  J.  Rushing,  Charles 
C.  Seaborn,  James  W.  Six,  Jefferson  S.  Steel. 
John  Santhoff,  James  A.  Sewell,  James  R.  P. 
Sparks,  George  Scutt,  Willis  J.  Stead.  George  W. 
Steel,  Charles  Tucker,  Noah  Talbot.  Clint  P. 
Vandermant,  Robert  L.  Wilson,  Xoah  X.  Watts, 
Daniel  Wardlow.  Minor  Wanllow,  Charles  H. 
William.  George  W.  Wicker,  John  M.  Wicker. 
F.lijah  X.  Watts,  John  White,  Alfred  H.  Watts, 
John  T.  Woods,  Frank  Wade,  Henry  Woods. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


EIGHTH     ILLINOIS    INFAXTUY.     COMPANY    G. 

Captain,  John  McWilliams :  first  lieutenant, 
James  S.  Bernard ;  second  lieutenant,  Thomas 
Butler;  first  sergeant,  Elihu  Jones;  sergeants,  W. 
P.  Sitton,  Robert  Wills,  Sampson  Purcell ;  cor- 
porals, Elijah  Dickenson,  George  W.  Stoby, 
Michael  McNaughten,  William  T.  Lyon ;  musi- 
cians, George  Martins,  Seth  W.  Pierce ;  privates, 
John  S.  Ault,  John  W.  Agnew,  Thomas  G.  Alex- 
ander, J.  B.  Baker,  Levi  Barber,  George  Barn- 
grover,  Hiram  Bigsbee,  William  Bowman,  John 
Bowman,  Daniel  Bradley,  Gilbert  Brooks,  Wil- 
liam Cammire,  George  L.  Carson,  Nathan  J.  Cof- 
fee, Robert  Davis,  Josiah  Davis,  Montgomery 
Demmons,  Denise  Denise,  Pine  Dexter,  Edward 
Durant,  Thomas  Foster,  Watson  Goodrich,  Sam- 
uel Goozee,  John  C.  Handle,  Isaac  I.  Handle, 
Reuben  B.  Hatch,  Charles  B.  Hays,  Moses  Hem- 
menway,  James  Heavener,  John  M.  Hurt, 
Charles  H.  Hurt,  Joseph  H.  Johnson,  William 
Kelley,  Daniel  D.  Kidwell,  Robert  H.  Kinman, 
Henry  Kinney,  John  T.  Lovett,  Amos  Laikin, 
James  Lindsay,  William  Little,  Jacob  Long, 
Henry  Lucas,  Fernando  Moreno,  John  Madigan, 
John  E.  Mathis,  William  H.  McFadden,  William 
R.  Moore,  William  H.  Owen,  Thomas  D.  Pettis. 
George  Petty,  Alexander  G.  Pettinger,  Andrew 
W.  I 'lattner,  Thomas  H.  Post,  George  W.  Rader, 
George  Rice,  Alexander  Russell,  George  Sander- 
son, Albert  Shaw,  Jackson  Stout,  John  T. 
Thompson,  Carlos  L.  Toby,  John  Tucker,  John 
W.  Troutner,  David  Troutner,  David  Wacasser ; 
captains,  James  S.  Bernard,  Elihu  Jones,  Charles 
H.  Hurt;  first  lieutenants,  Elihu  Jones,  William 
P.  Sitton,  Charles  H.  Hurt.  George  Sanderson; 
second  lieutenants,  William  P.  Sitton,  Charles  H. 
Hurt,  William  A.  Savior:  first  sergeant,  Charles 
IT.  1  furt ;  sergeants,  Levi  Barber,  George  San- 
derson, William  H.  Owings,  Thomas  Foster ; 
corporals,  John  S.  Hanlen.  Gilbert  Brooks,  Dan- 
iel 15.  Owings.  William  IT.  Williams,  George 
Jackson,  Joseph  Shinn ;  privates,  Hiram  Byxbe, 
Joseph  Byxbe,  John  U.  Byxbe,  Charles  W.' Bar- 
bee.  George  W.  I'arr.  John  D.  Boren.  James 
l!n>\vn.  IJartholomew  Brooks,  James  Caton, 
Thomas  Cein,  Isaac  Chandler,  Thomas  Cassady, 
James  Ca vender,  Xoah  E.  Dye,  Stephen  Duncan, 


Walter  Decker,  John  G.  Davis,  Warren  S.  Oil- 
worth,  William'  Durant,  James  Elwood,  Perry 
Foster,  Marcus  Frawner,  Benjamin  F.  Foreman, 
John  S.  Fulks,  James  Gibson,  Thomas  Gallaher, 
Francis  M.  Ghant,  James  Hodge,  Thomas  Harris, 
Thomas  Humes,  Adam  A.  Hanlin,  William  Han- 
lin,  Jackson  B.  Hudson,  John  Harrington,  John 
W.  Henry,  John  C.  Jenkins,  Daniel  McFarland, 
Jesse  Mappin,  James  Marcy,  Joseph  Moore,  Roy- 
al Mooers,  Rhoderic  Moore,  David  Orton,  Henry 
Osborn,  John  Perkins,  Frederick  Regie,  William 
Robinson,  James  Shinn,  Peter  F.  Simpson,  Na- 
thaniel Stevens,  Henry  Steel,  Joseph  Simpson, 
Adam  Snyder,  Reuben  Ult,  James  P.  Vincent, 
Daniel  Vandermant,  William  H.  White,  William 
W.  Westrope,  Daniel  S.  Westrope,  Alexander 
Wood ;  recruits,  James  Baird,  Austin  D.  Barber, 
John  Bailey,  Matthew  F.  Castator,  Silas  A.  Car- 
roll, Anderson  Corder,  James  Elwood,  John 
Frawner,  Oliver  Jones,  Amos  Larkins,  Lyman 
Langwell,  John  T.  Lovett,  Elias  Manning,  Alex- 
ander Matthews,  Charles  Mallory,  William  Mat- 
thews, William  M.  Mills,  Silas  A.  Perry,  William 
H.  Phillips,  George  Rice,  William  H.  Smith, 
George  Stevens,  Xorman  A.  Taylor,  Franklin 
Thompson,  John  P.  Vaughn,  Thomas  H.  B.  Wil- 
son, Nathaniel  W.  Webster,  William  H.  Willard ; 
veterans,  James  Gating,  Isaac  Chandler,  Walter 
Decker,  John  S.  Fulks,  Marcus  Frawner,  Adam 
Hanline.  Thomas  M.  Humes,  Amos  Larkin, 
Joseph  Moore,  Jesse  F.  Mappin,  John  Perkins, 
Joseph  Shinn,  George  Sanderson,  Adam  A.  Sny- 
der, James  P.  Vincent,  William  H.  Willard,  Wil- 
liam H.  Westrope. 


SIXTKF.XTH    ILLI 


Captains.  George  D.  Stewart,  John  Bryant; 
first  lieutenants,  James  Hedger,  French  B.  Wood- 
all,  John  Bryant.  Franklin  J.  Cooper ;  second  lieu- 
tenants, Richard  B.  Higgins,  Joseph  E.  Haines, 
Asbury  Brown ;  first  sergeant,  Elijah  J.  Gidd- 
ings ;  sergeants,  Joseph  E.  Haines,  James  E.  Ir- 
win.  Samuel  Morris,  Robert  A.  Coulter;  corpo- 
rals, Norton  H.  Close,  Daniel  W.  Rider,  William 
Brown,  Juclson  C.  Gillespie,  Charles  W.  Beers. 
Alexander  S.  Hatch,  Edson  W.  Berry,  William 
Baclgley:  musicians,  Joseph  J.  P.obo,  James 
Shields ;  wagoner.  William  W.  Smith  ;  privates. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


William  M.  Austin,  Almeron  C.  Bennett,  William 
Bramble,  Asa  D.  Baker,  Benjamin  Branic,  John 
M.  Bryant,  Sanford  P.  Bennett,  John  W.  Bal- 
linger,  William  L.  Baldwin,  Thomas  J.  Burkee, 
James  H.  Butler,  Alexander  Baird,  Asbury 
Brown,  Peter  Beemer,  John  B.  Brinson,  William 

E.  Chapman,  Silas  G.  Corey,  John  M.  Cooper, 
William    Copeland,     Frederick    P.    Dillingham, 
James  Daugherty,  William  H.  Eddingfield,  Ben- 
jamin Ezzell,  John  T.  Ezzell,  Oliver  R.  Emerson, 
Miner  A.   Foster,   Lamar  Farnsworth,  John  C. 
Gregory,  William  Gay,  Henry  Gale,  James  Hull, 
Joseph  Huet,  George  Hallett,  Thomas  J.  House, 
John     Halpin,    Thomas     Hull,     James     Ingram, 
Thomas   J.   Johnson,   Bernard   Kane,   David   D. 
Kidwell,  Charles  A.,  Kendall,  Thomas  J.  Lusk, 
Thomas  Lomax,  Hiram  J.  Lee,  Patrick  McMa- 
hon,  Thomas  McGuire,  Robert  Martin,  Matthew 
H.  Nichols,  William  H.  D.  Noyes,  Calvin  F.  Pier- 
son,  Alfred  Payne,  Moses  Perkins,  John  H.  Rig- 
ney,  Thomas  Y.  Reppey,  John  M.  Shinn,  Silas 
Shaw,    Charles    F.    Sanderson,    Silas    Sprague, 
Francis    M.   Smith,    Ira    W.     Shelby,    William 
Sharpe,   Josiah   Thorn,    Asa    E.    Topliff,   James 
Tipton,  Edgar  Tyler,  Cyrus  C.  Walburn;  veter- 
ans, Frederick  Arnold,  Alexander  Baird,  Asbury 
Brown,  John  M.  Bryant,  John  B.  Bimson,  Ben- 
jamin Brannic,  Joseph  J.  Bobo,  James  H.  But- 
ler, William  Badgeley,  William  Bramble,  Peter 
Beamer,  Franklin  J.  Cooper,  John  Conley,  Ed- 
ward F.  Gaines,  Thomas  Hull,  George  W.  House, 
John  Halpin,  Alfred  F.  Hildreth,  John  Harrison, 
George  Leslie,  Robert  Martin,  Matthew  Nicols, 
Calvin  F.  Pierson,  William  H.  Quincy,  Benjamin 

F.  Saxbury,  Thomas  Sheppard, William  J.  Smith, 
Francis  M.  Smith, Josiah  Thorn;  recruits, William 
Badgeley,  William  Bramble,  Montgomery  Bain, 
Richard  B.  Bagby,  Samuel  Boice,  William  But- 
ler, Horace  O.  Bennett,  Frank  J.  Cooper,  John 
Conley,  William  Cooper,  John  Collins,  Shubal  B. 
Day,  John  W.  Elder,  Edward  F.  Gaines,  Horatio 
Gray,  Pyrus  Clancy,  George  W.  House,  Henry 
Hubbard,  Ed.  House,  William  G.  Howe,  Joseph 
F.   Lowe,  William  J.   Little,  Alexander  Massie, 
Charles  M.  McCauley,  Nathan  P.  Nichols,  Jeptha 
B.  Parks,  Elias  Price,  John  Rippey,  William  Rus- 
sell, William  J.  Smith,  Daniel  Van  Slyke,  Her- 
bert W.  Wilcox,  Simon  Zumalt,  Obadiah  Zumalt. 


TWENTY-EIGHTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Three  companies  in  the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois 
Infantry  were  Pike  county  boys,  and  were  in  bat- 
tle at  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Hatchie,  Vicksburg,  Jack- 
son, Spanish  Fort  and  Blakeley.  Some  of  the  boys 
served  four  years  and  seven  months.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  Milton,  Illi- 
nois, a  member  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, a  brave  and  gallant  soldier,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 10,  1862,  and  was  killed  in  battle  at  Pitts- 
burg  Landing,  April,  1862. 

COMPANY   I. 

Captain,  Elisha  Hurt ;  second  lieutenant, 
Henry  L.  Hadsell ;  first  sergeant,  John  H.  Hurt ; 
sergeants,  Samuel  C.  Brown,  Henry  L.  Hadsell, 
Horatio  Walker,  Andrew  J.  Petty ;  corporals,  Al- 
vin  Jessup,  Thomas  Durell,  Andrew  A.  Veach, 
John  Smith,  William  Garten,  James  H.  Rogers; 
musician,  William  J.  Pence ;  privates,  Eli  Boff- 
man,  John  Bell,  Henry  W.  Brown,  William  Brit- 
ton,  Isaac  Bridge'water,  William  H.  Bonifield. 
John  Barney,  Thomas  F.  Bain,  Bartholomew 
Boyles,  Enoch  M.  Clift,  William  Custead,  James 
Collier,  Alfred  M.  Delano.  William  S.  Dole,  Wil- 
liam M.  Decker,  James  T.  Demarree,  Charles  E. 
Fletcher,  Orville  Goodale,  James  M.  Green, 
James  Holmes,  Henry  C.  Hart,  John  T.  Hall, 
Henry  Hammond,  Isaac  Halstead,  Harrison 
Hand,  Hollingsworth  Hender,  Thomas  James, 
John  S.  Kinman,  John  R.  Larue,  Andrew  J.  La- 
rue,  Edward  F.  Larue,  Isaac  Micky,  William 
Mong,  Alexander  McBride,  William  H.  Murphy, 
James  McGinnas,  Patrick  E.  Murphy,  Menzoo 
W.  Massie,  William  W.  Martin,  Samuel  Phrim- 
mer,  Alfred  S.  Pryor,  Stephen  Palmer,  James  L. 
Price,  Jackson  Rogers,  Joseph  L.  Rogers,  Joseph 
Stevens,  Jacob  Stombaugh,  Thomas  J.  Voorhes, 
James  M.  Voorhes,  James  White;  veterans,  Wil- 
liam Britton,  Eli  Boffman,  John  Currie,  William 
Craig,  Enoch  M.  Clitt,  John  A.  Demaree,  Wil- 
liam S.  Dole,  William  M.  Decker,  Henry  T.  Gray, 
Orville  L.  Goodale,  William  H.  Hubbard,  John 
M.  Hurt,  Harrison  Hand,  John  T.  Hall.  Francis 
M.  Likes,  William  W.  Martin,  John  Smith,  John 
T.  Veach,  Horatio  Walker,  Isaac  N.  Woods';  re- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


emits,  William  J.  Beddy,  James  Badger,  James 
or  George  Bridgewater,  Franklin  Currie,  Joseph 
Clark,  John  Currie,  William  Craig,  James  L. 
Gordan,  Henry  T.  Gray,  Eugene  Gray,  Gavid 
Geer,  John  S.  Gorton,  Daniel  D.  Gray,  William 
H.  Huntly,  William  H.  Hubbard,  Dick  Johnson, 
Daniel  D.  Kidwell,  John  Kipp,  Charles  F.  C. 
Krauss,  Daniel  Likes,  Joseph  Losson,  William 
Mazingo,  Francis  N.  Martin,  Enos  Stephens,  Al- 
bert Stephens,  Benjamin  F.  Stephens,  Isaac  N. 
Woods,  James  F.  Walker. 

COMPANY    B. 

Captains,  Thomas  H.  Butler,  George  W.  Sto- 
bie,  John  T.  Thompson ;  first  lieutenants,  John  T. 
Thompson,  Robert  Young;  second  lieutenants, 
George  Stobie,  David  C.  Troutner,  Cyrus  K.  Mil- 
ler; first  sergeant,  Cyrus  K.  Miller;  sergeants, 
Carlos  L.  Tobey,  James  C.  Clark,  Alexander  Rus- 
sell, Amos  Bagby;  corporals,  George  Chrysup, 
Pine  Dexter,  Joseph  P.  Hensley,  John  Schwartz, 
Thomas  Alexander,  Robert  Young,  George  B. 
Petty ;  musician,  Seth  W.  Pierce ;  privates,  Rich- 
ard D.  Baker,  William  A.  Baxter,  Greenbury 
Blain,  John  J.  Browning,  Robert  Blair,  James  D. 
Brothers,  Edward  Cain,  William  Crepps,  John 
Cannon,  William  Curiman,  Claridon  Cherry,  Mil- 
ton H.  Capps,  Michael  Dorr,  Francis  Donely, 
John  Ducy,  Jasper  Dorset,  Nathan  Foreman, 
George  Frank,  Paschal  F.  Forbes,  John  Fitzsim- 
mons,  David  Guthrie,  Daniel  Haggerty,  William 
H.  Hisel,  August  Haberlin,  William  F.  Hayden, 
Robert  Hunter,  James  Harris,  Jasper  N.  Jame- 
son, John  M.  Jones,  Oliver  Kile,  Thomas  Long, 
James  McDermott,  John  Murrey,  William  G. 
McGhee,  William  R.  Moore,  Job  Pringle,  Frank 
Rupert,  Henry  Stewart,  Columbus  C.  Sapp,  Ru- 
fus  S.  Shaw,  Benjamin  Schoolcraft,  William 
Shaffner,  Covington  H.  Sibert,  Allen  S.  Sanford, 
James  Tucker,  Joseph  I.  Troutner,  Peter  C.  Wil- 
liams, Austin  J.  Wyatt,  Tip  Winans,  Forener 
Williams,  Josiah  G.  Williams,  Jacob  Yoaugh; 
veterans,  Thomas  Alexander,  Robert  Blair, 
Thomas  Brown,  Greenbury  Blair,  George  W. 
Chrysup,  Milton  H.  Capps,  Claridon  F.  Cherry, 
John  Cannon,  William  Crepps,  Pine  Dexter, 
George  M.  Frank,  Paschal  F.  Forbes,  John  Fitz- 


simmons,  David  Guthrie,  William  F.  Hayden, 
Daniel  Hagerty,  Jasper  N.  Jameson,  Thomas 
Long,  Richard  Main,  William  T.  McGhee,  Wil- 
-liam  R.  Moore,  Daniel  Morgan,  Job  Pringle, 
George  B.  Petty,  Seth  W.  Pierce,  James  E.  Riley, 
Robert  H.  Rollins,  Allen  S.  Sanford,  Rufus  F. 
Shaw,  Covington  H.  Sibert,  Peter  C.  Williams, 
Austin  J.  Wyatt;  recruits',  Thomas  Brown, 
Charles  Bagbey,  John  Goldsmith,  Nathan  Harris, 
Jacob  Johnson,  Robert  H.  Kinman,  Rufus  Main, 
Alvin  Main,  Richard  Main,  Robert  H.  Rollins, 
John  Shaffner. 

COMPANY  E. 

Captains,  Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  John  M. 
Griffin ;  first  lieutenants,  John  M.  Griffin,  Frede- 
rick C.  Bechdoldt,  William  B.  Griffin ;  second  lieu- 
tenant, Burrell  McPherson ;  first  sergeant,  Fred- 
erick C.  Bechdoldt;  sergeants,  Harrison  C. 
French,  William  B.  Griffin,  William  T.  Hensley, 
Jackson  Stout ;  corporals,  Eldridge  Dinsmore, 
Major  H.  Camby,  Zachariah  A.  Garrison,  Henry 
C.  Binns,  David  C.  B.  Rummel,  John  B.  Willard, 
Lycurgus  D.  Riggs,  Hulburt  Burman ;  musicians, 
William  A.  Giles,  Daniel  D.  Dinsmore;  privates, 
Samuel  Andrew,  Uriah  B.  Brokaw,  Peter 
Backus,  Daniel  Crawford,  Warren  Comer,  Den- 
nis Duff,  Anzley  Donoho,  Peter  Foreman,  Ebene- 
zer  M.  Foreman,  James  .Gilleland,  William  B. 
Hatcher,  Americus  B.  Hack,  James  M.  Hen- 
dricks,  Thomas  W.  Heavner,  Samuel  G.  Hall, 
John  W.  Hamerton,  William  A.  Lacy,  Moses  Mc- 
Madden,  Thomas  H.  Overturf,  John  Robbison, 
Jeremiah  Rogers,  Christian  Schuepf,  John  R.  Sit- 
ton,  Martin  V.  Terry,  Samuel  G.  Walk,  James 
T.  Whyte,  John  Maher,  Bernard  Smith,  Peter 
Wroughton ;  veterans,  Robert  Allen,  Andrew 
Brinker,  Lorenzo  D.  Brinker,  Henry  C.  Binns, 
Hubert  Borman,  Peter  Backus,  Dennis  Duff, 
Jacob  Foreman,  William  J.  Farthing,  Thomas  S. 
Farthing,  Wyman  W.  Griffin,  William  A.  Giles, 
James  G.  Griffin,  William  B.  Griffin,  William  B. 
Hatcher,  Americus  G.  Hack,  Samuel  G.  Hall, 
John  F.  Kinman,  Joseph  H.  Long,  William  A. 
Lacey,  Thomas  H.  Overturf,  Isaac  Pecarre, 
Walker  W.  Paul,  Jeremiah  Rogers,  John  Rob- 
inson, Lycurgus  Riggs,  Christian  Schuepf,  Jack- 
son Stout;  recruits,  Leonard  Ames,  Robert  Al- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


len,  William  C.  Bond,  Lorenzo  D.  Brinckner, 
James  W.  Bogby,  Charles  Barnes,  William  Bin- 
ets,  Isaac  M.  Bristow,  Andrew  Brinker,  Hubert 
Borman,  Edward  Cox,  Thomas  J.  Coulter,  Grant- 
son  Chapman,  William  Daniels,  George  W.  Farth- 
ing, Thomas  J.  Farthing,  Jacob  Foreman,  Wil- 
liam Foreman,  James  G.  Griffin,  Thomas  J.  R. 
Grant,  William  Goff,  Wyman  W.  Griffin,  Joseph 
Horton,  William  C.  Hevener,  George  C.  Hills, 
John  Hutchins,  Edward  G.  Jenkins,  Hiram  Jor- 
don,  H.  T.  Jolly,  or  Yolly. 

TWENTY-EIGHTH     ILLINOIS      (CONSOLIDATED)      IN- 
FANTRY,  COMPANY  I?. 

Captains,  John  T.  Thompson,  George  W. 
Chrysup ;  first  lieutenants,  Robert  Young,  Henry 
L.  Hadsell,  George  W.  Chrysup,  Job  Pringle; 
second  lieutenants,  George  W.  Chrysup,  Job 
Pringle,  Thomas  James ;  first  sergeant,  Job  Prin- 
gle; sergeants.  Pine  Dexter,  Henry  C.  Binns, 
Harrison  Hand,  John  C.  Casteel ;  corporals,  Ly- 
curgus  D.  Riggs,  Samuel  G.  Hall,  Jasper  N. 
Jameson,  Isaac  N.  Woods,  William  W.  Martin, 
Allen  S.  Sanford,  John  Smith,  John  F.  Kinman ; 
privates,  Thomas  Alexander,  Charl,es  Bagby, 
Thomas  Brown,  Eli  Boffman.  William  Britton. 
James  Bridgewater,  William  J.  Boddy,  Lorenzo 

D.  Brinker,  Aaron  P.  G.  Beard,  Charles  Barnes, 
Peter  O.  Backus,  Claridon  F.  Cherry,  John  Can- 
non, William  Crepps,  Franklin  Currie,  Franklin 
M.   Clanton,  Joseph   C.   Clark,  Enoch   M.   Gift, 
William    S.    Dole,   William    M.    Decker,    Dennis 
Duff,    James  W.   Edwards,  John    Fitzsimmons, 
George   M.   Frank,  Jacob  Foreman,   William  J. 
Farthing,    Thomas    Farthing,    John    Fitzgerald. 
James    C.    Ferrand,    Paschal    F.    Forbes,    David 
Guthrie,  Orvil  L.  Goodale,  Eugene  Gray,  James 
L.  Gordon,  Wyman  W.  Griffin,  William  A.  Giles, 
James  G.  Griffin,  Daniel  D.  Gray,  Daniel  Hag- 
gerty,    William   F.    Hay.den,   Nathaniel    Harris, 
William     H.     Hubbard,     Americus     G.     Hack, 
Thomas  James,  Charles  F.  C.   Krauss.  William 
A.  Lacy.  Joseph  H.  Long,  William  T.  McGhee. 
Daniel  Morgan,  Richard  Main,  Alvin  Main,  John 
Popp,  George  B.  Petty,  Robert  H.  Rollins,  James 

E.  Riley,  Robert  M.  Ruark,  Andrew  J.  Ruark. 
John  Robinson,  Jeremiah  Rodger,  James  W.  Ser- 
geant, Henry  C.  Smalley,  Covington  H.   Sibert, 


Christian  Schuepf,  Edward  Starr,  John  T. 
Veach,  Peter  C.  Williams,  James  F.  Walker,  Wil 
Hani  White,  Austin  J.  Wyatt ;  recruits,  Greenbury 
Blain,  Robert  Blair,  Leander  W.  Bacus,  Martin 
Cox,  Willis  M.  Davis,  John  M.  Hurt,  Thomas 
Long,  Samuel  A.  Long,  James  H.  Long,  John  W. 
Leftwick,  James  B.  Murray,  Stephen  B.  Modie, 
Marcus  McCallister,  Thomas  P.  Ownby,  Seth 
W.  Pearce,  John  T.  Pearce,  Rufus  T.  Shaw, 
Lewis  H.  Stillwell,  John  Shafner,  Benjamin 
Worden ;  drafted  and  substitute  recruits,  Henry 
Baimer,  Albert  Brothers,  Marshall  A.  Barney, 
Alexander  R.  Elliott,  Hiram  G.  Kendall,  Thomas 
M.  Martin,  John  A.  Seward,  Henry  L.  Taylor. 


Captain,  Henry  L.  Hadsell ;  first  lieutenant, 
Isaac  N.  Woods;  second  lieutenants,  Joseph  C. 
Clark;  John  T.  Hall;  first  sergeant,  Isaac  N. 
Woods;  sergeants,  John  T.  Hall,  Joseph  C. 
Clark,  Paschal  F.  Forbes,  John  T.  Yeach. 

THIRTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS   INFANTRY,   COMPANY  I. 

Captains,  William  W.  H.  Lawton,  William  T. 
Lyon  ;  first  lieutenants,  William  T.  Lyon,  Charles 
T.  Kenney,  Nathaniel  W.  Reynolds ;  second  lieu- 
tenants, Edward  A.  F.  Allen,  Charles  T.  Ken- 
ney, Nathaniel  W.  Reynolds,  David  F.  Jenkins; 
first  sergeant,  Sampson  Purcell ;  sergeants,  Na- 
thaniel W.  Reynolds,  Samuel  C.  Chapman, 
Charles  B.  Hayes ;  musicians,  John  M.  Bodine. 
William  W.  Tedrow ;  wagoner,  John  P.  Lawton; 
privates,  James  Alcorn,  Arthur  C.  Baldwin, 
George  W.  Brown,  Charles  Brewer,  Solomon 
Chami,  Albert  Cook,  Henry  Carroll,  William  H. 
Duffield.  Albert  J.  Dickinson,  William  W.  H. 
Doane,  Davis  Durand,  William  Dunham,  William 
Eldridge,  Stephen  Evens,  Edwin  Ferber,  Frank- 
lin Gardner,  John  Greenough,  Henry  Green, 
Frank  X.  Gardner,  John  W.  Hill,  I.  Page  Hill, 
William  S.  Johnson,  Charles  W.  Jackson,  David 
F.  Jenkins,  Asher  E.  Jones,  Thomas  H.  Jones. 
Simeon  E.  Job,  Reuben  Johnson,  Michael  Kelley, 
Charles  T.  Kenney,  John  P.  Lawton,  Jefferson 
Lee,  George  Marshall.  Patrick  Menrs.  Kryan 
Martin,  Charles  W.  Maag,  Michael  McXattin, 
William  S.  Morgan,  Michael  McXattin.  Graften 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


S.  Xntter,  Ira  Xiswonger,  Eleazer  Nighswanger, 
Norman  A.  Reynolds,  James  H.  Rusher,  Samuel 
Stotts,  Samuel  P.  Shannon,  James  C.  Tmit, 
George  Taylor,  William  Todd,  Nathaniel  Whit- 
ten,  Joshua  Whitten,  James  Wright,  William  W. 
Winters,  Newton  Ward,  Oliver  Wilkins,  Ander- 
son Wells ;  veterans,  David  F.  Jenkins,  George 
W.  Brown,  Stephen  Evans,  Thomas  H.  Jones, 
Arthur  C.  Baldwin,  Samuel  Stotts,  Isaac  Meats, 
Phillip  Wenzel,  William  Dunham.  John  M. 
Hines,  John  M.  Bodine,  Henry  Carroll,  Solomon 
G.  Chanie,  Robert  B.  Coe,  Martin  Conroy,  Rob- 
ert Davis,  William  H.  Duffield,  Edwin  Ferber, 
Fletcher  Ingram,  William  S.  Johnson,  James  N. 
Morrison,  Ira  Nighwonger,  Nathaniel  W.  Reyn- 
olds, Walter  Reynolds,  William  S.  Robinson, 
Ransom  P.  Stowe,  Anderson  Wells,  Isaac  T. 
Webb;  recruits,  Alex  H.  Benson,  Benjamin  F. 
Baldwin,  Robert  Chenowith,  Martin  Conroy, 
Adolph  Cook,  George  Dunham,  George  F.  Dick- 
erson,  Robert  Davis,  Thomas  J.  Gladwell,  Ed- 
ward K.  Green,  John  M.  Hobbs,  Davis  W. 
Hawker,  John  Hines,  Fletcher  Ingram,  Willard 
Kneeland,  John  W.  Lytle,  John  W.  McGarvey, 
James  Morrison,  Isaac  Meats,  John  McClenagan, 
John  Mull,  Jotham  T.  Moulton,  James  H.  Mayo, 
James  A.  McGee,  John  G.  Martin,  Walter  Reyn- 
olds, William  Robinson,  Patrick  Ryan,  Augus- 
tus W.  Rollins,  George  Reed,  James  Slattin,  Ran- 
som P.  Stowe,  Samuel  Since,  Joseph  T.  Short. 
Willis  Teft,  Jerome  Trill,  Edward  H.  Thomp- 
son, Phillip  Wenzell,  Isaac  T.  Webb.  William  A. 
Winslow,  Enos  W.  Wood;  recruits,  transferred 
from  72d  Illinois  Infantry,  John  H.  Armstrong, 
John  Bell,  John  Beeman,  James  Broderick, 
Thomas  Brooks,  Christian  Carlson,  James  Dai- 
ton,  Alick  V.  Granland,  John  Hart,  John  Kilroy, 
Michael  Lavvler.  Patrick  H.  Lannon,  John  H. 
Martin,  Franklin  M.  Marriat,  Alfred  Merritt, 
John  W.  O'Xcil.  Edward  H.  Opits,  Gustave  Pe- 
terson, Elizur  Sage ;-  recruits  transferred  from 
1 1 7th  Illinois  Infantry,  Peter  Capps,  John  R.  Ed- 
wards, George  Jenkins,  Burgess  Pugh,  Thomas 
J.  Rumley,  Harvey  A.  Rumley,  Joseph  Weddell. 
William  Watson;  recruits  transferred  from  1 24th 
Illinois  Infantry,  Gilbert  Barnhart.  Benjamin 
Blackmail,  Tobias  Blackmail,  Henry  Brown,  Wil- 
liam H.  Crowder. 


SIXTY-EIGHTH  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY,  COMPANY  B. 

Captain,  Daniel  F.  Coffey ;  first  lieutenant, 
Judson  J.  C.  Gillespie:  second  lieutenant,  Wil- 
liam Reynolds;  first  sergeant,  Hiram  Barrett; 
sergeants,  Eugene  Gray,  David  D.  Kidwell, 
Henry  C.  Kenney.  Martin  V.  B.  Smith ;  corpo- 
rals, Robert  B.  Robinson,  John  Fulford,  Sylvanus 
Fee,  Bethuel  H.  Rowland,  Nathan  T.  Phillips, 
Jackson  L.  Gibbs,  Isaac  N.  Craig,  Jesse  E.  Al- 
corn ;  musicians,  William  Trumbull,  William 
Shinn ;  wagoner,  Thaddeus  G.  Nesbitt ;  privates, 
John  A.  Alexander.  Charles  W.  Allen,  Thomas 
Bates,  Benjamin  Bates,  Aaron  Birt,  William  F. 
Barrett,  Benjamin  Baldwin,  Benjamin  Beckford, 
Charles  G.  Bradbury,  William  Bernard,  James 
Bernard,  Abner  Booth,  John  Blake,  Harvey 
Booth,  Joseph  C.  Clark,  John  H.  Carnes,  Nathan 
F.  Coffey,  John  Campbell.  Meredith  W.  Coffey, 
Michael  Cocran,  Allison  Cryder,  Thomas  Collins, 
James  Clark.  George  Collyer,  John  Collins,  Na- 
than Decker,  Isaiah  Doosenbery,  George  DeHa- 
ven,  Charles  Dorsey,  William  Dorsey,  Joseph 
Donner.  Samuel  Elwood,  John  Farrell,  James 
Fields,  John  Farnsworth,  Arthur  Gillum,  Nathan 
V.  Gossett,  James  K.  Gibbs,  Thomas  Gray,  Ira  O. 
Gray,  Harvey  R.  Gray,  Thomas  Gray,  Edward 
Higgins.  John  Hibbs,  John  Hobson,  William 
Hull,  Henry  Ingalls,  William  Ingalls,  Hamilton 
Johnson,  loseph  Jemison,  John  W.  Kidwell,  Sam- 
uel Linsey,  William  Miller,  Samuel  McCune, 
Selah  Mors,  Milton  McCartney,  John  B.  Petrie, 
James  W.  Pyle,  Edwin  A.  Rockwell,  George 
Reed,  Thos.  H.  B.  Snedeker,  Jerome  Stoddard, 
Peter  Scholl,  Joseph  K.  Sharp,  William  Seaborn, 
Frederick  Sebers,  Henry  C.  Sebers,  Lewis  Sebers, 
Walter  J.  Scott,  Henry  C.  Steele,  Job  W.  Tripp, 
William  Tanner,  Clinton  P.  Vandermint,  Thomas 
J.  Wade,  Dawson  Wade,  Wallace  Wells,  Nimrod 
F.  White,  Martin  J.  S.  Wampier. 

SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY,   COMPANY  H. 

Captain.  James  I.  Davidson ;  first  lieutenants, 
Samson  Purcell ;  James  B.  Wolgermuth;  second 
lieutenants.  Clement  L.  Shinn,  DeWitt  C.  Sim- 
mons ;  first  sergeant,  DeWitt  C.  Simmons ;  ser- 
geants, Uriah  Warrington,  John  W.  Sherrick, 


66 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


James  B.  Wolgermuth;  corporals,  William  Cam- 
mire,  Joseph  J.  Goullee,  Jesse  B.  Newport, 
Thomas  Wade,  Elijah  Bazin,  George  Johnson, 
James  Anthony;  privates,  Samuel  Anthony,  Wil- 
liam Anthony,  Charles  Bickerdike,  Simeon  Bald- 
win, Richard  Bickerdike,  James  Biddle,  James 
Bickerdike,  Henry  Bennett,  Henry  W.  Butter- 
field,  Elijah  Brown,  Thomas  C.  Biddle,  George 
W.  Bradberry,  Thomas  Bradberry,  Joseph  D. 
Cawthon,  Samuel  C.  Cohenour,  Martin  Culler, 
Smith  Culler,  Joshua  Duran,  James  Dolby,  Wil- 
liam Dickerson,  Mark  Dickerson,  Hiram  Evans, 
Marion  Fuller,  James  Greeno,  Josiah  Goolman, 
Archibald  Goodwin,  Samuel  Gargess,  Daniel 
Hanlan,  William  H.  Harris,  John  Hedges,  James 
Hedges,  Nathaniel  Lynd,  James  Lytle,  Isaac 
Lytle,  Jeremiah  Lytle,  Isaac  McCune,  Edwin 
McCallister,  William  McKibbon,  Charles  Mc- 
Clane,  John  T.  McCallister,  Joshua  Mummy, 
James  McKnight,  Edward  Nettleton,  Giles  H. 
Penstone,  Andrew  J.  Phillips,  Edward  Penstone, 
John  W.  Rush,  William  H.  H.  Swin,  David  Turn- 
icliff,  Nathaniel  M.  Thompson,  John  W.  Thomp- 
son, Edward  Thayer,  Nathaniel  L.  Watson,  Al- 
pheus  Winegar,  John  Yelliott;  recruits,  Able 
Carnes,  Lafayette  Leeds,  Francis  A.  Phillips. 

Some  Pike  county  men  were  in  other  regiments, 
Henry  C.  Thompson  and  Mason  M.  Thompson 
being  members  of  the  Seventy-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry and  Leonard  H.  Orion  and  Benjamin  F. 
Taylor  of  the  Eigthy-fourth. 

NINETY-NINTH    ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 

Colonel,  Geo.  W.  K.  Bailey ;  lieutenant-colonels, 
Lemuel  Parke,  Asa  C.  Matthews;  majors,  Edwin 
A.  Crandall,  Asa  C.  Matthews,  John  F.  Richards ; 
adjutants,  Marcellus  Ross,  -Harvey  D.  Johnson, 
Joseph  R.  Furry ;  quartermasters,  Isaac  G. 
Hodgen,  Joshua  K.  Sitton,  James  F.  Greathouse ; 
surgeons,  Joseph  H.  Ledlie,  Edwin  May ;  first  as- 
sistant surgeons,  Archibald  E.  McNeal,  John  F. 
Curtiss  ;  second  assistant  surgeon,  Abner  F.  Spen- 
cer; chaplains,  Oliver  A.  Topliff,  William  M. 
Evans;  sergeant  majnrs,  Robert  H.  Criswell ; 
James  F.  Greathouse,  William  L.  Carter ;  quarter- 
master sergeants,  Harvey  D.  Johnson,  Robert  H. 
Griffin,  Erastus  Foreman ;  commissary  sergeants, 
Joseph  R.  Furry,  Thompson  J.  Beard;  hospital 


stewards,  Jas.  K.  Worthington,  George  T. 
Brooks;  principal  musicians,  Fordyce  A.  Spring, 
George  Barber. 

COMPANY    A. 

Captains,  George  T.  Edwards,  Isaac  G. 
Hodgen  ;  first  lieutenant,  James  K.  Smith ;  second 
lieutenants,  James  F.  Stobie,  Thomas  A.  Hub- 
bard,  John  W.  Saylor;  first  sergeant,  Thomas  A. 
Hubbard;  sergeants,  John  W.  Saylor,  Edgar  F. 
Stanton,  Peter  S.  Veghte,  John  H.  Coulter;  cor- 
porals, James  Band,  Charles  H.  Shaw,  William 
W.  Hale,  Thompson  G.  Moyer,  Edmond  L.  Allen, 
Delos  C.  Boyd,  John  H.  Heavner,  John  C.  Moore- 
head  ;  musicians,  Spring  A.  Fordyce,  George  Bar- 
ber ;  wagoner,  John  W.  Murphy ;  privates,  Se- 
bastian B.  Abrams,  Henry  L.  Anderson,  Edmond- 
son  Altizer,  Franklin  Altor,  James  H.  Blackburn, 
Richard  Blackburn,  George  L.  Bagby,  John  N. 
Byrd,  Anderson  P.  Bowman,  Robert  L.  Bowman, 
Charles  W.  Beard,  Kingsbury  Covery,  David  E. 
Cannon,  Mark  P.  Cannon,  James  Covey,  Wm.  P. 
Chambers,  Aaron  Chamberlain,  Wm.  R.  Dem- 
nouds,  Benjamin  F.  Davis,  William  Dix,  William 
C.  Dickson,  Samuel  W.  Dobbins,  William  N. 
Fortune,  William  H.  Fortune,  John  Fortune,  John 
J.  Foreman,  George  Foreman,  Michael  Foreman, 
Hamilton  Grey,  John  H.  Grey,  Thomas  Gaffney, 
Mathew  Gaffney,  James  M.  Graham,  William  B. 
Hand,  Willis  Hand,  George  F.  Hammer,  Peter  H. 
Ham.  Isaac  Hildreth,  Henry  Haskin,  Henry  W. 
Hendrix,  George  W.  Heavner,  George  Hoffman, 
Samuel  Holloway,  Joseph  James,  Russell  R. 
Johnson,  Elisha  Johnson,  Solomon  Kaisinger, 
Jaret  N.  Long,  Henry  Lucas,  Charles  E.  Main, 
Robert  B.  Morris,  Franklin  A.  Moran,  Oliver 
Martin,  Daniel  Mills,  William  F.  Mathews,  Peter 
McKenna,  William  Ogle,  Lewis  C.  Paine,  John  J. 
Perry,  James  W.  Parks,  James  Rush,  Peter  R. 
Rogers,  Charles  Rogers,  James  P.  Rogers,  Orin 
S.  C.  Rogers,  Michael  Rafter,  John  W.  Smith, 
Simon  W.  Scott,  David  D.  String,  George  W. 
Shaw,  Henry  L.  Shaw.  Lyman  J.  Shaw,  John  W. 
Sparrow,  Christopher  Turner,  Webster  E.  Tozier, 
William  Tedrow,  Henry  A.  Wade.  Wallace  Wee- 
thee.  James  Williamson,  John  Weaver;  recruits, 
Franklin  Aldrich.  Robert  H.  Criswell,  Alonzo 
Tozer. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


67 


COMPANY    B. 

Captains,  Benjamin  L.  Matthews,  James  W. 
Fee;  first  lieutenants,  James  W.  Fee,  James  A. 
Elledge,  Harvey  Thornbury;  second  lieutenants, 
James  A.  Elledge,  Harvey  Thornbury,  Milton  L. 
Tiell;  first  sergeant,  Harvey  Thornbury;  ser- 
geants, John  H.  Battles,  Samuel  A.  Kelsey, 
Christian  Hearle,  Thomas  M.  Triplet;  corporals, 
George  B.  Peeples,  Milton  L.  Tull,  David  M. 
Dickinson,  Jesse  Johnson,  Allen  B.  Haughey, 
Cephas  D.  Vertrees,  Stephen  Mullens,  James  W. 
Carr;  musicians,  Alonzo  C.  Cobb,  Joel  H.  El- 
ledge; privates,  Francis  M.  Ayers,  Charles  H. 
Allen,  James  M.  Birt,  John  B.  Baldwin,  Elisha  M. 
Barrett,  John  T.  Bratten,  Henry  Conover,  Miles 
Chenoweth,  John  Davis,  Levi  R.  Ellis,  John  Fer- 
rell,  Josiah  P.  Gould,  James  Gould,  Matthias 
Gregory,  Charles  A.  Hobbs,  William  Hurley, 
Daniel  B.  Higgins,  Louis  Harling,  Charles  B. 
Hightower,  Harvey  D.  Johnston,  John  M.  Klaus, 
Adolphus  Kallasch,  Owen  F.  Kaylor,  Morris  Kel- 
lenbach,  Nicholas  Kaylor,  Thomas  Kaylor, 
George  Lipkaman,  Aaron  Maddux,  George  Mad- 
dux, George  S.  Metz,  John  J.  Mayo,  George  Mull, 
Benjamin  Noble,  John  W.  Newingham,  Albert 
Noble,  Oliver  R.  Noble,  Edward  Nicholas,  Au- 
gustine Piper,  Abraham  Piper,  Henry  W.  Peters, 
James  B.  Razey,  Francis  Rettig,  John  M.  Sheer, 
Frederick  Straus,  August  Straus,  John  Stro- 
hecker,  Jacob  Schnider,  Thomas  J.  Taber,  Adol- 
phus Thomas,  Henry  Velte,  Henry  Wilson,  John 
Williams,  Henry  Waldron,  Francis  Waldron, 
Henry  Winters,  William  D.  Wood,  William  C. 
Walpole,  Leonard  Waggoner,  William  Webel, 
Augustus  D.  Watson,  Alexander  Wilson,  Jacob 
Zimmerman ;  recruits,  George  W.  Adams,  James 
W.  Adams,  Cyrus  Cheek,  Thomas  Dennis,  Rich- 
ard Long. 

COMPANY    C. 

Captains,  Asa  C.  Matthews,  John  A.  Ballard; 
first  lieutenants,  Joshua  K.  Sitton,  Lucian  W. 
Shaw,  John  A.  Ballard,  William  B.  Sitton,  W. 
Henry  Kinne ;  second  lieutenants,  Lucian  W. 
Shaw,  William  B.  Sitton ;  first  sergeant,  John  A. 
Ballard;  sergeants,  Benjamin  Moore,  Edward 
Coulter,  Louis  P.  Kinman,  William  B.  Sitton ; 


corporals,  W.  Henry  Kinne,  Rial  A.  Walker, 
James  K.  Worthington,  James  H.  Blair,  John  S. 
Barkley,  Alexander  H.  Walton,  Henry  H.  An- 
drews; musician,  John  Moore;  privates,  Buel  R. 
Adams,  Richard  Austin,  William  T.  Armstrong, 
John  Burns,  Jacob  Bunce,  George  T.  Black, 
George  W.  Burge,  Joseph  D.  Brooks,  Henry  Bis- 
sell,  Perry  Brazier,  George  Billings,  Thomas 
Barry,  William  J.  Bailey,  Thompson  J.  Beard, 
Levi  Barnett,  John  Badgely,  Robert  Cunningham, 
Andrew  J.  Creason,  Harrison  J.  Curtis,  Henry  A. 
Curtis,  Philip  Donahoe,  James  D.  Dickerson, 
Emanuel  Ellis;  Thomas  B.  Ellis,  Joel  Enderly, 
Patrick  Flynn,  Charles  H.  Forest,  Barney  Fey, 
Marion  Francis,  John  Guthrie,  Nathan  Hunter, 
Nathaniel  Clay  Harris,  Joseph  S.  Hubbard,  Wil- 
liam Hargett,  Charles  L.  Hammell,  William 
Hines,  John  Irwin,  William  Ingraham,  John 
Johnson,  Reuben  Jones,  Thomas  J.  Jones,  La- 
fayette Kendle,  George  W.  Kendle,  Henry  Lozier, 
Stewart  Lannum,  John  Lambert,  Wm.  Lotzen- 
heizer,  William  H.  Lewis,  Isaac  McCune,  Wil- 
liam W.  McClintock,  James  W.  McCune,  Moses 
Mitchell,  George  McCauley,  John  McCauley, 
William  E.  Norris,  John  Nash,  James  Ogle,  Wil- 
liam O'Brien,  Amos  Patterson,  Charles  E.  Pettis, 
William  K.  Pratt,  David  Ralph,  John  Rutledge, 
Martilleus  Roberts,  Jonathan  Smith,  Solomon 
Spann,  Charles  W.  Stewart,  Theophilus  Snyder, 
William  A.  Townsend,  Francis  M.  Tucker,  James 
Tinsclale,  Jonathan  C.  Turnbaugh,  Henry  Wade, 
Robert  Wells,  William  C.  Wisdom,  James 
Winner ;  recruit,  John  W.  Shinkle. 

COMPANY    D. 

Captains,  John  F.  Richards,  William  B.Claudy; 
first  lieutenants,  Francis  M.  Dabney,  William  B. 
Claudy,  John  B.  Bowsman;  second  lieutenants, 
William  T.  Mitchell,  William  B.  Claudy,  John 
Bowsman ;  first  sergeant,  William  B.  Claudy ;  ser- 
geants, John  Bowsman,  Leonard  G.  Burk,  Wil- 
liam G.  Hubbard,  Dennis  Badgley;  corporals, 
Thomas  "J.  Higgins,  Franklin  A.  Askew,  Homer 
V.  Harris,  Jonathan  Winner,  George  W.  Sellers, 
James  Badgley,  John  M.  Hoffman,  Jared  Jessup; 
privates,  Theophilus  A.  Askew,  Calvin  S.  .Allen, 
John  R.  Allen,  Thomas  H.  Blair,  Darius  Baker, 


68 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


John  .S.  Bentky,  Andrew  H.  Baine,  Henry  D. 
Bowers,  David  S.  Blanchard,  Elias  Bridgewater, 
William  S.  Barclay,  John  M.  Brackley,  David 
Croosan,  Thomas  Cochran,  David  Call,  Henry 
Call,  Henry  J.  Crim,  Charles  Chandler,  James 
Cullen,  William  Croosan,  Peter  Duffey,  Henry 
Davis,  Henry  Dutcher,  Sylvester  Dudley,  John 
G.  Dudley,  Adam  Decker,  Reuben  Dudley,  Jesse 
Dudley,  William  Gay,  Theodore  W.  Gates,  John 
Guss,  Jasper  Card,  Thomas  E.  Gorton,  John  Gar- 
route,  John  A.  Hall,  Jr.,  Nimrod  J.  Hodges, 
Thomas  W.  Hankins,  Reuben  A.  Hazen,  Robert 
House,  Granville  Hall,  Otis  Hull,  Henry  L.  Jack- 
son, John  Kerr,  Michael  Lain,  John  W.  Lippin- 
cott,  Reuben  Louder,  Hiram  Lillie,  James  Mcln- 
tyre,  John  M.  Marlow,  Francis  M.cCauley, 
Charles  McCartney,  Andrew  J.  Morrow,  Matthew 
W.  Mclntyre,  Daniel  McMahan,  William  Mc- 
Clain,  Justin  J.  Newell,  Jacob  S.  Phennegar, 
Thomas  J.  Parrick,  Jerome  B.  Plummer,  Calvin 
Rice,  Edmund  B.  Rice,  Simpson  Sellers,  Andrew 
J.  Smith,  Henry  A.  Sackett,  James  C.  Sperry, 
Samuel  G.  Smith.  Alexander  Tacket,  Nelson  Wil- 
kins,  Robert  C.  Woods,  James  L.  Whitehouse, 
John  White,  Joseph  Wright,  William  P.  Ware, 
Joseph  C.  Williams,  Joel  Woodward,  William  H. 
Walker,  William  J.  Young;  recruits,  Lewis  W. 
Chase,  Samuel  Ellwoocl,  Ezra  Gates,  Thomas 
Hamilton,  William  H.  Johnson,  James  Tucker. 

COMPANY  E. 

Captains,  John  C.  Dinsmore,  Allen  D.Richards; 
first  lieutenants,  Joseph  G.  Colvin,  Allen  D.  Rich- 
ards, Robert  H.  Griffin ;  second  lieutenant,  Allen 
D.  Richards ;  first  sergeant,  Daniel  L.  Roush  ;  ser- 
geants, Solomon  Fisher,  William  H.  Lindsey, 
Jonathan  Holder,  Robert  H.  Griffin;  corporals, 
Christy  Ryan,  William' Bagby,  Isaac  J.  Dyer,  An- 
drew J.  Davidson,  Erastus  Foreman,  Walter  D. 
Kent,  James  H.  Dye,  Solomon  Johnson ;  musi- 
cians. Nicholas  Main,  David  T.  Dinsmore;  pri- 
vates, George  Anson,  Roland  Anson,  John  Angel, 
John  T.  Beard.  Rufus  Birclsell,  Thomas  H.  Black- 
eter,  John  W.  Blacketer,  Washington  Broadey, 
George  T.  Black,  George  W.  Colvin,  Jacob  Cox. 
Morris  Chaplin,  Andrew  J.  Conner,  Lewis  Colvin, 
Joel  Cox,  William  Cox.  William  P.  Chambers, 


John  J.  Call,  Jackson  Colvin,  Willis  Daniels,  Syl- 
vester Durall.  William  Davis,  Martin  V.  Daniels, 
Elijah  Paris,  Ephraim  S.  Farthing,  John  W. 
Foreman,  John  J.  Foreman,  Elias  Hammerton, 
Adam  C.  Hill,  John  Hack,  George  W.  Hayton, 
Adams  Hunter,  Oliver  Heavener,  John  H.  Heav- 
ener,  Milton  A.  Humphrey,  Abel  P.  Johnson, 
William  R.  Johnson,  Cornelius  Johnson,  Moses 
Lindsey,  William  A.  Lansdon,  Socrates  Lee, 
Henry  Lucas,  Athemore  Mitchell,  Wyatt  M. 
Mitchell,  Cornelius  Mitchell,  Saimiel  W.  Miller, 
William  E.  Norris,  Rufus  Reeves,  Anderson  Rut- 
ledge,  Robert  Ryan,  Samuel  Rutledge,  Isaac  C. 
Roach,  James  Stewart,  Jr.,  James  Stewart,  Sr., 
Solomon  Stone,  Matthew  Stewart,  John  Swader, 
David  D.  Tillman,  Volney  M.  Willard,  Wm.  H. 
Wroughton,  Joseph  G.  Williams,  Milton  C. 
Williamson,  Lewis  Walker,  James  B.  Williams, 
Samuel  A.  Willard,  Thompson  Westrope;  re- 
cruits, Lewis  Harper,  Henry  Smith,  George 
Wilson. 

COMPANY    F. 

Captains.  Eli  R.  Smith,  Daniel  McDonald;  first 
lieutenants,  Leonard  Greaton,  Jacob  E.  Stauffer; 
second  lieutenants,  Daniel  McDonald,  Jesse 
Parke;  first  sergeant,  Jacob  E.  Stauffer;  ser- 
geants. Jones  H.  Whitney,  Milton  Batley,  Elias 
Reed,  William  H.  H.  Callis ;  corporals,  Robert 
Cannon.  John  F.  Davis.  John  M.  Campbell,  Wil- 
liam Edom,  John  C.  Robinson,  George  W.  De- 
spain,  George  H.  Webb,  James  Albert  Lee;  mu- 
sicians, Levi  Gardner,  John  H.  Ashley;  wagoner, 
Frank  Rettig;  privates,  George  W.  Allen,  James 
Anderson,  Edwin  Brown,  Thomas  Bentley,  Henry 
C.  Boggs,  William  H.  Beckman,  Nicholas  Cun- 
ningham, Charles'  A.  Campbell,  Frank  Cooper, 
Henry  Collins,  William  Carpenter,  James  Carpen- 
ter, Harrison  Daigh,  William  C.  Duff,  Henry  C. 
Deacon,  Samuel  L.  Emery,  Walter  C.  Elder,  John 
Edom,  Dele  Elder,  Samuel  T.  Fesler,  Adam 
Hofsess,  Wm.  H.  Henderson.  Thomas  J.  Hodge, 
Andrew  J.  Johnson,  James  M.  Job,  Reed  Lee, 
Nathaniel  Medaugh,  Samuel  Mitchell.  John  E. 
Miller,  Solomon  Ogle,  Andrew  J.  Osborn,  Albert 
Phillips,  James  Palmer,  Stephen  Powell,  Jesse 
Park.  Zachariah  Reeder,  Nathan  Razey.  James  C. 
Robinson,  "Bruce  H.  Robinson.  Andrew  Rubert. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


69 


( Vphus  ("i.  Rounds,  Henry  Stevens,  Stephen  Sey- 
bold,  Abram  W.  Scontain,  Benjamin  Scontain, 
John  W.  Sparrow.  John  Steel.  Samuel  G.  Short, 
\Yilliam  Yarner.  Lyman  Vanhyning,  Wells  Van- 
hyning.  Wallace  W.  Winegar,  Samuel  F.  Wil- 
liams. Thomas  Westfall,  Walter  D.  Waters,  Archi- 
bald E.  Wood,  William  A.  Wood.  John  W.  Woods 
Nelson  M.  Wilson,  Charles  G.  Wilson ;  recruit, 
Thomas  Collins. 

COMPANY    G. 

Captains,  Henry  D.  Hull,  Henry  B.  Atkinson; 
first  lieutenants,  James  H.  Crane,  Henry  B.  At- 
kinson :  second  lieutenant,  Lewis  Button ;  first 
sergeant,  Henry  B.  Atkinson ;  sergeants, 
William  Crawford,  David  S.  Hill,  Abram 
Mulk-nix,  Cyrus  McFadden ;  corporals,  William 
R.  Conkright,  William  H.  Cowden,  James  C. 
Newport,  George  W.  Lyman,  John  A.  McFadden, 
Oliver  S.  Goodsell,  James  A.  McCoy,  William 
Elliott ;  musicians,  William  Hawk,  John  J.  John- 
son;  privates,  James  S.  Alexander,  William  H. 
Alexander.  John  B.  Bowman,  Samuel  Bollman, 
William  H.  Betts.  Charles  H.  Betts,  George  M. 
Bringle,  Benjamin  E.  Baker,  Joseph  Burnes,  Bal- 
lard  T.  Collins.  James  M.  Collins,  Townsend  H. 
Carver,  Thomas  Dobson,  Don  F.  Drake,  James  M. 
Eddy,  Harrison  Emerson,  Joseph  H.  Fisher.  John 
S.  Gilles,  George  H.  Hazelrigg,  Thos.  J.  Hen- 
drickson,  Solomon  Hendrickson,  Horace  Haskins, 
Joel  Houchens,  Andrew  House,  Alexander  M. 
Irving.  Oscar  F.  Johns,  Samuel  F.  Kesterson, 
Noah  W.  Kelso,  John  N.  Littler,  James  Laxson, 
William  T.  Low,  William  C.  Lovett,  Asa  C. 
Lovett,  Chapman  Leek,  William  McCurdy,  Rob- 
ert McFadden,  William  Maxwell,  David  Morris, 
George  W.  Meyer,  Ezra  Nighswonger,  James  B. 
Orr.  Martin  O'Grady.  James  S.  Oliver,  James 
Posten.  James  Parsons.  Henry  Proctor,  John 
Price,  William  Ransom,  Andrew  J.  Smart.  Robert 
L.  Smith,  William  Strawmatt,  Edson  Saxbery, 
Samuel  Satterlee,  Moses  L.  Stanley,  Franklin 
Thompson,  Francis  A.  Thomas,  Bartlett  Toombs, 
Thomas  Veal.  Edward  West,  William  H.  Wine- 
ger,  William  Walker,  James  H.  Watson,  John  W. 
Willis.  George  Whitner,  Jr.,  Bradford  Wilson; 
recruits,  Christian  M.  Butz,  Solomon  Hadischer, 
William  H.  Nelson,  Jeptha  A.  Wiles. 


Captains,  Lewis  Hull.  Melville  D.  Massie;  first 
lieutenants,  Melville  D.  Massie,  Benjamin  L. 
Blades,  Daniel  Riley;  second  lieutenants,  Gott- 
fried Wenzel,  Benjamin  L.  Blades;  first  sergeant, 
Benjamin  L.  Blades ;  sergeants,  John  G.  Furniss, 
Talman  F.  Andres,  Solomon  E.  Thomas,  Alfred 
Lawson ;  corporals,  Hamilton  H.  Devol,  Alexan- 
der Smith,  Jesse  Hull,  James  M.  Baird,  William 
P.  Ham,  James  M.  Burke,  Richard  W.  Kennedy, 
Thomas  S.  Wilson ;  musicians,  David  D.  Hull, 
William  J.  Ezell ;  wagoner,  Jonathan  Halsted ; 
privates,  Orrin  P.  Allen,  John  M.  Ambers,  Cor- 
nelius V.  Burke,  Henry  Bowman,  Thomas  W. 
Bowman,  Isaac  Brewster,  Moses  Bryant,  Ralph 
Bryant,  William  Bailey,  George  Brooks,  Isaiah 
Collins,  John  Conley,  Patrick  Conley,  John 
Caves,  August  Claus,  John  T.  Dickey,  Robert 
Dickson,  Henry  Durfee,  Lavosier  Farnsworth, 
William  Fitzpatrick,  Herman  Green,  Lewis  C. 
Gillum,  John  Cudgel,  Joseph  Gudgel,  Daniel  W. 
Godwin,  Dudley  Gates,  Seton  Hampton,  John 
Higgins,  John.  Harctesty,  John  W.  F.  Hudson, 
George  Hughes,  Michael  B.  Johnson,  Nicholas 
F.  Kerr,  Edward  Lowe,  Simon  E.  Likes,  James 
W.  Lyon,  William  Marshall,  Peter  McGraw, 
Joseph  W.  McAtee,  Byron  McGonigel,  James 
Montieth,  Frederick  Nutting,  William  M. 
Owings,  Joseph  Robertson,  Daniel  Riley,  John 
Sharp,  John  C.  Smith,  Dennis  Smith,  William  W. 
Smith,  John  M.  Saxer,  Henry  Saxer,  Adam 
Schaffnit.  John  Shaffner,  John  Sullivan,  John 
Stumbaugh,  Charles  R.  Turner,  Samuel  P. 
Travis,  John  Toohey,  Joseph  P.  VanZant,  Charles 
Witte ;  recruits,  Samuel  Curry,  John  Neusel, 
Eliud  Sells. 

COMPANY    I. 

Captain,  Joseph  G.  Johnson ;  first  lieutenants, 
John  G.  Sever,  George  S.  Marks ;  second  lieu- 
tenant, Robert  E.  Gilleland ;  first  sergeant. 
George  S.  Marks ;  sergeants,  Joseph  Dugdall, 
Walter  S.  Morgan,  William  L.  Carter,  Israel 
M.  Piper ;  corporals.  Silas  C.  Walters,  Henry 
Sowers,  Francis  M.  Fultz,  Lemuel  W.  Shock, 
Alexander  H.  Wampler,  Thomas  A.  Sowers, 
William  Dillon.  Philip  D.  Greathouse ;  musi- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


cians,  John  W.  Borren,  Thomas  J.  Bagby ;  wa- 
goner, Isaac  S.  Brown;  privates,  Thomas  J.  Al- 
bert, Philip  Augustine,  William  H.  Bacus,  Luth- 
er Bacus,  Conway  Battershell,  William  R.  Bat- 
tershell,  William  J.  Bowman,  Henry  M.  Cade, 
Henry  C.  Clemmens,  J.  G.  Coursen,  James  A. 
Canterberry,  William  Callender,  Joseph  Collins, 
David  S.  Cranton,  George  D.  Chapman,  Henry 
H.  Coonrod,  Nicholas  B.  Collins,  Alvin  C.  Evett, 
Elisha  N.  Ford,  James  Foster,  William  R.  Fos- 
ter, Ethan  S.  Gridley,  James  F.  Greathouse, 
Isaac  A.  Grace,  Robert  Gorman,  John  C.  Gibbs, 
Winchester  Good,  Powhattan  Hatcher,  Eli 
Hanks,  John  Holoway,  David  J.  Holoway,  John 
R.  Hoover,  Marcus  Hull,  Martin  S.  Hos- 
ford,  Henry  Hosford,  Oscar  M.  Hickerson, 
Andrew  J.  Kirk,  Ransom  Kessinger,  Elijah 
Lakin,  Timothy  Laughlin,  Henry  Liles,  Wil- 
liam P.  Lee,  Nathan  G.  Mills,  John  H.  Nicolay, 
James  Patterson,  William  P.  Pease,  Henry  Perry, 
John  H.  Pierce,  Stephen  F.  Richards,  Julius  J. 
Smitherman,  Ephraim  C.  Statham,  Francis  J. 
Shireman,  Marquis  D.  Tucker,  Oscar  Tucker, 
James  L.  Thurman,  Lorenzo  D.  Taylor,  Solomon 
E.  Vickroy,  David  Walk,  Jasper  F.  Walk,  John 
A.  Wood,  Eli  Wilkins,  William  M.  Watt;  re- 
cruits, James  Callender,  Israel  G.  Garrison,  Rob- 
ert N.  Long,  Thomas  J.  Modie,  Jeremiah  Mor- 
ton, James  H.  Silkwood,  Robert  R.  Tisenger, 
Andrew  J.  Williams,  James  T.  Whyte. 

COMPANY   K. 

Captains,  Isaiah  Cooper,  John  G.  Sever;  first 
lieutenants,  William  Gray,  Augustus  Hubbard, 
Zebulon  B.  Stoddard ;  second  lieutenants,  Thom- 
as J.  Kinman,  John  Andrew;  first  sergeant,  James 
Hubert ;  sergeants,  Augustus  Hubbard,  John 
Andrew,  John  A.  Hooper,  John  C.  Ellis ;  corpo- 
rals, Zebulon  B.  Stoddard,  William  Kirtright, 
Clayton  B.  Hooper,  Samuel  D.  Livingston,  Rob- 
ert Brown,  Thomas  Potter,  Benjamin  Bruno, 
Edwin  E.  Gray ;  musician,  Henry  Hubbard ;  pri- 
vates, Joseph  Ackels,  John  Brown,  Joshua  Burk- 
head,  John  C.  Bennett,  Clark  P.  Bebee,  Lorenzo 
D.  Burdeck,  Able  R.  Burdeck,  William  H. 
Brown,  Daniel  Barnes,  James  Harvey  Barnes, 
Hiram  Burton,  Harrison  Brown,  John  F.  Barnes, 
John  W.  Burkhead,  John  Barrow,  Robert  L. 


Bowman,  Anderson  P.  Bowman,  Levi  Barnet, 
George  W.  Burge,  Stephen  T.  Conkright,  James 
H.  Clarkson,  William  Crowder,  George  W.  Con- 
det,  Daniel  Case,  Absalom  Cummings,  Isaac  S. 
Dumford,  Charles  L.  Eastman,  William  W.  Ellis, 
Dele  Elder,  Gilbert  H.  Faulkner,  Marion  Fran- 
cis, Benjamin  Gray,  William  R.  Hooper,  Henry 
Hillman,  John  B.  -Hartshorn,  William  Hines, 
Xurry  M.  Inglasbe,  James  M.Job,  Samuel  K.  Mc- 
Intyre,  James  Miller,  Edward  McLaughlin,  John 
Magary,  Claborn  Morgan,  William  Morrow, 
Jacob  J.  Miller,  Thomas  P.  Ogden,  Robert  Paull, 
John  T.  Petty,  Isaac  Piper,  George  W.  Sackett, 
Cyrus  C.  Shaffner,  William  Smith,  Thomas 
Starks,  John  Sackett,  Caleb  Shinn,  John  Saylor, 
Abraham  Saylor,  Perry  Smith,  John  P.  Spicer, 
George  Schaffer,  Dudley  S.  Shipton,  James  To- 
land,  Thomas  Toland,  Edward  Taylor,  William 
Vanpelt,  Jr.,  Charles  G.  Wilson;  recruits,  John 
A.  Askew,  John  A.  Allen,  Henry  Dillon,  Almond 
C.  Hadsell,  Nathan  A.  Hadsell,  Solomon  P. 
Hooper,  James  M.  Parkes,  George  W.  Pine,  John 
W.' Wright;  unassigned  recruits,  Edward  W. 
Briscoe,  Samuel  Carr,  Albert  Cousins,  Jasper 
Foster,  James  M.  Hendrickson,  George  Luzadder, 
Mitchell  Long,  Lewis  Peters,  Joseph  Penrod, 
Jabez  R.  Sickles,  Lee  B.  Thompson,  Alexander 
Webb. 


HISTORY  OF    NINETY-NINTH    INFANTRY. 

The  Ninety-ninth  Infantry  was  organized  in 
Pike  county,  in  August,  1862,  by  Col.  George  W. 
K.  Bailey,  of  Pittsfield,  and  was  mustered  in  at 
Florence,  Pike  county,  August  23,  by  Capt.  J.  H. 
Rathbone ;  on  the  same  day  moved  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  went  into  Benton  Barracks  on  the  24th, 
where  it  received  its  equipments,  being  the  first 
regiment  out  of  the  State  under  the  call  of  1862. 

September  8  was  sent  to  Rolla,  Mo.,  thence, 
September  17,  to  Salem,  Dent  county,  thence, 
November  20,  to  Houston,  Texas  county.  Was 
assigned  to  the  brigade  of  Brig.-Gen.  Fitz  Henry 
Warren.  Was  engaged  in  a  skirmish  at  Bear 
Creek,  losing  I  killed,  4  wounded  and  I  taken 
prisoner,  and  in  the  battle  of  Hartsville,  lost 
35  killed  and  wounded. 

January  27,  1863,  moved  to  West  Plains,  Ho- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


well  county,  reporting  to  Brigadier-General  Da- 
vidson. 

March  3  moved  to  Pilot  Knob,  thence  to  St. 
Genevieve. 

March  15  embarked  for  Millikens  Bend,  La.; 
was  assigned  to  General  Benton's  Brigade,  Gen. 
E.  H.  Carr's  Division,  General  McClelland's 
Thirteenth  Army  Corps. 

Left  Millikens  Bend  April  n,  arrived  at  New 
Carthage  22d.  Marched  down  Roundaway  Ba- 
you in  Louisiana,  passed  Vicksburg  and  Grand 
Gulf.  Crossed  the  river  April  30,  and  after 
marching  all  night  met  the  enemy  at  Magnolia 
Hills,  near  Port  Gibson,  Miss.,  lost  thirty-seven 
killed  and  wounded. 

Marched  with  General  Grant's  Army  toward 
Jackson,  Miss.,  was  held  in  reserve  at  the  battle 
of  Champion  Hills  (the  hardest  one-day  battle 
fought  in  the  West).  Started  into  the  engage- 
ment at  nightfall,  pursued  the  retreating  rebels 
to  Edwards  Station,  and  engaged  them  the  next 
morning ;  charged  upon  their  works  at  Black 
river,  and  drove  them  across  the  river,  capturing 
many  prisoners.  Our  loss  was  light. 

On  the  i  gth  of  May  was  at  the  defenses  of 
Vicksburg.  On  the  22d  the  regiment  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  assault,  losing  out  of  300 
men,  103  killed  and  wounded.  The  Colonel  and 
Major  were  wounded  early  in  the  day,  leaving 
Captain  A.  C.  Matthews  in  command.  Its  line, 
during  the  day,  was  close  to  the  enemy's  works, 
and  its  colors  planted  on  their  breastworks.  This 
position  was  held  by  the  Ninty-ninth  until  4 
o'clock  P.  M.,  when  it  was  relieved  by  another 
regiment,  and  moved  back  150  yards,  to  where 
its  knapsacks  had  been  left.  While  calling  roll, 
the  line  which  had  relieved  the  regiment  was 
driven  back  in  great  confusion.  The  Ninty- 
ninth  advanced,  and  opening  a  heavy  fire  drove 
the  enemy  back  into  his  works  and  held  him  there 
probably  saving  the  whole  division  from  a 
stampede. 

Was  engaged,  during  the  siege,  in  General 
Benton's  Brigade — Eighth  and  Eighteenth  In- 
diana, and  Thirty-third  and  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois. The  Ninety-ninth  lost,  during  the  entire 
campaign  and  siege,  253 — killed,  wounded  and 
missing. 


On  July  5  the  Ninth,  Thirteenth  and  Fifteenth 
Corps,  Major-General  Sherman  commanding, 
moved  after  Johnston's  Army  to  Jackson.  Re- 
turned to  Vicksburg  July  24.  On  the  2 1st  of  Au- 
gust moved  to  New  Orleans,  and  on  the  26th, 
went  into  camp  at  Brashear  City. 

October  3,  1863,  the  Campaign  of  the  Tesche 
was  commenced.  The  regiment  was  in  several 
skirmishes,  and  a  detachment  of  the  regiment, 
Capt.  A.  C.  Matthews  commanding,  was  engaged 
in  the  battle  of  Grand  Coteau.  On  the  gth  of 
November,  returned  to  Brashear  City  and  moved 
to  New  Orleans. 

In  the  assault  at  Vicksburg  May  22,  the  color 
bearer,  the  gallant  young  hero,  William  Sitton, 
was  wounded,  when  the  invincible  Tom  Higgins 
grasped  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  carried  them 
irfto  the  breastworks,  where  he  was  captured, 
and  lost  the  stand  of  colors.  In  1873  the  colors 
were  sent  from  Richmond,  Va.,  to  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  thence  to  Springfield,  111.,  where  they  are 
now.  Stains  of  blood  can  yet  be  seen  on  them, 
the  patriot  blood  of  the  lamented  Sitton. 

November  16,  embarked  for  Texas.  On  the 
25th,  landed  at  Mustang  Island,  ana,  marching 
up  to  Matagorda  Island,  commenced  the  attack 
on  Fort  Esperanza,  which  was  soon  surrendered. 
The  Ninety-ninth  remained  in  Texas  during  the 
spring  of  1864. 

On  the  i6th  of  June,  1864,  it  evacuated  the 
island,  and  reported  to  General  Reynolds,  at  Al- 
giers, La.  The  regiment  performed  garrison 
duty  on  the  Mississippi  during  the  entire  sum- 
mer, in  First  Brigade,  Brigadier-General  Slack; 
First  Division,  General  Dennis ;  Nineteenth 
Corps,  General  Reynolds.  The  Ninety-ninth 
was  brigaded  with  Twenty-first  Iowa,  Twenty- 
ninth  Wisconsin  and  Forty-seventh  Indiana. 

In  November,  1864,  moved  to  Memphis.  Here 
the  regiment  was  consolidated  into  a  Battalion  of 
five  Companies,  and  Lieu.-Col.  A.  C.  Matthews 
assigned  to  command,  Colonel  Bailey,  and  the 
other  supernumerary  officers,  being  mustered 
out. 

Moved  to  Germantown,  and  went  on  duty 
guarding  railroad.  On  December  25,  three  men 
of  the  battalion  were  captured  and  murdered  by 
guerrillas.  Moved  to  Memphis,  December  28.  On 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


January  i,  1865,  embarked  for  New  Orleans,  and 
arrived  on  the  gth.  On  February  ist,  embarked 
for  Dauphine  Island,  Ala.  Was  assigned  to  the 
First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Thirteenth  Corps, 
with  Twenty-first  Iowa,  Forty-seventh  Indiana 
and  Twenty-ninth  Wisconsin — General  Slack 
commanding  the  brigade.  Brigadier-General 
Veatch  commanding  the  division. 

On  March  I7th  moved  to  Fort  Morgan,  and, 
on  the  26th,  arrived  at  Fish  river.  Took  part 
in  the  siege  of  Spanish  Fort,  until  the  3Oth,  when 
the  division  was  sent  to  General  Steele's  Army, 
and,  April  i,  went  into  position  at  Fort  Blakely. 
The  Xinty-ninth  assisted  in  its  investment  and 
capture,  and,  on  the  I2th,  entered  Mobile. 

In  June,  1865,  the  division  was  ordered  to  Red 
river,  to  receive  the  surrender  to  Kirby  Smith, 
and  it  proceeded  to  Shreveport,  La.  From  this 
place  Colonel  Matthews  was  detailed  to  proceed, 
with  a  body-guard  of  the  Sixth  Missouri  Cavalry 
to  the  Indian  Territory,  and  receive  the  surren- 
der of  Brigadier-Generals  Cooper  and  Stand- 
waite,  and  to  form  temporary  treaties  of  peace 
with  the  Indian  tribes.  The  Colonel  formed  trea- 
ties with  ten  tribes — including  the  Choctaws, 
Cherokees,  Chickasaws,  and  Osages — -and  re- 
turned (having  traveled  a  thousand  miles)  on 
the  3d  of  July. 

On  the  i gth  of  July,  ordered  to  Baton  Rouge. 
On  the  3 ist  of  July,  mustered  out  by  Capt.  E.  S 
Hawk,  A.  C.  M. 

Arrived  at  Springfield,  111..  August  6,  1865, 
and  received  final  payment  and  discharge,  Au- 
gust 9,  1865,  and  by  midnight  of  the  same  day 
the  surviving  veterans  were  in  their  own  county. 

The  Ninety-ninth  had  three  years  of  active 
service  and  were  in  the  States  of  Missouri.  Ar- 
kansas, Tennessee,  Mississippi.  Texas,  Louisiana 
and  Alabama. 

The  Ninety-ninth  was  often  honored  by  hav- 
ing important  staff  positions  given  to  its  line  offi- 
cers. Captain,  afterward  Colonel  Matthews,  was 
on  staff  duty  with  different  Generals,  also  Lieu- 
tenants Sever,  Bowsman  and  Kinne.  Captain 
Massie  was  A.  A.  Q.  M.  and  A.  A.  C.  S.,  and  was 
A.  A.  A.  General  in  the  battles  at  Spanish  Fort 
and  Blakely.  No  particular  distinction  is  claimed 
for  the  officers  named,  but  this  mention  is  due 


them,  and  the  regiment,  as  the  position  came 
to  them  unsought,  and  the  survivors  of  the  old 
regiment  take  just  pride  i;1  <emembering  the  gal- 
lant and  famous  commanders  with  whom  they 
served,  namely.  Grant,  Sherman,  Granger,  Steele, 
Reynolds,  Canby,  Carr,  McGinnis,  Veatch,  Slack, 
Lawler,  Washburn  and  Schenck. 

Shortly  after  their  discharge  the  survivors, 
their  wives  and  sweethearts,  were  given  a  grand 
dinner  by  the  citizens  of  Pittsfield,  where  three 
years  before  over  900  men  had  marched  out  to 
do  and  die  for  their  country.  At  the  banquet  less 
than  350  partook  of  the  feast. 

The  Ninety-ninth  was  in  the  following  bat- 
tles and  skirmishes :  Beaver  Creek,  Mo.,  Harts- 
ville.  Mo..  Magnolia  Hills,  Miss.,  Raymond, 
Miss.,  Champion  Hills,  Miss.,  Black  River,  Miss., 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  Jackson,  Miss.,  Fort  Espe- 
ranza,  Tex.,  Grand  Coteau,  La.,  Fish  River,  Ala., 
Spanish  Fort,  Ala.,  and  Blakely,  Ala. 

No.  days  under  fire 62 

No.  of  miles  traveled 5,900 

No.  of  men  killed  in  battle 38 

No.  of  .men  died  of  wounds  and  disease.  ...      149 

No.  of -men  discharged  for  disability 127 

No.  of  men  deserted 35 

No.  of  officers  killed  in  battle 3 

No.  of  officers  died 2 

No.  of  officers  resigned 26 

ORDER  OF  CONSOLIDATION. 


HEADQU. 


Mouth  of  White  River,  Ark.,  Nov.  25,  1864. 
SIT.CI.M.  FIELD  ORDERS,  No.  26.       Extract. 

II.  In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Gen- 
eral Orders,  No.  86,  War  Department,  April  2, 
1863.  the  Ninety-ninth  Regiment  Illinois  Volun- 
teers is  hereby  consolidated  into  a  Battalion  of 
five  Companies— A,  B,  C.  D,  and  E— officers  as 
follows,  viz. :  A.  C.  Matthews,  lieutenant-colo- 
nel ;  Edwin  May.  surgeon ;  John  T.  Curtis,  as- 
sistant surgeon;  William  M.  Evans,  chaplain;  J. 
R.  Furry,  first  lieutenant  and  adjutant;  J.  F. 
Greathouse.  first  lieutenant  and  R.  Q.  M.;  John 
F.  Richards,  captain  Company  A ;  James  W. 
Fee,  captain  Company  B ;  M.  D.  Massie,  captain 
Company  C ;  J.  G.  Hodgen,  captain  Company  D; 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


73 


John  A.  Ballard,  captain  Company  E;  W.  A. 
Clandy,  first  lieutenant  Company  A ;  J.  E.  Stauf- 
fer,  first  lieutenant  Company  B ;  H.  B.  Atkinson, 
first  lieutenant  Company  C ;  J.  K.  Smith,  first 
lieutenant  Company  D ;  N.  H.  Kinne,  first  lieu- 
tenant Company  E ;  John  Bowsman,  second  lieu- 
tenant Company  A ;  Joseph  Dugdell,  second  lieu- 
tenant Company  B ;  William  L.  Carter,  second 
lieutenant  Company  C;  Sylvester  Durall,  second 
lieutenant  Company  D;  Clayton  B.  Hooper,  sec- 
ond lieutenant  Company  E. 

The  commissioned  officers  not  designated 
above  will  be  mustered  out  of  service. 

The  following  named  non-commissioned  offi- 
cers, rendered  supernumerary,  will  also  be  mus- 
tered out  of  service,  viz: 

First  Sergeant  John  H.  Battles,  First  Sergeant 
John  H.  Coulter,  First  Sergeant  Daniel  W. 
Goodwin. 

By  command  of  Maj.-Gen.  J.  J.  REYNOLDS. 

S.  C.  FARRINGTON, 

Major  and  A.  A.  A.  G. 

NINETY-NINTH    (CONSOLIDATED)    IN- 
FANTRY. 

THREE  YEARS'  SERVICE. 

Colonel,  Asa  C.  Matthews;  lieutenant-colonel, 
Asa  C.  Matthews ;  adjutant,  Joseph  R.  Furry ; 
quartermaster,  James  F.  Greathouse ;  surgeon, 
Edwin  May ;  first  assistant  surgeon,  John  F. 
Curtis;  chaplain,  William  M.  Evans;  sergeant- 
majors,  William  L.  Carter,  Robert  B.  Morris; 
quartermaster  sergeant,  Erastus  Foreman ;  com- 
missary-sergeant, Thompson  J.  Beard :  hospital 
steward,  George  T.  Brooks ;  principal  musicians, 
Fordyce  A.  Spring,  George  Barber;  captain, 
John  F.  Richards;  first  lieutenant,  William  B. 
Clandy;  second  lieutenant,  John  Bowsman;  first 
sergeant.  William  G.  Hubbard ;  sergeants, 
Thomas  J.  Higgins,  Milton  Batley,  Elias  Reed, 
Homer  V.  Harris ;  corporals,  John  M.  Camp- 
bell, George  W.  Sellers,  William  Edom,  James 
Badgley.  John  C.  Robinson,  Justin  J.  Newell, 
John  W.  Woods,  John  M.  Marlow ;  privates, 
5 


John  R.  Allen,  Thomas  H.  Blair,  Darius  Baker, 
John  S.  Bentley,  Andrew  H.  Baine,  Elias  Bridge- 
water,  William  S.  Barkley,  John  M.  Brackley, 
Henry  C.  Boggs,  William  H.  Beckman,  William 
H.  Cooper,  Charles  A-  Campbell,  Robert  Cannon, 
Thomas  Cochran,  Henry  Call,  Charles  Chandler, 
James  Cullen,  Lewis  W.  Chase,  Thomas  Collins, 
Sylvester  Dudley,  John  G.  Dudley,  Adam  Deck- 
er, George  W.  Despain,  Harrison  Daigh,  Wil- 
liam C.  Duff,  John  Edom,  Samuel  T.  Fesler,  Wil- 
liam Gay,  Theodore  W.  Gates,  Thomas  E.  Gor- 
ton, John  W.  Garroute,  Ezra  Gates,  Thomas 
Hamilton,  John  A.  Hall,  Jr.,  Thomas  W.  Han- 
kins,  Reuben  A.  Hazen,  Adam  Hofsess,  William 
H.  Henderson,  Thomas  J.  Hodge,  Andrew  J. 
Johnson,  William  H.  Johnson,  John  Kerr,  Mich- 
ael Lane,  John  W.  Lippincott,  Reuben  Louder, 
Reed  Lee,  Benjamin  Morrel,  Matthew  W.  Mc- 
Intyre,  James  Mclntrye,  Charles  McCartney, 
Daniel  McMahan,  Jacob  S.  Phennegar,  Jerome 
B.  Plummer,  James  Palmer,  Stephen  Powell, 
Zachariah  Reeder,  Frank  Rettig,  Brice  H.  Rob- 
inson, Cephas  G.  Rounds,  Calvin  Rice,  Edmond 
B.  Rice,  Andrew  J.  Smith,  Henry  Stevens, 
Stephen  Seybold,  Charles  Stuart,  Samuel  G. 
Short,  Columbus  Thompson,  James  Tucker,  Wil- 
liam Varner,  Lyman  Vanhyning,  Wells  Van- 
hyning,  Wallace  W.  Wineger,  Samuel  F.  Wil- 
liams, William  D.  Waters,  John  White,  William 
P.  Ware,  Joseph  C.  Williams,  William  J.  Young; 
recruits,  Augustus  Beswick,  Dennis  Donnigan, 
Lewis  Dejaynes,  William  A.  Tanksley. 

COMPANY  B. 

Captain,  James  W.  Fee ;  first  lieutenant,  Jacob 

E.  Stauffer;  second  lieutenant,  Joseph  Dugdell; 
first     sergeant,     Christian     Haerle;     sergeants, 
Charles  A.  Hobbs,   Henry  Sowers,   Lemuel  W. 
Shock,    Alexander   Wampler;    corporals,    Jasper 

F.  Walk,  Robert  Newingham,  John  B.  Baldwin, 
James  W.  Carr,  John  A.  Wood.  Thomas  J.  Al- 
bert, Andrew  J.  Kirk,  Henry  C.  Clemmons ;  pri- 
vates,    Philip     Augustine,     Charles     H.     Allen, 
George  W.  Adams,  James  M.  Birt,  William  H. 
Bacits,  Luther  Bacus,  John  W.  Borren,  William 
R.  Battershell.  William  J.  Bowman,  William  H. 
Cade,  James  A.  Canterbery,  William  Callender, 


74 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Nicholas  B.  Collins,  James  Callender,  Henry  H. 
Coonrod,  Henry  Conover,  John  Davis,  David  M. 
Dickinson,  Thomas  Dennis,  Levi  R.  Ellis,  Elisha 
N.  Ford,  James  Foster,  William  R.  Foster,  Isaac 

A.  Groce,    Ethan    S.    Girdley,    Robert   Gorman, 
John  C.  Gibbs,  Israel  G.  Garrison,  David  J.  Hol- 
oway,    Powhatten    Hatcher,    John    R.    Hoover, 
Martin    S.    Hosford,    Henry    Hosford,    William 
Hurley,  Daniel  B.  Higgins,  Adolphus  Kallasch, 
Morris  Kallenbach,  James  H.  Kimball,  Thomas 
Kaylor,    Owen    T.    Kaylor,    Ransom   Kessinger, 
William  P.   Lee,  Timothy  Laughlin,  Robert  N. 
Long,  George  Lipkaman,  Richard  Long,  George 
S.  Metz,  John  J.  Mayo,  Thomas  J.  Modie,  Jere- 
miah Morton,  John  W.  Newingham,  Albert  No- 
ble, Augustine  Piper,  Henry  W.  Peters,  William 
P.  Pease,  Henry  Perry,  John  H.  Pearce,  Stephen 
F.    Richards,    Ephraim    C.    Statham,    Julius    S. 
Smitherman,    John   M.    Sheer,   August    Straus, 
Jacob   Schneider,  James   H.   Silkwood,   Lorenzo 
D.  Taylor,  Oscar  A.  Tucker,  Marquis  D.  Tucker, 
James  L.  Thurman,  Robert  Tisenger,  Adolphus 
Thompson,  Thomas  J.  Taber,  William  D.  Wood, 
William   C.   Walpole,   Leonard   Waggoner,   Au- 
gustus   D.  Watson,  Alexander  Wilson,    David 
Walk,  Andrew  J.   Williams,  James  T.  Whyte, 
Jacob  Zimmerman ;  recruits,  Augustus  W.  Bes- 
wick,  Calvin  J.  Cupples,  John  Christian,  Dennis 
Dunnegan,     Samuel     Manter,     Zadock     Pease, 
George  Restine,  Lorenzo  D.  Scott,  William  H. 
Tanksley,  Henry  Wells. 

COMPANY    C. 

Captain,  Melville  D.  Massie ;  first  lieutenant, 
Henry  B.  Atkinson ;  second  lieutenant,  William 
L.  Carter ;  first  sergeant,  David  S.  Hill ;  sergeants, 
Abram  Mullinix,  Solomon  E.  Thomas,  Cyrus  Mc- 
Faddin,  James  M.  Baird;  corporals,  Oliver  S. 
Goodsell,  William  H.  Cowden,  James  C.  New- 
port, Jonathan  Halstead,  John  A.  McFadden, 
Frederick  Nutting,  Charles  R.  Turner,  Michael 

B.  Johnston ;  privates,  James  S.  Alexander,  John 
B.  Bowman,  Samuel  Bollman,  William  H.  Betts, 
Benjamin  E.  Baker,  Christian  M.  Butz,  William 
Crawford,  Ballard  T.  Collins,  James  M.  Collins, 
John  Caves,  Samuel  Curry,  John  T.  Dickey,  Rob- 
ert Dickson,  Thomas  Dobson,  Don  F.  Drake,  Wil- 


liam J.  Ezell,  Lavosier  Farnsworth,  Joseph  Gud- 
gel,  Herman  Green,  Dudley  Gates,  John  S.  Gillis, 
George  H.  Hazelrigg,  Thomas  J.  Hendrickson, 
Solomon  Hendrickson,  Andrew  House,  Horace 
Haskins,  William  Hawk,  John  Higgins,  John  W. 
F.  Hudson,  John  Hardesty,  David  D.  Hull,  Alex- 
ander M.  Irving,  Oscar  F.  Johns,  John  J.  John- 
ston, Noah  W.  Kelso,  William  C.  Lovett,  Asa  C. 
Lovett,  Edward  Lowe,  James  Montieth,  Peter  Mc- 
Graw,  Byron  McGonigle,  William  Marshall,  Wil- 
liam McCurdy,  George  W.  Mayer,  William  Max- 
well, David  Morris,  James  B.  Orr,  Martin 
O'Grady,  James  S.  Oliver,  Martin  M.  Pennick, 
James  Posten,  Henry  Procter,  Andrew  J.  Smart, 
Edson  Saxbery,  Moses  L.  Stanly,  William  Straw- 
mat,  John  Sharp,  Henry  Saxer,  Adam  Shaffnit, 
William  W.  Smith,  John  C.  Smith,  Samuel  C. 
Smith,  Eliud  Sells,  John  Stambaugh,  Bartlett 
Toombs,  Francis  A.  Thomas,  William  Walker, 
John  W.  Willes,  Bradford  Wilson,  Jeptha  A. 
Wiles,  George  Whitner,  Jr.,  Charles  H.  Wedding, 
Charles  Witte ;  recruits,  Elijah  M.  Butler,  Calvin 
J.  Cupples,  Aaron  Cohen,  Henry  Hosford,  Wil- 
liam Riddle. 

COMPANY   D. 

Captain,  Isaac  G.  Hodgen;  first  lieutenant, 
James  K.  Smith ;  second  lieutenant,  Sylvester  Du- 
rall;  first  sergeant,  Peter  S.  Veghte;  sergeants, 
Walter  D.  Kent,  Charles  H.  Shaw,  Henry  L.  An- 
derson, Christy  Ryan ;  corporals,  William  F.  Ma- 
thews,  John  Hack,  William  H.  Fortune,  John  T. 
Beard,  Isaac  Hildreth,  Andrew  J.  Connor,  Ro- 
land Anson,  Orin  S.  C.  Rogers;  privates,  Sebas- 
tian B.  Abrams,  George  Anson,  John  Angel,  George 
L.  Bagby,  George  W.  Baird,  John  N.  Byrd,  George 
T.  Black,  Kingsbury  Covery,  James  Covey,  David 
E.  Cannon,  Aaron  Chamberlin,  William  Cox,  Joel 
Cox,  Jackson  Colvin,  George  W.  Colvin,  Wil- 
liam C.  Dickson,  Benjamin  F.  Davis,  David  T. 
Dinsmore,  Willis  Daniels,  Martin  V.  Daniels, 
•Ephraim  S.  Farthing,  John  J.  Foreman,  Thomas 
Gaffney,  Matthew  Gaffney,  William  B.  Hand, 
Willis 'Hand,  Henry  W.  Hendrix,  Henry  Hos- 
kins,  Samuel  Holloway,  Elias  Hammerton,  Oliver 
Heavener,  John  H.  Heavener,  Adanj  C.  Hill,  Rus- 
sell R.  Johnson,  William  R.  Johnson,  Jaret  N. 
Long,  Moses  Lindsey,  Charles  E.  Main,  Robert 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


75 


B.  Morris,  Oliver  Martin,  Daniel  Mills,  John  W. 
Murphy,  Franklin  A.  Moran,  Peter  McKinna, 
Athamore  Mitchell,  Cornelius  Mitchell,  Samuel 
W.  Miller,  Nicholas  Main,  Lewis  C.  Paine,  John 
J.  Perry,  James  Rush,  Peter  R.  Rogers,  James  P. 
Rogers,  Anderson  Rutledge,  Isaac  C.  Roach,  Sam- 
uel Rutledge,  Edgar  F.  Stanton,  Simon  W.  Scott, 
John  W.  Smith,  David  D.  String,  John  W.  Spar- 
row, Henry  L.  Shaw,  James  Stewart,  Jr.,  James 
Stewart,  Sr.,  Matthew  Stewart,  John  Swader, 
Henry  Smith,  Christopher  Turner,  Alonzo  Tozer, 
William  Tedron,  Wallace  Weethee,  William  H. 
Wroughton,  Milton  C.  Williamson,  Samuel  A. 
Willard,  Lewis  Walker,  George  Wilson. 

COMPANY    E. 

Captain,  John  A.  Ballard ;  first  lieutenant,  W. 
Henry  Kinne ;  second  lieutenant,  Clayton  B. 
Hooper;  first  sergeant,  John  C.  Ellis;  sergeants, 
James  L.  Hubert,  William  A.  Townsend,  William 
P.  Kirtright,  Moses  Mitchell ;  corporals,  Samuel 
D.  Livingston,  Robert  Brown,  Thomas  Potter, 
James  Harvey  Barnes,  William  C.  Wisdom, 
Charles  H.  Forrest,  Robert  Cunningham,  Charles 
W.  Stewart;  wagoner,  Xurry  M.  Ingalsbe ;  pri- 
vates, John  A.  Askew,  John  A.  Allen,  Buel  R. 
Adams,  Richard  Austin,  William  T.  Armstrong, 
Henry  H.  Andrews,  Jacob  Bunce,  Joseph  D. 
Brooks,  Henry  Bissell,  Perry  Brazier,  William  J. 
Bailey,  John  Badgley,  George  Billings,  Lorenzo 
D.  Burdick,  Abel  R.  Burdick,  William  H.  Brown, 
Benjamin  Bruno,  Daniel  Barnes,.  John  F.  Barnes, 
John  W.  Burkhead,  Robert  L.  Bowman,  Levi 
Barnett,  Stephen  T.  Conkright,  James  H.  Clark- 
son,  George  W.  Condet,  Daniel  Case,  Isaac  S. 
Dumford,  Henry  Dillon,  Charles  L.  Eastman, 
William  W.  Ellis,  Thomas  B.  Ellis,  Barney  Fey, 
Benjamin  Grey,  John  Guthrie,  William  R. 
Hooper,  Henry  Hillman,  Almond  C.  Hadsell,  Na- 
than A.  HadseTl,  John  B.  Hartshorn,  Nathan 
Hunter,  Charles  L.  Hammell,  John  Irwin,  Wil- 
liam Ingraham,  Reuben  Jones,  Thomas  J.  Jones, 
George  W.  Kendle,  Henry  Lozier,  Stewart  Lan- 
num,  William  Lotzennhizer,  George  McCauley, 
John  McCauley,  Edward  McLaughlin,  John  Ma- 
gary,  James  Miller,  John  Nash,  William  O'Brien, 
Thomas  P.  Ogden,  Robert  Paull,  John  T.  Petty, 


George  W.  Pine,  Marion  Pruett,  Jonathan  Smith, 
Solomon  Spann,  Andrew  H.  Smithers,  John  W. 
Shinkle,  Theophilus  Snyder,  George  W.  Sackett, 
Perry  Smith,  Thomas  Starks,  Abram  Saylor,  John 
Saylor,  Cyrus  C.  Shaffner,  James  Toland,  Thomas 
Toland,  Francis  M.  Tucker,  William  Vanpelt, 
Jr.,  John  W.  Wright,  Rial  A.  Walker;  recruits 
Edward  W.  Briscoe,  Albert  Cousins,  Jasper  Fos- 
ter, George  Louzadder,  Lee  B.  Thompson ;  unas- 
signed  recruits,  Isaac  Esque,  Samuel  Lane. 

Here  is  an  interesting  letter,  written  by  Cap- 
tain now  Colonel  A.  C.  Matthews,  May  24,  1863, 
to  his  wife  after  the  desperate  assault  at  Vicks- 
'burg  led  by  the  Ninety-ninth  Regiment,  or  the 
Pike  County  Regiment  May  22,  1863. 
"My  Dear  Wife, 

"It  is  with  pleasure  I  again  take  my  pen  in 
hand  to  write  you  a  few  lines.  I  shall  not  at- 
tempt at  this  time  to  give  you  any  of  the  details 
of  the  five  battles  I  have  had  the  good  luck  to 
pass  through,  but  want  to  write  to  let  you  know 
that  I  have  been  spared  and  have  come  through, 
unscathed  and  unscratched,  and  am,  aside  from 
being  somewhat-  worn  out,  by  marching  and 
fatigue,  well  and  in  good  spirits.  On  the  22d  of 
this  month  our  whole  force  made  an  assault 
upon  the  fortifications  of  Vicksburg,  and  accord- 
ing to  my  notion  we  were  repulsed  along  the  en- 
tire line;  that  is,  not  being  able  to  make  an  en- 
trance or  permanent  lodgment  in  the  enemy's 
works.  The  fighting  was  of  the  most  desperate 
character,  and  is  is  but  little,  if  any,  exaggeration 
to  say  that  in  places,  end  especially  so  on  the 
ground  where  we  contended,  our  dead  and 
wounded  almost  covered  the  ground.  We  be- 
lieve we  had  the  hardest  point  in  the  whole  line, 
but  of  this  I  am  not  sure.  By  that  I  mean  our 
division,  brigade  and  regiment. 

"In  the  morning  of  the  day  of  the  assault  we 
were  in  line  in  a  little  ravine  back  of  what  is 
known  as  the  "Burnt  Chimneys"  on  the  Bald- 
win's Ferry  Road,  and  at  10  o'clock  we  moved 
forward  by  the  flank  in  fours,  up  the  ravine  to 
the  attack.  We  did  not  have  far  to  go,  and  as 
soon  as  we  struck  the  Baldwin's  Ferry  Road 
which  ran  by  the  fort,  we  were  fired  upon  with 
terrific  force  and  rapidity.  We  were  to  move 
against  the  fort  and  make  our  fight  there,  but  our 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Regiment,  which  was  in  the  lead  of  the  brigade 
and  of  the  division,  and  in  the  lead  of  everything, 
made  the  mistake  of,  after  the  first  volley,  pass- 
ing the  fort  with  the  left  of  the  Regiment,  leav- 
ing the  right  at  the  fort,  to  make  the  contest 
alone,  until  the  reserves  should  arrive.  Our  loss 
during  the  day  was  102  men  in  killed  and 
wounded.  We  were  right  up  against  the  enemy's 
works,  and  the  left  of  the  Regiment  that  moved 
forward  as  if  to  pass  the  fortifications  and  as- 
sault the  rifle  pits,'  exposed  itself  to  a  galling  fire 
of  the  enemy  at  a  distance  of  not  over  thirty 
yards.  This  added  very  considerably  to  our  cas- 
ualty list. 

"The  most  of  our  men  were  killed  in  the  first 
dash ;  not  less  than  ten  minutes,  I  should  say ; 
but  there  were  men  being  wounded  all  day,  and 
in  retiring  from  the  field  at  sunset  I  had  two  men 
wounded.  Colonel  Bailey  and  Major  Crandall 
vvere  among  the  wounded  in  the  early  part  of 
the  engagement,  and  then  for  the  remainder  of 
the  day  I  commanded  the  Regiment,  and  have 
just  been  relieved  late  this  afternoon  of  the  com- 
mand by  Colonel  Park.  Colonel  Park  was  not  in 
the  assault. 

"We  went  on  the  battle-field  at  10  o'clock  and 
were  relieved  by  Sanborn's  brigade,  McPherson's 
Corps,  fresh  troops  about  sundown.  They  did  not 
remain  on  the  field  but  a  short  time;  they  came 
down  the  hill  in  a  great  hurry  and  came  near 
creating  a  panic  in  camp,  but  I  prevented  it  by 
having  the  remainder  of  our  Regiment,  less  than 
one  hundred  strong,  get  into  line  and  move  out 
on  picket  where  we  stayed  all  night. 

"The  killed  in  my  Company  were  John  Lam- 
bert, Charles  Long  and  James  Teasdale.  The 
wounded  were,  as  they  have  been  reported  to  me 
at  this  time,  William  Sitton.  color  bearer,  who 
handed  the  colors  to  Major  Crandall  when 
wounded,  who  was  also  wounded;  J.  K.  Sittnn. 
Thompson  Beard,  William  O'Brien,  Jonathan 
Smith,  Moses  Mitchell,  Rial  Walker  and  Joel 
Scurvin.  1'uel  Adams  was  wounded  in  the  battle 
at  Magnolia  Hills.  In  my  next  letter  I  will  give 
you  the  killed  and  wounded  of  the  entire  Regi- 
ment, if  I  can  ascertain  their  names,  but  at  this 
time  the  wounded  are  not  all  in  off  the  field,  ami 
it  is  impossible  to  state  who  they  all  are,  and  it  is 


impossible  to  give  the  names  of  all  of  them,  or 
how  badly  they  were  wounded.  They  have  now 
been  on  the  field  two  days  and  two  nights.  I  don't 
care  to  tell  you  how  bad  things  look,  and  how  ter- 
rible the  field  is,  but  we  feel  sure  in  the  end  we 
will  take  the  city ;  it  may  require  a  long  siege, 
and  it  may  take  all  summer,  but  if  it  does  in  the 
end  I  feel  sure  we  will  be  victorious.  After  this 
campaign  and  siege  is  over  I  expect  to  come  home 
for  a  day  or  two,  and  see  you  and  the  children, 
but  whether  I  can  or  not  will  be  doubtful. 

"A  flag  of  truce  has  just  been  sent  in,  and  the 
dead  will  doubtless  be  buried  this  afternoon. 

"Hoping  that  our  lives  may  be  spared  to  meet 
again,  I  am, 

"Your  affectionate  husband, 

"A.  C.  Matthews." 

Here  follows  a  letter  from  Capt.  M.  D.  Mas- 
sie  to  the  Old  Flag  at  Pittsfield  in  April,  1865. 

From  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  now  operating 
before  Mobile,  Alabama,  First  Brigade,  First 
Division,  Thirteenth  Army  Corps.  Mr.  Editor : — 
While  we  were  slowly  but  surely  bringing  Ala- 
bama back  to  her  first  love,  I  will  give  you  a  few 
notes  under  the  shells  and  bullets  from  the  army 
now  operating  here  under  General  Canby,  as- 
sisted by  Generals  Granger,  A.  J.  Smith.  Veritch, 
Benton,  Slack,  Dennis  and  other  able  command- 
ers, with  assistance  from  smaller  shoulder 
straps  and  an  amply  sufficient  number  of  the  boys 
in  blue.  This  grand  army  began  its  march  on 
the  1 7th  of  last  month  and  after  building  abort 
twenty  miles  of  corduroy  road  through  the 
swr.mps  of  Mobile  Point  we  arrived  at  Fish 
River,  where  we  separated  in  three  grand  col- 
umns and  after  two  days'  march  we  met  the 
enemy  on  the  morning  of  the  26th.  After  a  run- 
ning' skirmish  fight  we  soon  drove  them  into  their 
works,  night  coming  on  settled  the  day's  action 
which  resulted  in  our  brigade  (General  Stack's), 
driving  them  from  their  position  with  a  loss  of 
one.  man  killed  and  two  wounded  of  the  Twenty- 
first  Iowa.  On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-sixth 
the  rebels  made  a  dash  with  cavalry  on  our  ad- 
vance skirmish  line  and  turned  it's  left  flank, 
killing  one  and  wounding  seven  of  the  Forty- 
seventh  Indiana.  Our  brigade  is  composed  of  the 
Forty-seventh  Indiana.  Twenty-ninth  Wiscon- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


77 


sin,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  and  Twenty-first  Iowa. 
The  brigade  advanced  in  line  of  battle  and  gained 
a  close  position  to  the  enemy's  stronghold,  which 
is  called  Spanish  Fort.  The  other  brigades"  of 
the  Thirteenth  and  Sixteenth  Army  Corps  closed 
in  and  the  action  became  general,  then  the  can- 
nons belched  forth  their  shot  and  shell,  the  min- 
nies  went  whistling  over  our  heads  and  again 
the  scenes  of  Vicksburg  and  other  battle-fields 
were  re-enacted.  During  the  day  a  heavy  rain 
fell  but  we  kept  our  powder  dry  and  our  batteries 
and  sharpshooters  played  upon  our  enemy's  works 
and  line  until  night.  Then  there  was  a  lull  in 
the  battle  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  opposing 
armies  were  wrapped  in  the  sweet  forgetfulness 
of  sleep.  Our  Regiment  lost  but  one  man,  Cor- 
poral Robinson  of  Company  A.  Our  brigade 
lost  only  ten  killed  and  wounded.  The  morning 
of  the  twenty-eighth  opened  very  lazily  and  dur- 
ing the  day  there  was  little  done.  At  night  the 
enemy  charged  upon  our  left  but  were  driven 
back  with  heavy  loss.  We  did  not  lose  a  man. 
On  the  thirtieth  the  enemy  opened  with  shell. 
They  have  the  best  artillery  and  their  shells  are 
well  timed  and  they  explode  just  where  'they  want 
them.  One  shell  exploded  in  the  Twenty-ninth 
Illinois,  killing  four  and  wounding  nine,  another 
exploded  over  our  Regiment,  killing  Reuben 
Jones  of  Company  E.  They  rely  more  upon  their 
artillery  and  torpedoes  than  they  do  in  a  fair 
stand  up  battle.  They  have  their  harbors  and 
channels  filled  with  infernal  machines  and  their 
main  roads  with  torpedoes,  so  whenever  a  wagon 
runs  over  them  or  a  horse  or  man  steps  on  them 
there  is  an  immediate  explosion  often  tearing  men 
and  horses  to  pieces.  The  navy  is  fast  clearing 
out  the  channel  and  whenever  we  take  prisoners 
the  commanding  general  has  them  dig  the  torpe- 
does out  of  the  road.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
3oth  our  division  moved  out  of  its  works  and 
went  to  the  rear  to  guard  a  supply  train  to  Gen- 
eral Steele  who  had  left  Pensacola,  Florida,  about 
the  same  time  that  our  corps  had  left  Fort  Gaines, 
Alabama,  and  was  out  of  rations  and  forage.  We 
opened  communications  with  General  Steele  on 
the  2d  of  April  and  then  moved  to  this  place, 
where  we  are  waiting  orders.  The  rebels  hold 
Blakely  with  about  5,000  men  and  are  reinforcing. 


Our  lines  are  well  formed  and  I  presume  we 
will  do  nothing  more  than  to  hold  them  here 
until  Spanish  Fort  is  reduced.  Last  night  our 
fleet  and  land  mortars  gave  the  fort  the  heaviest 
bombardment  it  ever  had.  It  was  kept  up  for  two 
hours.  It  has  been  very  quiet  down  there  to-day, 
some  think  they  are  evacuating.  They  admit  a  loss 
up  to  the  present  time  of  thirty-three  killed  and 
two  hundred  and  forty-nine  wounded.  I  saw  Mo- 
bile Tribune  of  the  3Oth.  I  should  judge  from  its 
tone  that  the  Mobile  citizens  did  not  take  a  very 
large  stock  in  the  present  strife.  The  paper  says 
a  great  many  Yankee  sympathizers  in  Mobile, 
deserters  and  refugees  say  that  the  people  are  very 
tired  of  rebel  rule  and  will  hail  with  joy  the  day 
when  Federal  authority  is  again  asserted  over 
Alabama. 

Spanish  Fort  and  Blakely  are  both  on  the  east 
side  of  Mobile  bay  and  are  the  principal  outer 
defenses  of  the  city  and  southern  Alabama,  and 
with  the  forces  now  operating  against  them  they 
will  soon  have  to  yield  and  we  will  have  an  easy 
passage  into  the  interior  of  the  state,  and  from  all 
we  can  learn,  the  people  of  Alabama  have  but  lit- 
tle hope  of  their  sinking  craft,  C.  S.  A.,  and  when 
the  old  banner  of  our  country  floats  over  Mobile 
the  state  will  soon  fall  into  line  and  shake  off  the 
curse  of  secession  and  rebellion.  Boom!  boom! 
our  mortars  are  opening  on  Spanish  Fort  and 
away  goes  all  speculation  about  surrender.  The 
rebs  have  concluded  to  hold  out  a  little  longer 
and  General  Canby  has  put  about  forty  mortars 
and  siege  guns  in  a  commanding  position  so 
that  they  can  not  complain  of  cold  treatment.  They 
gave  us  a  warm  reception  and  now  our  batteries 
are  returning  the  compliment  with  compound 
interest.  The  naval  fleet  has  been  prevented  from 
taking  a  very  active  part  thus  far,  in  consequence 
of  the  many  obstructions  in  the  bay  but  they  are 
rapidly  clearing  up  the  channel  and  just  as  soon 
as  they  run  by  the  fort  the  rebel  communication 
is  cut  and  all  is  lost  for  them  as  we  will  have  full 
control  of  the  bay  and  all  the  most  prominent  ap- 
proaches to  Mobile  and  the  Alabama  river.  The 
officers  and  men  of  the  Ninety-ninth  are  in  good 
health  and  excellent  spirits. 

Yours  truly, 

M.  D.  Massie. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


ONE      HUNDRED    AND    THIRTY-SEVENTH      ILLINOIS 
INFANTRY,    COMPANY    H. 

Captain,  Levi  Barber;  second  lieutenant,  Wil- 
liam H.  Hubbard ;  first  sergeant,  Anthony  B.  Mc- 
Charles  C.  Clark,  William  Hall;  privates,  Wil- 
liam M.  Anson,  Henry  Brandon,  George  W.  Car- 
rel, Francis  M.  Cooper,  John  Davidson,  Benjamin 
F.  Dean,  George  S.  Edwards,  Samuel  Genish,  Ste- 
phen Henderson,  Lucius  Howland,  James  L.  Ir- 
win,  Francis  L.  Jones,  Joseph  Kesterson,  Samuel 
Kelly,  William  C.  Lynch,  Joseph  J.  Lusk,  Philip 
Main,  Nathan  B.  Moore,  William  McGuire, 
James  K.  McGuire,  Robert  Morgan,  James  Nich- 
olsen,  John  H.  Platt,  Allen  C.  Peebles,  Edgar  A. 
Peckenpaugh,  David  M.  Doughty,  Michael  F. 
Dixon,  Isaac  K.  Emery,  Franklin  Files,  George 
Finley,  John  Hubbard,  Charles  C.  Hoover,  Wil- 
liam Horn,  Samuel  Hess,  James  Irwin,  John  H. 
Kirkham,  James  M.  Liles,  Daniel  Looper,  Robert 
N.  McConnell,  John  Modie,  John  Martin,  James 
Metts,  George  Miller,  William  Newman,  Joshua 
R.  Otwell,  Obed  Otwell,  John  Peacock,  William 
Riddle,  Clinton  Randall,  Isaac  F.  Selders,  Wil- 
liam Stewart,  Melen  Taylor,  Lewis  R.  Tolbert, 
Nathan  A.  Tucker,  Gardner  Woodard,  Alexan- 
der Webb ;  recruits,  Isaac  N.  P.  Brown,  James  H. 
Chesney,  John  H.  Kirkham,  Archibald  Morey, 
Lewis  Stilwell,  William  Richardson,  Simon  Rian, 
William  B.  Richards,  Henry  J.  Rapp,  John  Scott, 
Robert  Stewart,  James  H.  Sapp,  William  A. 
Shriver,  Jonathan  Simeve,  Willis  P.  Stotts,  Henry 
Shaffner,  Henry  T.  Scanland,  Mathias  Shellcop, 
Delos  D.  Walker,  Charles  Watson,  John  Whit- 
field,  Norman  A.  Wing,  James  Waters,  David 
Walker,  Robert  S.  Wills ;  recruit,  John  H.  Platt. 

PIKE    COUNTY    SOLDIERS    WHO    EN- 
LISTED IN  OTHER  STATES. 

FIRST   MISSOURI. 

A.  K.  Baucom,  John  Morrow,  O.  P.  Johnson, 
Taylor  Uppinghouse. 

COMPANY    C,    THIRD    MISSOURI    CAVALRY. 

A.  C.  Shearer,  William  Good,  Ross  Wakeman, 
Emmett  Wakeman,  Samuel  Weir. 


COMPANY    B,    THIRD    MISSOURI    CAVALRY. 

Captains,  George  W.  Carey,  Herman  M.  Roosa ; 
Harvey  Weaver,  Thomas  Aiton,  Henry  Williams, 
George  W.  Pryor,  Silas  Wadsworth,  Jonathan 
W.  Conklin,  Lewis  Perry,  David  Hunter,  Thomas 
Kilebrew,  Charles  McCaffrey,  Elliot  Baker,  John 
H.  McClintock,  Henry  Wadsworth,  William  H. 
Capps,  Alexander  Toole,  John  Andrews,  William 
Baker,  James  Brewer,  William  Butler,  William  R. 
Capps,  James  B.  Clampitt,  Jones  Covey,  Ephraim 
Cram,  Michael  Doyle,  Jacob  Felch,  William 
Grotts,  James  M.  Guthrie,  Isaac  S.  Hobbs,  Simon 
Johnson,  Richard  A.  Myers,  Andrew  McMullen, 
William  W.  McMullen,  William  Rupert,  Lucas 
Richardson,  Richard  Roan,  Lindsy  T.  Sapp,  Wil- 
liam Shofner,  John  T.  Starr,  Thomas  Waggoner, 
Sweeney  Winder,  Matthew  Sapp,  Henry  Pollard, 
Losson  Lovett,  William  Grover,  Jasper  Dorsett, 
Elias  Flower,  George  Ames,  Lafayette  Beardsley, 
Charles  H.  Betts,  William  S.  Brunson,  John  L. 
Brunson,  Samuel  Camp,  Josiah  Cowdrey,  Thomas 
J.  Davis,  William  Daily,  John  W.  Foster,  Thomas 
Howard,  Jacob  Myers,  Thomas  P.  Pryor,  Milo 
Ripley,  William  R.  Whittaker,  Andrew  Wag- 
goner, John  W.  Buckingham,  Leonard  Covey, 
Moses  H.  Hemingway,  John  Kinchelow,  Joseph 
McCarmach,  Samuel  J.  Waggoner,  John  W. 
Betts,  Isaac  Cheedle,  David  M.  Campbell,  Daniel 
Garman,  John  M.  Meyers,  F.  W.  Mills,  Thomp- 
son Pruitt,  William  T.  Parker,  James  H.  Rupert, 
Joseph  H.  Sanders,  Lawrence  Tedrow,  William 
Bramble,  Joseph  Dingman,  James  Dew,  David 
Morris,  Thomas  W.  Penn,  James  P.  Williams. 

In  all  the  wars  of  England,  during  the  thou- 
sand years  of  her  history,  there  were  not  so  many 
lives  lost,  nor  so  much  money  spent,  as  in  the 
American  Civil  war. 

SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR. 


FIFTH      ILLINOIS      VOLUNTEER      INFANTRY,      COM- 
PANY  A. 

Captains,    William   C.   Ware,    George   Barber; 
first  lieutenant,   George   Barber;  second  lieuten- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


79 


ant,  V.  C.  Peckenpaugh ;  first  sergeant,  D.  Ern- 
est Moreland;  quartermaster  sergeant,  Tracey  T. 
Tompkins;  sergeants,  William  W.  Ahl,  James 
F.  Petty,  George  Beard,  Burr  H.  Swan;  corpo- 
rals, Guss  Anson,  Harry  A.  Abbott,  Loren  E. 
Waters,  James  L.  Adams,  Hicks  Dow,  William 
Worthington,  Frank  Stanton,  Oliver  R.  Barrett, 
Lee  Stobie,  William  St.  John,  Chauncey  H.  Bo- 
dine  ;  musicians,  Roland  Fry,  George  Waters ; 
wagoner,  William  F.  Wyatt ;  artificer,  Fred 
Petty;  privates,  William  Allen,  Edward  Allen, 
Lawrence  Bagby,  Newton  Bennett,  William 
Bergman,  Archie  Brown,  Louis  Bringman,  E.  J. 
Downing,  William  Dutton,  Samuel  Elledge,  Wil- 
liam B.  Gratton,  Lawrence  Harvey,  Newton 
Harris.  Albert  Heck,  Thomas  C.  Huestead,  Her- 
man Jones,  Charles  Johnson,  Thomas  E.  John- 
son, Fred  Johnson,  Ellis  Kindred,  Louis  Lou- 
woert,  John  M.  Lovett,  Loren  Main,  Charles  Mc- 
Glasson,  Joseph  Milby,  Leon  P.  Monta,  Bert 
Niccurn,  James  Niccum,  Charles  Paine,  George 
Paine,  Marshall  Parker,  Carl  E.  Rogers,  Thom- 
as D.  Shehan,  George  Shinn,  Lewis  M.  Smith, 
Guy  Stanton,  Fred  J.  Stobie,  Eugene  Thompson, 
Roy  Vertrees,  Russell  Wells,  J.  E.  Wyle ;  trans- 
ferred from  Company  D,  Charles  Boyd,  David 
D.  Edwards,  William  B.  Harris,  Frank  Hurst, 
Lewis  G.  Kindred,  Jesse  G.  Morrison,'  John  H. 
McKinney,  Charles  Sweeden,  Cool  Stanton, 
George  Smith ;  transferred  from  Company  K, 
Henry  Caplinger,  Edward  Foreman.  Robert  L. 
Gratton,  Everett  Miller,  William  Paine,  John 
Shanahan,  Morris  Seaman;  recruits,  William  S. 
I'owden,  Leon  Chamberlain,  Lawrence  Cawthon, 
Arthur  E.  Daman,  Charles  C.  Dunn,  Rollo 
Grimes,  William  A.  Grimshaw,  Joseph  C.  Hamil- 
ton, William  H.  Harris,  Oliver  Jones,  Charley 
Kastner,  Ernest  C.  Lightle,  William  L.  Lawson, 
Tuhvin  ().  McKinney,  Hugo  May,  Cecil  Manker, 
F.  C.  Peebles,  H.  Douglas  Parke,  Zack  N.  Pul- 
liam,  John  Quinlan,  Clyde  Rush,  Henry  J.  Ree- 
den,  A.  Fred  Williams. 

TOWNSHIP  HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY. 

In    1824    there    were    only    three    townships, 
namely :    Coles  Grove,  Atlas  and  Franklin,  while 


in  1906  the  county  has  sixteen  full  congressional 
and  eight  fractional  townships. 

In  1847  a  State  election  was  held  for  members 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  which  Conven- 
tion prepared  and  submitted  to  the  people  a  new 
Constitution,  which  was  adopted  by  a  large  ma- 
jority. By  this  Constitution,  in  place  of  the  Com- 
missioners' Court  a  County  Court  was  organized 
in  each  county.  This  court  consisted  of  a  county 
judge,  and,  if  the  Legislature  saw  proper  to  so 
order  it,  two  associate  justices.  This  the  Legis- 
lature favorably  acted  upon.  The  last  meeting  of 
the  County  Commissioners'  Court  was  held  No- 
vember, 1849.  After  the  transaction  of  such  busi- 
ness as  properly  came  before  them,  they  adjourned 
until  court  in  course,  but  never  re-assembled. 

On  the  first  Monday  of  December  of  the  same 
year  the  first  regular  term  of  the  County  Court 
was  held.  The  duties  of  the  court  in  a  legislative 
capacity  were  precisely  the  same  as  those  of  the 
County  Commissioners'  Court.  In  addition  to 
the  legislative  power  the  members  of  this  court 
were  permitted  to  exercise  judicial  authority,  hav- 
ing all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  justices  of  the 
peace,  together  with  all  probate  business.  This 
court  consisted  of  a  county  judge  and  two  asso- 
ciate justices.  The  judge  and  associate  justices 
acted  together  for  the  transaction  of  all  county 
business,  but  none  other.  The  justices  had  an 
equal  vote  with  the  judge,  and  received  the  same 
salary  while  holding  court,  which  was  $2  per  day. 
Two  of  the  three  constituted  a  quorum.  ' 

The  county  judge  who  served  under  this  re- 
gime was  James  Ward.  The  associate  justices 
were  Joshua  Woosley  and  William  P.  Harpole. 

The  Constitution  of  1847  provided  for  town- 
ship organization  in  those  counties  desiring  it. 
(Hons.  William  R.  Archer  and  William  A.  Grim- 
shaw, both  of  this  county,  were  members  of  the 
convention  framing  this  constitution.)  The  ques- 
tion of  organizing  according  to  this  provision  soon 
began,  of  course,  to  agitate  the  people  of  Pike 
county,  and  the  controversy  grew  bitter, — the 
bitterest  indeed  that  this  more  than  usually  peace- 
ful community  ever  indulged  in.  Immigrants 
from  the  East  were  familiar. with  the  workings  of 
township  legislation  and  management,  and  de- 
sired to  perpetuate  their  home  institution  in  the 


8o 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


West ;  but  the  other  citizens  of  the  county  were 
afraid  that  the  introduction  of  the  measure  would 
necessitate  an  increase  of  office  holders,  useless 
expenses  and  many  unforeseen  vexations.  The 
judges  in  office  were  all  opposed  to  the  innovation, 
— so  much  so  indeed  that  they  continued  to  hold 
court  even  after  the  great  victory  of  the  innova- 
tors in  carrying  the  county  by  1,563  votes  against 
317,  and  the  election  of  new  members.  For  a 
short  time  the  county  had  two  legislatures  at 
once.  The  vote  was  taken  at  the  general  election 
of  November  6,  1849,  at  which  election  Peter  V. 
Shankland  was  elected  county  clerk  on  this  hotly 
contested  issue,  and  Stephen  R.  Gray  sheriff. 
Both  these  gentlemen  were  Democrats,  in  favor 
of  township  organization.  Indeed,  as  a  matter  of 
curiosity,  but  of  no  political  significance,  we  may 
state  that  the  fight  on  both  sides  was  nearly  all 
done  by  the  Democrats,  the  Whigs  taking  but 
little  part. 

An  election  was  held  in  November,  1849,  to 
vote  "for"  or  "against"  township  organization, 
which  resulted  in  favor  of  the  measure.  This  was 
met  with  bitter  opposition,  however,  and  an  appeal 
was  taken  to  the  Circuit  Court  by  Samuel  L. 
Crane.  The  law  was  decided  to  be  constitutional, 
and  the  election  a  fair  one. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Pike  county  first 
assembled  April  8,  1850,  this  being  one  of  the  first 
counties  in  the  State  to  organize  under  the  town- 
ship mode. 

There  were  present  at  this  meeting  the  follow- 
ing members  :  Montgomery  Blair,  Barry ;  Hazen 
Pressy,  Washington;  Archibald  Brooks,  Cham- 
bersburg;  David  Preble,  Salem;  Wilson  Adams, 
Hardin ;  William  Ross,  Newburg ;  Thomas  Hull, 
Kinderhook;  A.  W.  Bemis,  Martinsburg;  R.  C. 
Robertson,  Milton ;  James  M.  Seeley,  Atlas,  and 
John  McTucker,  Hadley.  Supervisor  Blair  was 
elected  temporary  chairman  and  Colonel  Ross 
chosen  chairman.  The  board  then  adjourned 
to  re-assemble  April  23,  1850.  There  were 
present  at  this  second  meeting  the  following 
gentlemen:  William  Ross;  Archibald  Brooks; 
Darius  Dexter,  Perry ;  Amos  Hill,  Griggsville ; 
David  Preble;  John  McTucker;  Montgomery 
Blair;  Jesse  Seniff,  Detroit;  Thomas  Hull;  A.  W. 
Bemis ;  J.  M.  Seeley ;  J.  T.  Hyde,  Pittsfield ;  R.  C. 


Robertson ;  Wilson  Adams ;  Hazen  Pressy ;  and 
James  Talbot,  Pleasant  Vale. 

Chambersburg,  Flint,  Detroit,  Montezuma, 
Pearl,  Levee,  Cincinnati  and  Ross  are  fractional 
townships,  while  Atlas  has  eighteen  full  sections 
and  seven  fractional  sections  on  her  western 
border. 

CHAMBERSBURG.  This  township  lies  in  the 
extreme  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  The 
first  pioneers  who  came  to  this  township  were 
James  Wells,  Samuel  Atchison,  a  Mr.  Brewster 
and  a  Mr.  Van  Woy.  They  came  in  1822.  The 
first  sermon  preached  in  the  township  was  in 
1827.  The  town  was  laid  out  May  7,  1833,  by 
Sebourn  Gilmore.  It  is  situated  under  a  high 
bluff  on  the  edge  of  the  Illinois  river  bottom  and 
is  surrounded  by  some  good  farming  country. 
The  town  is  a  small  one  but  filled  with  good  and 
enterprising  citizens. 

FLINT.  This  is  the  smallest  township  in  the 
county  and  was  the  first  one  settled,  in  1817.  A 
Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Teboe  was  the  first 
settler.  Garrett  Van  Deusen  was  the  next  set- 
tler. He  established  a  ferry  at  what  is  known  as 
Phillipsburg,  now  Griggsville  Landing  or  Valley 
City.  Flint  has  a  fine  magnesia  spring  in  the. 
southeastern  portion  of  the  township.  Valley 
City  is  the  only  town  in  the  township  and  is  on 
the  Wabash  Railroad. 

DETROIT.  Detroit  township  was  settled  by 
Lewis  Allen  in  1823.  The  pioneers  had  many  en- 
counters with  wild  animals  during  the  early  settle- 
ment. Detroit  has  two  towns,  Florence  being  the 
oldest  and  laid  out  in  1836  by  the  Florence  Com- 
pany, composed  principally  of  Pittsfield  business 
men,  among  whom  were  Austin  Barber,  William 
Ross,  Robert  R.  Green  and  Thomas  Worthing- 
ton.  In  the  old  Illinois  Gazeteer,  Florence  was 
known  by  the  name  of  Augusta.  Florence  has 
the  honor  of  being  the  place  where  nearly  one 
thousand  men  of  Pike  county's  bravest  and  best 
were  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  in 
1862  and  afterward  known  as  the  Ninety-ninth 
or  Pike  County  Regiment  of  Volunteers.  Detroit 
village  was  founded  in  1837  by  Peter  H.  Lucas, 
and  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  farming  country 
and  its  people  are  among  Pike  county's  best. 

MONTEZUMA.     The  first  settlers  of  Montezuma 


FIRST  JAIL  AT  PITTSFIELD 


^ 


FAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


township  were  Ebenezer  Franklin,  who  came  in 
1819;  Charles  Adams,  James  Daniels,  David  Dan- 
iels, David  and  Daniel  Hoover,  Joel  Meacham, 
Thomas  Davis,  who  came  in  1826.  Like  all  set- 
tlers of  new  countries  they  suffered  many  hard- 
ships and  inconveniences.  The  nearest  mill  for 
the  first  few  years  was  at  Edwardsville,  Madison 
county,  eighty  miles  away.  At  that  time  there 
were  about  200  Indians  in  the  neighborhood.  A 
Dr.  Houston  was  the  first  physician.  Polly  Davis 
was  the  first  school  teacher.  In  addition  to  the 
care  of  the  neighbors'  children  she  had  eight  of 
her  own.  The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Joseph 
Gale  and  Elizabeth  Garrison  in  1830.  There 
are  three  villages  in  this  township,  Milton,  Mon- 
tezuma  and  Bedford.  The  townsTtfp  .is  a'  most 
excellent  agricultural  one  and  has  some  (ft 'the* 
best  and  most  enterprising  farmers. 

PEARL.  Pearl's  first  settlers  came  in  1824  or 
1825  and  were  A.  Perkins,  J.  R.  Ottwell,  William 
Pruett  and  John  Ottwell.  The  first  marriage  was 
William  Ottwell  and  Rachel  Collins  and  they  were 
united  by  Rev.  Mr.  Osborne,  a  Baptist  minister, 
who  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the  township  in 
1829.  Pearl  has  the  villages  of  Pearl,  Bee 
Creek  Village,  Bee  Creek  Mills,  Pearl  Station 
and  Chow  Row.  Near  old  Pearl  is  one  of  the 
finest  springs  in  Illniois.  In  the  old  times  an  old- 
fashioned  undershot  watermill  was  run  by  the 
immense  volume  of  water  flowing  from  the 
spring.  What  is  known  as  the  new  town  of 
Pearl  is  situated  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad 
and  is  a  place  of  considerable  business. 

PERRY.  Perry  is  one  of  the  first  class  town- 
ships situated  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  county. 
The  first  settlers  came  in  about  1829  and  were 
Joseph  Cavander,  John  Hume,  Abel  Shelley,  John 
Matthews,  Mr.  Lovelady  and  John  Gillaspie.  The 
first  school  taught  in  the  township  was  in  1830 
by  John  Cavander.  The  town  of  Perry,  number- 
ing about  700,  was  laid  out  by  Joseph  S.  King 
in  1836  and  first  christened  Booneville  in.  honor 
of  Daniel  Boone.  The  name  was  afterward 
changed  to  Perry  in  honor  of  Commodore  Perry, 
the  hero  of  Lake  Erie,  who  said  "We  have  met 
the  enemy  and  they  are  ours."  Perry  has  a  bank 
and  a  newspaper  and  while  an  inland  town  with 
no  railroads  is  an  enterprising,  energetic  and  pro- 


gressive town.  This  township  also  has  the  fa- 
mous Perry  Springs,  which  are  called  magnesia, 
iron  and  sulphur  springs,  but  of  late  years  seem 
to  have  lost  their  prestige  as  a  heiltli  resort. 

GRIGGSVILLE.  Griggsville  is  one  of  the  most 
important  and  wealthy  townships  in  the  county. 
It  has  the  distinctive  honor  of  being  the  only 
town  of  that  name  in  the  United  States.  The 
township  was  settled  as  early  as  1825  by  Henry 
Bateman.  The  first  birth  in  the  township  was  a 
son  of  Mr.  Bateman  and  the  first  to  die  was 
Mr.  Bateman's  wife.  The  city  of  Griggsville 
was  laid  out  in  1833  by  Joshua  Stanford  and 
Richard  Griggs  and  was  named  Griggsville  by 
Mr.  Jones  in  honor  of  Mr.  Griggs.  In  1838  there 
was  what  was  known  as  an  abolition  melee  in 
..Griggsville  caused  over  a  democratic  and  whig 
ele'ction  for  constable.  They  had  a  red  hot  and 
bitter  contest  which  resulted  in  the  election  of 
B.  S.  Coffey.  The  democrats  were  very  hostile 
over  the  election  and  a  democrat  assaulted  Cof- 
fey, which  caused  a  general  row  with  no  one  se- 
riously hurt.  A  few  weeks  later  a  gentleman 
visited  at  Griggsville  holding  anti-slavery  meet- 
ings and  asking  people  to  petition  congress  to 
abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  Quite 
a  number  signed  his  petition.  The  objectors 
met  in  a  saloon  and  passed  resolutions  that  the 
parties  who  had  signed  the  petition  should  be 
compelled  to  erase  their  signatures  from  it.  The 
mob  element  took  the  papers  away  from  the  man 
and  returned  with  them,  called  upon  the  signers 
and  demanded  that  they  immediately  erase  their 
names  under  the  penalty  of  violence  should  they 
refuse.  Some  complied,  others  did  not.  They 
then  notified  the  obstinate  ones  that  they  must 
erase  their  names.  The  good  people  of  the  town 
met  in  a  hotel  and  organized  for  resistance.  The 
mob  came  with  a  rope  and  threw  it  around  the 
body  of  N.  W.  Jones  and  attempted  to  drag 
him  out  and  hang  him,  but  he  escaped  from  them 
am!  the  s;ood  citizens  soon  showed  what  metal 
tlicv  were  made  of  and  the  mob  soon  found  it  the 
best  policy  to  desist  from  their  murderous 
intention.  Griggsville  has  two  banks  and  two 
newspapers  and  all  kinds  of  business  is  fully  rep- 
resented in  the  town.  The  early  settlers  knew 
what  privations  were.  In  1834  tea,  coffee  or 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


sugar  could  not  be  bought.  They  had  maple 
sugar  and  corn  or  rye  coffee  and  sassafras  tea. 
Griggsville  has  a  very  successful  fair  and  is  now 
the  only  fair  held  in  the  county.  They  have  per- 
haps the  most  commodious  fair  grounds  of  any 
county  in  the  state  and  being  in  the  racing  circuit, 
the  lovers  of  equine  speed  have  great  enjoyment 
in  witnessing  the  trials  on  the  track. 

NEWBURG.  The  first  settler  in  Newburg  was 
Daniel  Husong  in  1833.  Newburg  is  so  closely 
identified  with  Pittsfield  that  it  has  no  town  of 
its  own  but  is  noted  as  a  most  excellent  agricul- 
tural township. 

HARDIN.  The  first  settlers  in  Hardin  were 
Benjamin  Barney,  Nathaniel  Bagby,  Solomon 
Main,  Jacob  Henry,  Joseph  Halford,  Jesse  Mason 
and  Aaron  Thornton.  The  first  couple  married 
was  Nathaniel  Thornton  and  Lucinda  Bagby, 
the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Rev.  Lewis 
Allen.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  Jesse  Gar- 
rison in  1833.  Time,  a  very  pleasant  little- village, 
is  located  in  this  township.  Its  population  now 
is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  being  an  in- 
land town,  its  future  is  not  very  bright.  It  has 
many  good  citizens  and  is  an  excellent  farming 
community. 

SPRING  CREEK.  Spring  Creek  is  one  of  the 
southern  tier  of  townships  bounded  on  {he  south 
by  Calhoun  county.  It  was  settled  in  1832  by 
Silas  Wilson.  The  surface  is  very  broken  and  is 
not  a  very  good  agricultural  township.  Nebo 
is  its  principal  town  and  has  about  six  hundred 
people.  It  has  a  bank  and  a  newspaper  and  is 
located  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  and  is 
known  as  a  good  business  town. 

FAIRMOUNT.  Fairmount  is  one  of  the  finest 
townships  on  the  north  side  of  the  county.  Its 
first  settlement  was  about  1831.  The  township 
is  an  excellent  one  for  farm  and  stock  operations 
and  her  citizens  are  among  the  best  of  the  county. 
In  1840  Henry  Benson  taught  the  first  school  on 
section  16,  in  a  log  school  house.  In  the  time  of 
the  Civil  war  Fairmount's  patriotic  blood  was 
aroused  and  she  sent  her  quota  of  her  gallant  boys 
in  blue  to  do  or  die  for  home  and  country. 

NEW  SALEM.  The  first  pioneer  who  ventured 
to  locate  in  this  township  was  Mr.  Joab  Shinn, 
who  came  in  1830.  In  1831  came  Isaac  Conklin 


and  his  two  sons,  William  Scholl  and  Nathan 
Swigert.  The  first  school  house  built  in  New 
Salem  was  in  1834.  New  Salem  has  two  enter- 
prising towns,  Baylis  and  New  Salem.  New 
Salem  was  laid  out  in  1847  and  Baylis  in  1869. 
Baylis  has  a  bank  and  a  newspaper.  Both  towns 
have  enterprising  business  men  and  have  the 
benefits  of  the  Wabash  Railroad.  A  noted  resi- 
dent of  New  Salem  township  from  1833  until  his 
death  a  few  years  ago,  was  Capt.  Henry  Browne, 
who  was  born  in  Ireland,  highly  educated  and 
aristocratic,  a  quiet  and  useful  man,  always  held 
his  allegiance  to  Great  Britian.  He  was  a  skilled 
physician,  and  was  a  true  friend  to  the  poor;  and 
was  never  known  to  take  a  cent  for  services  or 
medicines.  He  was  noted  for  his  high  sense  of 
honor,  and  marked  respect  for  the  rights  of 
others. 

PITTSFIELD.  Pittsfield  is  near  the  center  of  the 
county  and  is  the  county  capital.  The  pio- 
neer who  first  located  here  was  Joel 
Moore,  next  came  Ephraim  Cannon  and 
Moses  Riggs.  The  county  seat  was  located  at 
Pittsfield  by  Commissioners  George  W.  Hin- 
man,  Hawkins  Judd  and  Benjamin  Barney.  The 
first  sale  of  lots  took  place  May  15,  1833.  The 
town  was  recorded  May  14,  1833.  The  first  court 
house  was  built  in  1833,  and  the  second  one  in 
1838,  and  the  present  structure  in  1894-5,  is  a 
handsome  temple  of  justice  and  perhaps  in  its 
appointments  and  finish  will  compare  favorably 
with  any  in  the  State.  The  town  has  three  news- 
papers, two  banks  and  the  largest  flouring  mill 
in  the  western  part  of  the  state;  has  eight 
churches  and  two  large  school  buildings.  Among 
the  famous  people  who  began  their  careers  in 
Pittsfield  were  Milton  Hay ;  John  Hay,  who  in  his 
lifetime  was  recognized  as  one  of  America's 
greatest  diplomats;  John  G.  Nickolay,  private 
secretary  to  President  Lincoln.  Pittsfield's  citi- 
zens that  are  sojourning  on  the  Pacific  coast  and 
in  the  West  are  very  numerous,  and  most  of 
them  are  making  fame  and  fortunes  for  them- 
selves. Pittsfield  has  several  good  hotels  and  a 
very  commodious  opera  house.  In  secret  socie- 
ties, she  has  the  Masons,  blue  lodge,  chapter  and 
commandery ;  Odd  Fellows  ;  Knights  of  Pythias  ; 
Woodmen ;  Mutual  Protective  League ;  Pike 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


County  Mutual ;  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
and  numerous  others. 

MARTINSBURG.  This  township  is  situated  in 
the  second  tier  above  the  Calhoun  county  line, 
and  its  southwest  corner  is  within  five  miles  of 
the  Mississippi  river.  Fisher  Petty  was  the  first 
settler  and  came  in  1825.  It  has  two  villages, 
Martinsburg  and  New  Hartford ;  both  towns  are 
occupied  by  good  quiet  citizens,  and  for  little  vil- 
lages do  their  share  of  the  business.  Neither 
have  railroad  facilities,  which  rather  militates 
against  their  business. 

PLEASANT  HILL.  This  township  was  first  set- 
tled in  1821  by  Belus  and  Egbert  Jones.  Pleas- 
ant Hill's  southern  boundary  touches  Calhoun 
county.  It  has  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  a 
bank  and  a  newspaper.  It  has  a  number  of  pro- 
gressive business  men  and  a  population  of  about 
450.  The  town  of  Pleasant  Hill  was  laid  out  in 
1836,  and  was  incorporated  in  1869.  Pleasant 
Hill  had  the  first  license  from"  the  county  com- 
missioners court  in  1821  to  keep  a  tavern  and  sell 
liquor.  The  first  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev. 
Stephen  Ruddle  in  1826,  who  had  been  a  pris- 
oner held  by  the  Indians  for  sixteen  years.  The 
man's  ability  and  knowledge  was  such  that  al- 
most every  person  in  the  entire  township  turned 
out  to  hear  him  preach.  The  first  schoolhouse 
was  erected  in  1832. 

HADLEY.  Hadley  is  a  fine  township  of  land, 
perhaps  one  of  the  best  in  the  military  tract.  The 
first  settler  in  this  township  was  a  black,  man,  who 
was  known  as  Free  Frank,  and  who  came  from 
Kentucky  in  1829.  The  Legislature  gave  him  a 
name,  and  he  was  afterward  known  as  Frank 
McWorter.  The  first  white  settler  to  locate  in 
this  township  was  Joshua  Woosley,  who  was  af- 
terward sheriff  of  the  county.  Mr.  Woolsey 
used  the  first  grain  cradle  superseding  the  old- 
fashioned  sickle ;  and  it  was  such  a  curiosity  that 
the  settlers  came  from  far  and  near  to  see  it.  He 
charged  a  bushel  of  wheat  per  acre  for  cutting 
with  it,  which  was  a  very  small  price,  being  only 
about  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents. 

DERRY.  Derry  is  a  splendid  farming  town- 
ship. It  was  first  settled  by  David  W.  Howard 
in  1826.  Derry  has  one  town,  founded  in  1836 
by  Nathaniel  Winters  and  named  Washington. 


In  1850,  when  township  organization  took  effect, 
it  was  found  there  was  another  Washington  in 
Tazewell  county,  and  the  postmaster  general  noti- 
fied them  they  should  change  their  name,  which 
was  afterward  changed  to  Eldara.  The  town 
has  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  population  and 
several  thoroughgoing  business  men,  two  churches 
and  an  excellent  school  building. 

ATLAS.  When  we  reach  this  name  we  are  car- 
ried back  to  the  day  when  Atlas  was  expected  to 
be  a  great  city. .  It  is  located  in  a  fertile  valley, 
with  upland  and  bottom  land,  good  and  produc- 
tive. The  first  settlers  were  the  Ross  family; 
Ebenezer,  Franklin  and  Daniel  Shinn.  Many  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Atlas  went  to  other  parts  of 
the  county,  and  John  Wood  went  to  Quincy-  and 
founded  the  now  "Gem  City."  Atlas  township 
has  three  towns,  Atlas,  Rockport  and  Summer 
Hill,  filled  with  many  of  Pike  county's 
best  people.  Rockport,  on  the  railroad,  has 
a  fine  elevator  and  several  good  business 
houses.  In  Atlas  town  there  is  yet  standing  a 
house  that  was  erected  in  1822.  To  a  person  vis- 
iting Atlas  for  the  first  time,  seeing  the  beautiful 
landscape  and  surroundings,  would  be  impressed 
that  Colonel  Ross  was  evidently  much  elated 
with  his  great  expectations  that  Quincy  would 
not  make  much  of  a  town  because  it  was  too  near 
Atlas. 

Ross.  Ross  township  was  formed  from  Atlas 
township  in  1879  and  was  named  in  honor  of 
Colonel  William  Ross  by  Captain  M.  D.  Massie, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in 
that  year.  The  township  is  fractional  and  has 
no  particular  history  except  for  its  productive 
farms  and  worthy  agricultural  citizens. 

BARRY.  The  first  settlers  in  Barry,  in  1824, 
were  Rev.  David  Edwards  and  Mr.  Hadley.  Soon 
after  these  men  came  Rev.  William  M.  Blair  and 
his  sons.  Those  who  afterward  took  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  history  of  the  township  were 
Montgomery  and  William  Blair,  Hezekiah  Me- 
Atee,  Alfred  Grubb  and  Elijah  L.  McAtee. 
Other  early  settlers  were  Josiah  and  Wil- 
liam Lippencott,  Stephen  R.  Gray,  Burton 
Gray,  John  Milhizer  and  Levi  McDaniel.  Most 
of  the  above  came  prior  to  or  during  the  year 
1836.  Benjamin  Barney,  Michael  and  Alonzo 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Gard  came  in  1826,  A.  C.  Baker  in  1827.  A  noted 
Dr.  Hudnel  was  an  eccentric  character  and  useful 
man,  practiced  in  Barry  and  Pleasant  Vale.  Bart- 
lett  &  Birdsong  kept  the  first  store  and  they  also 
laid  out  Barry  as  the  agents  for  Stone,  the  owner, 
of  the  land.  In  1836  Daniel  A.  Shaw  hauled  the 
first  load  of  goods  into  Worcester,  now  Barry,  for 
Bartlett  &  Birdsong.  They  were  landed  at  Phil- 
lips Ferry,  now  Griggsville  Landing  or  Valley 
City.  The  first  Fourth  of  July  celebration  in  Barry 
took  place  in  1838.  Among  the  speakers  were 
Dr.  A.  C.  Baker,  William  A.  Grimshaw  and  Colonel 
William  Ross.  The  first  wedding1  in  the  town- 
ship was  that  of  Samuel  Blair  and  Miss  Lucy 
Brewster  in  1829.  Rev.  William  Blair  preached 
the  first  sermon  in  his  own  log  house  on  section 
30,  in  1829,  and  he  also  taught  the  first  school  in  a 
log  building  on  section  28  in  1830.  Barry  has 
two  newspapers,  the  Adage  and  Record.-  The 
first  bank  in  Barry  was  known  as  the  C.  &  S. 
Davis  and  Angle  Bank.  It  was  opened  in  1872 
and  in  1905  it  became  insolvent  and  went  into  the 
hands,  of  a  receiver.  Indications  appear  to  show 
that  the  depositors  will  lose  but  little  if  anything. 
The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1901. 
Barry  has  numerous  secret  societies  as  follows: 
Masons ;  Odd  Fellows ;  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America;  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen; 
Mutual  Protective  League;  Court  of  Honor; 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic ;  Woman's  Relief 
Corps;  Fraternal  Army  of  America  and  Loyal 
Americans  and  a  few  others.  Stephen  R.  Gray 
was  the  first  postmaster ;  Captain  C.  H.  Hurt  is 
postmaster  now.  Barry  has  a  fine  library  build- 
ing, the  gift  of  Mrs.  B.  D.  Brown.  The  library 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county,  and  is  being 
added  to  frequently.  Barry  has  a  fine  record  for 
entertaining  as  the  old  settlers  and  soldiers  can 
attest,  having  been  often  given  the  keys  of  the 
city. 

Jon  Shastid's  school  in  Barry  for  the  term 
ending  on  April  2,  1857 :  Edward  W.  Baker,  Al- 
fred Baker,  James  C.  Brown,  Arthur  Baird,  Al- 
bert Blackman,  James  Baird,  George  Bill,  Eugene 
Chamberlain,  Jerome  Chamberlain,  Jon  Chamber- 
lain, Aaron  Chamberlain,  Alfred  Elam,  Oliver 
Emerson,  Marion  Fairchild,  Eugene  Gray, 
William  E.  Grubb,  Ira  6.  Gray,  William  P. 


Gorton,  Thomas  E.  Gorton,  Marcellus  Harvey, 
Henry  L.  Hadsell,  Charles  H.  Hurt,  Jon  M. 
Hurt,  George  Rowland,  George  Jasper,  Edward 
D.  B.  Jerome,  Charles  Klein,  William  H.  Kidwell, 
David  Kidwell,  Daniel  Kidwell,  George  Luzader, 
George  W.  Liggett,  William  E.  Robison,  George 
W.  Thompson,  James  M.  Widby,  Sarah  E.  Bond, 
Jane  Cheadle,  Diantha  Cheadle,  Mary  J.  Crooks, 
Lucy '  M.  Ellis,  Emma  Eddingfield,  Dorothy 
Frike,  Mary  E.  Gillum  Catherine  Harvey,  Allena 
Lane,  Elizabeth  J.  Lane,  Mary  A.  Mason,  Maricia 
Mason,  Julia  U.  Mason,  Elizabeth  Petty,  Nancy 
Petty,  Lucetta  Pope,  Matilda  Sprague. 

PLEASANT  VALE.  The  first  settlers  were 
John  Wood,  afterward  Governor  of  Illinois, 
Willard  Keyes  and  David  Dutton,  who  came  in 
1821  and  1822,  and  settled  on  sections  16  and  22. 
Mr.  Dutton  was  one  of  the  county  commissioners 
in  1822.  Amos  and  Joseph  Jackson,  Major 
Hinckly,  Parley  Jackson,  Levi  Howard,  Mr. 
Rice,  Daniel  Mitchell  and  Andrew  Shearer  were 
also  very  early  settlers.  Mr.  Shearer  "blazed 
out"  the  first  road  from  where  New  Canton  now 
is  to  the  town  of  Washington,  now  Eldara.  The 
first  vVhite  child  born  in  the  township  was  An- 
drew J.  Stanley,  in  1823.  The  first  death  was 
Mary  Jane  McDaniel  in  the  same  year,  and  the 
first  marriage  was  Peter  J.  Saxbury  and  Ma- 
tilda Stanley  in  June,  1827.  These  early  settlers 
endured  many  hardships  and  privations  in  pre- 
paring the  way  for  future  generations  and  future 
prosperity,  which  the  people  of  to-day  know  not 
of.  They  ground  their  corn  for  food  on  a  hand 
mill,  and  at  times  crushed  it  in  a  hominy  block. 
The  latter  consisted  of  a  hole  burnt  in  a  stump 
or  block  of  wood,  in  which  corn  was  placed  and 
crushed  with  an  iron  wedge  or  mallet.  In  a  short 
time,  however,  these  odd  and  rude  pieces  of  pio- 
neer machinery  were  replaced  by  horse  mills. 
These  were  generally  situated  eight  or  ten  miles 
from  the  settlers  here,  and  although  they  were  a 
great  improvement  upon  the  hand  mills  and  the 
hominy  blocks,  the  process  of  grinding  would  be 
considered  very  slow,  indeed,  by  the  people  of 
this  day  and  age  of  steam  mills.  The  boys  then 
went  to  mill  on  horseback,  and  seldom  ever  re- 
turned the  same  day.  They  would  congregate 
under  the  old  shed  of  the  horse  mill  while  wait- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


ing  for  their  turn,  and  there  make  a  fire  and 
parch  corn,  tell  jokes,  etc.  In  this  way  they 
would  pass  the  night  very  pleasantly  without  sup- 
per or  sleep ;  for  the  supper  could  not  be  had. 
and  there  was  no  place  to  sleep,  save  on  the  sacks 
of  corn. 

Then  came  the  days  of  schools  and  churches. 
The  first  schoolhouse  erected  by  the  settlers  was 
on  section  22,  in  1825.  It  was  a  log  cabin  with 
a  clapboard  door,  puncheon  floor,  slab  benches 
for  seats  and  a  huge  fire  place  at  one  end  of  the 
room.  The  desks  consisted  of  puncheons  sup- 
ported by  pins  in  the  wall ;  the  fire  place  had  no 
chimney  except  above  the  root";  there  were  two 
doors,  one  at  each  side  of  the  fire  place.  The 
fuel  used  consisted  of  huge  logs,  which  were  of- 
ten dragged  into  the  house  by  a  horse  coming 
in  at  one  door  and  passing  through  and  out  at  the 
other.  Around  and  near  the  fire  place  there  was 
no  floor  except  the  ground,  the  puncheon  floor 
covering  the  back  part  of  the  room  only.  The 
window  consisted  of  a  log  removed  from  one  side 
of  the  room,  with  greased  paper  pasted  over  the 
aperture.  The  first  teacher  here  was  a  Mr.  Ran- 
kin.  The  pioneer  teacher  was  of  the  ox  driver 
class,  and  generally  carried  a  large  "gad"  in  his 
hands,  to  maintain  order  in  the  school. 

Religious  worship  was  early  instituted  in  the 
first  settlement  of  this  township.  The  first  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Rev.  Mr.  Hunter,  of  the 
Methodist  denomination,  and  the  first  regularly 
organized  religions  society  was  also  that  of  the 
Methodist.  This  society  first  worshiped  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  Jackson,  and  afterward  in  the 
schoolhouse  on  section  22.  The  Mormons  also 
figured  largely  in  a  church  organization  here  some 
years  later.  They  at  one  time  had  a  society  of 
about  100  communicants,  and  erected  a  house  of 
worship  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  township. 
When  the  Xauvoo  trouble  came,  however,  they 
left  this  neighborhood  to  join  their  brethren  at 
that  place.  The  old  Mormon  church  was  after- 
ward moved  to  the  Mississippi  river,  and  there 
used  for  a  warehouse. 

In  those  early  days  the  wagons,  for  the  most 
part,  were  rudely  constructed  by  the  settlers 
themselves,  and  consisted  wholly  of  wood.  The 
wheels  were  sawed  from  large  sycamore  trees. 


and  holes  were  bored  in  the  center,  in  which  to 
insert  the  axletree.  The  farmers  often  used  these 
wagons  in  going  to  mill,  hauling  their  produce 
to  market,  and  for  a  conveyance  in  which  to  at- 
tend church. 

In  pioneer  times,  when  there  were  scarcely  any 
fences,  and  not  land  enough  under  cultivation  to 
stop  the  great  prairie  fires  which  occurred  in 
the  fall  of  the  year,  they  proved  very  disastrous 
to  those  living  in  the  prairie.  This  township, 
consists,  for  the  most  part,  of  Mississippi  river 
bottom  land,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  prairie. 
The  grass  on  this  bottom  land  grew  to  an  enor- 
mous height,  was  very  thick,  and  as  high  as  a 
man's  head  while  on  horseback.  This  grass  was 
so  heavy  and  thick  that  when  the  settlers  went  a- 
fishing  in  the  sny  they  would  hitch  the  team  to 
a  large  bush  or  tree  and  drag  it  through  the  grass 
and  mash  it  down,  to  make  a  road  for  them  to 
pass  over.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  this  luxuriant 
growth  of  grass  would  be  set  on  fire  by  the  In- 
dians or  hunters,  and  'especially  when  the  wind 
was  high,  would  sweep  resistlessly  over  the  whole 
country,  high  and  low,  destroying  a  great  deal 
of  property. 

The  pioneers  early  learned  to  guard  against 
this  destructive  element  by  plowing  wide  strips 
of  land  around  their  premises  and  around  their 
grain  and  hay.  As  soon  as  the  alarm  of  fire  was 
given,  each  settler  would  immediately  begin  to 
"back  fire."  This  was  done  by  setting  the  grass 
on  fire  next  outside  the  plowed  strip,  which  would 
burn  slowly  and  meet  the  rapidly  advancing 
flames  that  came  rolling  in  majestic  grandeur, 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  the  air. 

This  bottom  land  ig  now  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  since  the  completion  of  the 
levee  has  become  one  of  the  richest  farming  dis- 
tricts of  America.  The  land  lying  between  the 
sny  and  the  Mississippi  is  timber  land,  and  as 
fertile  as  the  prairie.  It  is  now  rapidly  being 
cleared  and  improved. 

On  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  29  is  a  salt 
spring,  which  at  one  time  afforded  considerable 
salt  water.  Mr.  Keyes  carried  water  from  this 
spring  to  his  home  on  section  22,  a  distance  of  a 
mile  and  a  half,  boiled  it  down,  and  made  salt  for 
family  use  and  for  his  neighbors. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


As  the  bluffs  extend  from  the  northwest  to 
southeast  through  the  township,  the  up  land  is 
divided  from  the  bottom  land,  forming  a  trian- 
gular section.  This  land  is  very  rough  and 
roken,  and  is  underlaid  with  a  heavy  bed  of 
nestone,  and  is  consequently  better  adapted  to 
ic  growing  of  small  grain  and  fruit  than  to  gen- 
ral  farming.  There  is  some  excellent  farming 
and  along  the  course  of  Keyes  creek,  which  ex- 
ends  along  the  eastern  portion  of  the  township. 
This  creek  was  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Keyes,  of 
whom  we  have  spoken  in  the  first  part  of  this 
sketch.  At  one  time  this  creek  and  others 
abounded  in  countless  numbers  of  fish,  and  thus 
aided  in  furnishing  the  settlers  with  the  neces- 
saries of  life.  Although  the  pioneers  were  de- 
prived of  many  things  that  are  enjoyed  at  the 
present  day,  yet  they  always  had  abundance  to 
eat  and  wear.  If  their  store  clothes  or  homespun 
gave  way,  they  would  simply  construct  clothing 
from  the  hides  of  animals.  The  first  justice  of 
the  peace  of  this  township  was  Major  Hinckley. 
New  Canton  is  the  only  town  in  Pleasant  Vale 
township,  and  has  nearly  600  population.  It  was 
founded  April  2,  1835,  by  Charles  T.  Brewster, 
Hiram  Smith  and  Jesse  Titsworth.  New  Can- 
ton has  two  churches,  Methodist  and  Union, 
open  to  all  denominations,  but  mostly  used  by  the 
Christian  society,  flourishing  Sunday  schools ; 
and  Epworth  League  and  Christian  Endeavor 
are  held  at  both  churches,  with  large  attendance 
and  great  interest.  The  first  school  was  on  sec- 
tion 9,  in  1832,  and  the  first  schoolhouse  was 
built  in  1836,  a  Mr.  Hale  being  the  first  school 
master.  The  present  school  building  was  erected 
in  1866,  with  an  addition  a  few  years  later.  The 
principal  and  assistants  are  Miss  Emma  Card, 
Misses  Flossie  Shearer,  Clyde  Temple  and  Edith 
Card,  and  the  gems  of  knowledge  are  cheerfully 
imparted  to  the  young  citizens  that  will  take 
them.  The  town  was  incorporated  in  1869.  The 
present  officers  are:  Abraham  Likes,  president; 
trustees,  M.  H.  Fuller,  L.  Card,  Jr.,  H.  A.  Mas- 
sie,  H.  Koeller,  James  Temple  and  D.  Godfrey. 
The  business  of  the  town  is  three  general  stores, 
three  grocery  stores,  one  drug  store,  one  jewelry 
store,  one  restaurant,  one  hotel,  two  barber  shops, 
two  blacksmiths,  one  wood  worker,  two  grain  ele- 


vators, one  lumber  yard,  one  livery  and  feed 
stable,  two  physicians,  four  notaries  public,  three 
magistrates,  three  constables,  seven  carpenters, 
five  stone  masons  and  plasterers,  a  postoffice  with 
three  rural  routes,  one  bank,  and  the  following 
secret  societies:  Masons,  Woodmen,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Mutual  Protective  League,  Pike  County 
Mutual,  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  Royal 
Neighbors,  Loyal  Americans,  Mystic  Circle  and 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  A  few  years  ago 
the  town  had  a  pork  packing  and  milling  indus- 
try, but  they  were  smothered  out  like  all  modest 
r>lants  have  been  in  the  rural  districts.  New  Can- 
ton is  on  the  branch  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad,  twenty-eight  miles  from 
Quincy,  Illinois,  and  sixteen  miles  from  Louisi- 
ana, Missouri,  and  six  miles  from  the  Mississippi 
river.  The  town  has  telegraph  and  telephone 
connection  with  the  outside  world,  also  a  band 
hall  and  an  excellent  cornet  band,  a  billiard  hall, 
two  entertainment  halls  and  a  lodge  hall,  a  town 
hall  and  a  "cooler."  The  town  has  had '  several 
destructive  fires  and  numerous  costly  burglaries. 
The  agricultural  and  live  stock  interests  are  well 
conducted  by  up-to-date  and  enterprising  farm- 
ers, which  makes  the  town  one  of  the  best  ship- 
ping points  in  the  county.  Chicago  and  St. 
Louis  are  within  a  few  hours'  run,  and  are  the 
town's  principal  markets.  The  old-time  business 
men  were  John  Webb,  Shipman  &  Freeman,  W. 
P.  Freeman,  William  Turner,  Hugh  Barker, 
Warner  &  Blain,  Perry  H.  Davis,  Amos 
Morey,  A.  Shewe,  Massie  &  Gray,  Massie,  Heid- 
loff  &  Company.  The  business  men  of  to-day  are 
Atkinson  &  Son,  H.  Koeller,  W.  Ware,  D.  God- 
frey, Dudley  Brothers,  H.  A.  Massie,  Ed.  Up- 
pinghouse,  Ellis  Gard  and  G.  W.  Staff ;  and  the 
physicians  and  surgeons,  James  H.  Rainwater, 
George  U.  McComas.  Joseph  Jackson  was  the 
first  postmaster,  and  John  L.  Morey  the  last  one. 
The  elevator  men  are  Shaw-Garner  Company, 
with  Joseph  McFarland,  manager,  and  Werner 
Heidloff.  R.  E.  Funk  is  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad  agent. 

KINDERHOOK.  Kinderhook  is  west  of  Barry 
and  joins  Adams  county  on  the  north.  Its  south- 
west corner  is  a  half  mile  from  the  Mississippi 
river.  The  first  settlers  were  David  Cole,  Bird 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Brewer,  Mr.  Lyle,  Amasa  Shinn,  Mr.  McCraney, 
James  Hull,  Charles  Smith,  Charles  and  James 
Stratton,  Thomas  Orr  and  C.  Devoll.  The  town 
of  Kinderhook  was  laid  out  in  1836  by  Chester 
Churchill  and  Bridge  Whitten.  The  Wabash 
Railroad  touches  the  town.  Two  churches  and 
an  excellent  school  are  the  town's  pride.  Hull,  in 
this  township,  is  at  the  junction  of  the  Wabash 
and  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  railroads. 
Hull  has  a  bank  and  a  newspaper,  two  churches, 
a  large  grain  elevator  and  is  a  good  business  cen- 
ter. The  town  was  laid  out  in  1871  by  David 
Hull,  Rensselear  Sweet  and  William  Bridge. 

CINCINNATI.  Cincinnati  is  a  fractional  town- 
ship taken  from  Pleasant  Vale  in  1881.  It  con- 
sists of  eighteen  full  sections  and  six  fractional 
sections  and  contains  the  old-time  town  of  Cin- 
cinnati that  in  1848  was  the  greatest  business 
town  in  Pike  county,  but  the  great  flood  of  1851 
almost  obliterated  the  town.  During  the  palmy 
days  of  steamboating  it  was  the  greatest  shipping, 
point  on  the  west  side  of  the  county.  After  the 
coming  of  the  railroad  the  shipping  interests  have 
become  a  dead  letter.  It  has  some  as  good  and 
fertile  lands  as  are  on  the  earth.  It  has  one 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  the  township, 
known  as  the  Wike  Chapel,  and  numerous  com- 
modious schcolhouses.  The  township  is  noted 
for  its  abundant  production  of  wheat  and  corn._ 
It  used  to  have  a  postoffice,  with  W.  H.  Odiorne 
as  the  first  postmaster.  Its  first  school  treasurer 
was  Nelson  Morey. 

LEVEE.  Levee  was  originally  a  part  of  Kinder- 
hook  township  and  was  set  off  in  1875.  It  con- 
sists of  eighteen  full  sections  and  five  fractional 
sections,  nearly  all  of  which  are  as  good  land  as 
the  sun  shines  on.  The  township  has  several  good 
school  buildings  and  a  church  at  Spencer  switch, 
owned  and  occupied  by  the  Methodists.  It  has 
a  good  macadamized  road  leading  through  the 
township,  partly  sustained  by  the  Hannibal  busi- 
ness men.  Levee  has  two  railroads,  the  Wabash 
and  the  Quincy  &  Hannibal  branch  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad. 

The  business  men  of  the  various  towns  and 
villages  of  the  county  are  progressive,  active  and 
enterprising,  and  in  the  past  as  well  as  the  pres- 
ent have  been  an  important  factor  in  the  county's 


development,  in  the  way  of  schools,  churches, 
public  improvements  and  all  matters  that  were 
for  the  people's  best  interests,  but  in  the  past 
decade  all  have  been  seriously  handicapped  in 
their  business  enterprises  by  a  lack  of  home  reci- 
procity and  the  blighting  cry  for  cheap  and 
cheaper  supplies.  It  has  closed  the  factories  and 
decreased  the  population  of  the  county.  There 
is  a  great  cry  against  trusts  and  combines,  and  yet 
perhaps  unconsciously,  the  general  public  are  play- 
ing into  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  greatly  to 
their  own  detriment.  A  few  are  awakening  to  the 
fact  that  the  great  money  powers  are  only  inter- 
ested in  the  plain  people  just  as  far  as  the  al- 
mighty dollar  goes.  Pike  county  is  one  of  the 
best  agricultural  sections  in  the  great  military 
tract,  and  should  be  a  good  manufacturing  center, 
having,  as  it  has,  all  the  natural  advantages  of 
two  great  rivers  and  three  great  railroads.  The 
old-time  residents  were  blessed  with  pure  foods 
and  unadulterated  material.  Now  laws  are  in 
force  forbidding  adulterations,  but  the  suffering 
public  are  greatly  imposed  upon  and  the  law 
seems  to  be  a  dead  letter. 

SUPERVISORS. 

Below  we  give  a  full  list  of  all  the  Supervisors 
from  the  time  the  county  was  organized  under 
the  township  law  till  the  present  time,  by  years, 
together  with  the  name  of  the  chairman  and  the 
township  each  member  is  from  : 

1850 — William  Ross,  Newburg,  Chairman; 
Archibald  Brooks,  Chambersburg ;  Darius  Dex- 
ter, Perry;  Amos  Hill,  Griggsville;  David  Pre- 
ble,  New  Salem ;  John  McTucker,  Hadley ;  Mont- 
gomery Blaii**"  Barry;  Jesse  Seniff,  Detroit; 
Thomas  Hull,  Kinderhook;  A.  W.  Bemis,  Mar- 
tinsburg ;  J.  M.  Seeley,  Atlas ;  J.  F.  Hyde,  Pitts- 
field  ;  R.  C.  Robertson,  Milton  (Montezuma) ; 
Wilson  Adams,  Hardin ;  Hazen  Pressy,  Wash- 
ington, Derry;  James  Talbott,  Pleasant  Vale; 
William  Turnbull,  Flint ;  William  Morrison,  Fair- 
mount;  Thomas  Barton,  Pleasant  Hill;  J.  P. 
Stark,  Spring  Creek. 

1851 — William  Ross,  Newburg,  Chairman; 
Amos  Hill,  Griggsville;  Thomas  Odiorne,  Atlas; 
Hazen  Pressy,  Derry ;  William  Morrison,  Fair- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE-  COUNTY. 


mount;  William  Turnbull,  Flint;  Thomas  Bar- 
ton, Pleasant  Hill;  William  Grammar,  Hadley; 
John  Lyster,  Detroit;  Worden  Willis,  Pleasant 
Vale  ^Montgomery  Blair,  Barry;  Darius  Dexter, 
Perry ;  D.  H.  Gilmer,  Pittsfield ;  R.  C.  Robertson, 
Montezuma ;  William  Adams,  Hardin ;  Harvey 
W.  McClintock,  Martinsburg ;  David  Preble,  New 
Salem ;  J.  P.  Stark,  Spring  Creek ;  Thomas  Hull, 
Kinderhook ;  <  Constantine  Smith,  Pearl ;  Peter 
Karges,  Chambersburg. 

1852 — H.  R.  Ramsay,  Atlas,  Chairman;  James 
Brown,  Chambersburg;  Darius  Dexter,  Perry; 
David  Preble,  New  Salem ;  John  E.  Ayres,  Fair- 
mount  ;  M.  B.  Churchill,  Kinderhook ;  S.  K.  Tay- 
lor, Derry ;  D.  H.  Gilmer,  Pittsfield ;  M.  J.  Noyes ; 
Amos  Hill,  Griggsville  ;  John  Lyster,  Detroit ;  Wil- 
liam Turnbull,  Flint;  H.  W.  McClintock,  Mar- 
tinsburg; E.  C.  Thurman,  Pleasant  Hill;  William 
Grammar,  Hadley;  B.  F.  Brownell,  Barry;  S. 
Grigsby,  Pleasant  Vale ;  Richard  Robertson,  Mon- 
tezuma ;  A.  Main,  Hardin ;  John  P.  Stark,  Spring 
Creek. 

1853 — William  Turnbull,  Chairman ;  James 
Brown,  Chambersburg ;  William  Dustin,  Atlas ; 
Daniel  Fisher,  New  Salem;  Thomas  Hull,  Kin- 
derhook ;  Harlow  Huntley,  Hadley ;  Tyre  Jen- 
nings, Barry;  B.  L.  _Matthe\vs.  Perry;  H.  T. 
Mudd,  Pittsfickl ;  Constantine  .Smith,  Pearl ;  Wil- 
liam E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek ;  Cornelius  Sullivan, 
Martinsburg;  Jonathan  Frye,  Detroit;  Dennis 
Leary,  Montezuma;  William  Kinman,  Griggs- 
ville; Samuel  G.  Sitton,  Hardin;  William  C. 
Crawford,  Fairmount ;  L.  H.  Stone,  Pleasant 
Hill ;  F.  A.  Landrum,  Derry. 

1854 — J.  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg, 'Chairman: 
Tames  Brown,  Chambersburg;  Calvin  Greenleaf, 
Flint ;  Jonathan  Frye.  Detroit ;  Dennis  Leary. 
Montezuma;  Constantine  Smith.  Pearl;  B.  L. 
Matthews,  Perry;  James  Winn,  Griggsville;  B. 
F.  Westlake,  Newburg ;  John  Heavener,  Hardin ; 
Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek ;  Daniel  Fisher, 
New  Salem ;  Henry  T.  Mudd.  Pittsfield ;  L.  H. 
Stone,  Pleasant  Hill ;  Wm.  Grammar,  Hadley ; 
Jethro  Petty,  Derry;  Wm.  Dustin,  Atlas;  Tyre 
Jennings,  Barry ;  Charles  T.  Brewster,  Pleasant 
Vale ;  S.  B.  Gaines,  Kinderhook ;  Wm.  C.  Craw- 
ford, Fairmount. 

1855 — B.  F.  Westlake,    Newburg,    Chairman; 


John  Loer,  Chambersburg ;  Wm.  Thackwray, 
Flint;  D.  Leary,  Montezuma;  Constantine  Smith, 
Pearl;  B.  L.  Matthews,  I'erry:  James  Winn, 
Griggsville;  Wilson  Adams,  Hardin;  Wm.  C. 
Smith,  Spring  Creek;  Wm.  C.  Crawford,  Fair- 
mount  ;  Daniel  Fisher,  New  Salem ;  H.  T.  Mudd, 
Pittsfield;  John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg;  John 
Ray,  Pleasant  Hill ;  Joseph  P.  Smith,  Hadley ;  J. 
S.  Vertrees,  Perry ;  Simon  K.  Taylor,  Derry ; 
Tyre  Jennings,  Barry;  Thomas  Odiorne,  Atlas; 
Charles  T.  Brewster,  Pleasant  Vale;  S.  B. 
Gaines,  Kinderhook;  R.  C.  Allen,  Detroit;  Nicho- 
las Hobbs,  Fairmount. 

1856 — J.  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chairman; 
John  Loer,  Chambersburg;  Jonathan  Frye,  De- 
troit ;  'VVm.  Wheeler,  Pearl ;  O.  M.  Hatch,  Griggs- 
ville; Joseph  G.  Colvin,  Hardin;  Wm.  H.  Love, 
Fairmount;  Daniel  D.  Hicks,  Pittsfield;  Alex. 
Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill;  Josiah  Long,  Atlas; 
Daniel  Pyle,  Flint ;  Edwin  Wooley,  Montezuma ; 
John  L.  Gaine,  Perry;  B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg; 
Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek ;  Wm.  F.  Hooper, 
New  Salem;  Richard  Hayes,  Hadley;  James 
Wallace,  Pleasant  Vale;  A.  Landrum,  Derry; 
John  P.  Grubb,  Barry. 

1857 — John  W.  Allen,  Detroit,  Chairman;  B. 
B.  Metz,  Chambersburg;  Joseph  G.^Pyle,  Flint; 
Spencer  Hudson,  Montezuma, '  Constantine  Smith, 
Pearl ;  Thos.  Reynolds,  Perry ;  Alfred  Gordon, 
Griggsville;  B.  F.  Westlake';  Newburg;  J.  G. 
Colvin,  Hardin ;  John  H .  Brewer,  Fairmount ; 
Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek;  Wm.  F.  Hooker, 
New  Salem ;  Daniel  D.  Hicks.  Pittsfield ;  Joshua 
Butler,  Martinsburg;  Alex.  Hemphill,  Pleasant 
Hill;  Richard  Hayes,  Hadley;  John  L.  Under- 
wood, Derry ;  Jesse  Long,  Atlas ;  J.  R.  Williams, 
Barry ;  James  Wallace,  Pleasant"  Vale ;  M.  B. 
Churchill,  Kinderhook. 

1858— Wm.  Turnbull,  Flint.  Chairman:  Har- 
vey Dunn,  Chambersburg;  Jonathan  Fryf^JDe- 
troit;  E.  N.  French.  Montezuma:  IIiram_Hes§," 
Pearl:  Thos.  Reynolds,  Perry;  James  Winn, 
Griggsville;  B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg;  Adam 
Puterbaugh,  Hardin;  Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring 
Creek ;  John  H.  Brewer,  Fairmount ;  Thos.  Gray. 
New  Salem;  Austin  Barber,  Pittsfield:  Joshua 
Butler,  Martinsburg;  John  G.  Sitton.  Pleasant 
Hill:  Wm.  Grammar,  Hadley:  John  L.  Under- 


„ 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


wood,  Derry;  Sherman  Brown,  Atlas;  James  B. 
Williams,  Barry ;  James  Wallace,  Pleasant  Vale ; 

A.  T.  Love,  Kinderhook. 

1859 — John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chair- 
man ;  Wilson  S.  Dennis,  Chambersburg ;  James 
L.  Thompson,  Flint;  Jonathan  Frye,  Detroit; 
Isaac  S.  Brown,  Montezuma ;  Constantine  Smith, 
Pearl;  B.  L.  Matthews,  Perry;  James  Winn, 
Griggsville,  Benj.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg;  Wil- 
son Adams,  Hardin ;  Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring 
Creek;  John  Vail,  Fairmount;  James  C.  Conk- 
right,  New  Salem;  Isaac  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield ; 
Thos.  Barney,  Pleasant  Hill;  Wm.  Grammar, 
Hadley;  Simon  K.  Taylor,  Derry;  Sherman 
Brown,  Atlas ;  Richard  St.  John,  Barry ;  James 
Wallace,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John  G.  Wheelock,  Kin- 
derhook. 

1860 — John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chair- 
man; James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  Jas.  L. 
Thompson,  Flint ;  John  W.  Allen,  Detroit ;  E.  C. 
Clemmons,  Montezuma ;  Hiram  Hess,  Pearl ; 
James  Johns,  Perry ;  T.  H.  Dimmitt,  Griggsville ; 

B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg ;  J.  C.  Colvin,  Hardin ; 
Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek;  John  Vail,  Fair- 
mount  ;  Jas.  C.  Conkright,  New  Salem ;  David  A. 
Stanton,  Pittsfield;  Alex.  Parker,  Pleasant  Hill; 
Wm.    Grammar,    Hadley;   James    B.    Landrum, 
Derry ;  Sherman  Brown,  Atlas ;  Lewis  D.  White, 
Barry ;  Harrison  Brown,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John  G. 
Wheelock,  Kinderhook. 

1861— John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chair- 
man; J.  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  Geo.  H.  San- 
ford,  Flint;  John  W.  Allen,  Petroitr Wm.  B. 
Grimes,  Montezuma  ;  -Andrew-rN.  -Hess^j  Pearl ; 
Geo.  W.  Baldwin,  Perry;  Thos.  H.  Dimmitt, 
Griggsville;  B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg;  Jos.  G. 
Colvin,  Hardin;  Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek; 
John  Vail,  Fairmount;  A.  J.  McWilliams,  New 
Salem;  D.  A.  Stanton,  Pittsfield;  A.  J.  Lovell, 
Pleasant  Hill ;  Wm.  Grammar,  Hadley ;  Isaac 
Pryor,  Perry ;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas ;  John  Mc- 
Tucker,  Barry ;  Perry  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale ; 
John  Aron,  Kinderhook. 

1862— John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chair- 
man; James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  Geo.  H. 
Sanford,  Flint ;  Jonathan  Frye,  Detroit ;  Geo.  Un- 
derwood, Montezuma;  Andrew  N.  Hess,  Pearl; 
James  W.  Brown,  Perry ;  T.  H.  Dimmitt,  Griggs- 
6 


ville;  B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg;  J.  G.  Colvin, 
Hardin ;  Wm.  E.  Smith,  Spring  Creek ;  Wm. 
Morrison,  Fairmount;  A.  J.  McWilliams,  New 
Salem;  D.  A.  Stanton,  Pittsfield;  L.  H.  Stone, 
Pleasant  Hill;  Wm.  Grammar,  Hadley;  J.  B. 
Landrum,  Derry;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas;  Henry 
Wallace,  Barry;  P.  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale;  John 
Aron,  Kinderhook. 

1863 — John  S.  Roberts,  Martinsburg,  Chair- 
man; James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  Wm. 
Thackwray,  Flint;  L.  J.  Smitherman,  Detroit; 
J.  O.  Bolin,  Montezuma;  A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  Au-)( 
gustus  Akin,  Perry ;  T.  H.  Dimmitt,  Griggsville ; 
Strother  Grigsby,  Newburg;  B.  F.  Westlake, 
Newburg;  J.  G.  Colvin,  Hardin;  D.  Hollis, 
Spring  Creek;  Wm.  Morrison,  Fairmount;  A.  J. 
McWilliams,  New  Salem;  S.  R.  Gray,  Pittsfield; 
A.  Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill ;  Wm.  Grammar,  Had- 
ley; Thos.  Harris,  Derry;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas; 
.Wm.  P.  Shields,  Barry;  J.  R.  Thomas,  Pleasant 
Vale ;  John  Aron,  Kinderhook. 

1864 — James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg,  Chair- 
man ;  Wm.  Thackwray,  Flint ;  L.  J.  Smitherman, 
Detroit;  E.  N.  French,  Montezuma;  A.  N.  Hess^ 
Pearl ;  Harvey  Dunn,  Jr.,  Perry ;  Thos.  H.  Dim- 
mitt, Griggsville ;  Nathan  Kelley,  Newburg ;  B.  C. 
Lindsay,  Hardin ;  David  Hollis,  Spring  Creek ; 
John  Vail,  Fairmount ;  John  Preble,  New  Salem ; 
N.  A.  Wells,  Pittsfield;  J.'  S.  Roberts^  Martins- 
burg ;  Alex.  Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill ;  Wm.  Gram- 
mar, Hadley;  Thos.  S.  Harris,  Derry;  J.  G. 
Adams,  Atlas;  Wm.  P.  Shields,  Barry;  James 
Wallace,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John  G.  Wheelock,  Kin- 
derhook. 

1865— P.  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale,  Chairman; 
Jas.  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  Wm.  Turnbull, 
Flint;  L.  J.  Smitherman,  Detroit;  Robert  E.  Gil- 
liland,  Montezuma;  A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  John  E> 
Morton,  Perry ;  T.  H.  Dimmitt,  Griggsville ;  Wm. 
J.  Ross,  Jr.,  Newburg;  Samuel  Heavener,  Har- 
din ;  David  Hollis,  Spring  Creek ;  John  Vail,  Fair- 
mount  ;  Asahel  Hinman,  New  Salem ;  J.  M.  Bush, 
Pittsfield;  David  Roberts,  "Martinsburg ;  Alex. 
Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill;  Wm.  Grammar,  Had- 
ley; Albert  Landrum,  Derry;  Wm.  Dustin,  Atlas; 
Wm.  P.  Shields,  Barry ;  John  G.  Wheelock,  Kin- 
derhook. 

1866 — James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg,  Chair- 


92 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


man ;  William  Turnbull,  Flint ;  L.  J.  Smitherman, 
Detroit;     George     Marks,     Montezuma;    Joshua 

v  Hanks,  Pearl;  John  E.  Morton,  Perry;  T.  H. 
Dimmitt,  Griggsville ;  Strother  Grigsby,  New- 
burg;  David  Hollis,  Spring  Creek;  John  Vail, 
Fairmount;  John  Preble,  New  Salem;  James  M. 
Ferry,  Pittsfield;  R.  A.  McClintock,  Martins- 
burg;  A.  F.  Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill;  William 
Grammar,  Hadley ;  Albert  Landrum,  Derry ;  J.  G. 
Adams,  Atlas ;  William  M.  P.  Shields,  Barry ; 
James  Wallace,  Pleasant  Vale;  R.  M.  Murray, 
Kinderhook. 

1867 — James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg,  Chair- 
man; James  L.  Thompson,  Flint;  L.  J.  Smither- 
man, Detroit ;  John  O.  Bolin,  Montezuma ;  Joshua 
•Hanks,  Pearl;  John  A.  Morton,  Perry;  Thomas 
H.  Dimmitt,  Griggsville ;  Strother  Grigsby,  New- 
burg;  Jos.  G.  Colvin,  Hardin;  David  Hollis, 
Spring  Creek;  John  Vail,  Fairmount;  John  Pre- 
ble, New  Salem;  George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield; 
William  M.  McClintock,  Martinsburg;  A.  F. 
Hemphill,  Pleasant  Hill ;  William  Grammar,  Had- 
ley ;  Albert  Landrum,  Derry ;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas ; 

>/M.  Blair,  Barry;  Perry  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale; 
Thomas  Mclntire,  Kinderhook. 

1868 — James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg,  Chair- 
man;  William  Anderson,  Flint;  John  W.  Allen, 
Detroit ;  James  A.  Brown;  Montezuma ;  Joshua 

N  Hanks,  Pearl;  Harvey  Thornbury,  Perry;  T.  H. 
Dimmitt,  Griggsville;  Strother  Grigsby,  New- 
burg;  John  C.  Dinsmore,  Hardin;  F.  J.  Halford, 
Spring  Creek;  John  Vail,  Fairmount;  John  Pre- 
ble, New  Salem;  George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield; 
John  Melton,  Martinsburg;  William  Grammar, 
Hadley;  Albert  Landrum,  Derry  Montgomery 
Blair,  Barry;  P.  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale;  A.  J. 
Lovell,  Pleasant  Hill ;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas ;  R.  M. 
Murray,  Kinderhook. 

1869 — George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield,  Chairman; 
James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg;  William  An- 
derson, Flint;  John  Lester,  Detroit;  James  A. 
Brown,  Montezuma ;  David  Hess,  Pearl ;  B.  L. 
Matthews,  Perry;  Noah  Divilbiss,  Perry;  T.  H. 
Dimmitt,  Griggsville;  B.  F.  Westlake,  Newburg; 
B.  C.  Lindsay,  Hardin ;  Frank  J.  Halford,  Spring 
Creek ;  T.  M.  Coss,  Fairmount ;  John  Preble,  New 
Salem ;  Joseph  Turnbaugh,  Martinsburg ;  J.  B. 
Harl,  Pleasant  Hill;  William  Grammar,  Hadley; 


Maberry  Evans,  Derry;  A.  Simpkins,  Atlas; 
^Montgomery  Blair,  Barry;  P.  H.  Davis,  Pleasant 
Hill ;  John  Aron,  Kinderhook. 

1870 — George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield,  Chairman; 
Lewis  Ham,  Chambersburg;  William  Anderson, 
Flint ;  Samuel  Hayden,  Detroit ;  James  A.  Brown, 
Montezuma;  George  W.  Roberts,  Pearl;  B.  L.  ' 
Matthews,  Perry;  T.  H.  Dimmitt,  Griggsville; 
Thompson  J.  Pulliam,  Newburg;  Alvin  Petty, 
Hardin ;  F.  J.  Halford,  Spring  Creek ;  Taylor  M. 
Coss,  Fairmount ;  John  Preble,  New  Salem ;  John 
Brittain,  Martinsburg;  A.  J.  Lovell,  Pleasant 
Hill-  J.  W.  Burke,  Derry;  William  Dustin,  At- 
lasVM.  Blair,  Barry;  P.  H.  Davis,  Pleasant  Vale; 
John  Clutch,  Kinderhook. 

1871 — George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield,  Chairman; 
Lewis  Ham,  Chambersburg;  William  Anderson, 
Flint;  B.  W.  Flynn,  Detroit;  James  A.  Brown, 
Montezuma ;  George  W.  Roberts,  Pearl ;  Thomas 
Reynolds,  Perry ;  James  McWilliams,  Griggs- 
ville; T.  G.  Pulliam,  Newburg;  Francis  Frye, 
Hardin;  T.  J.  Halford,  Spring  Creek;  William 
Morrison,  Fairmount ;  John  Preble,  New  Salem ; 
Hardin  Goodin,  Martinsburg ;  A.  J.  Lovell,  Pleas- 
ant Hill;  William  Grammar,  Hadley;  William 
Dustin,  Atlas;  James  W.  Burke,  Derry;  Calvin 
Davis,  Barry;  M.  D.  Massie,  Pleasant  Vale;  John 
Clutch,  Kinderhook. 

1872 — George  W.  Jones,  Pittsfield,  Chairman; 
Lewis  Ham,  Chambersburg;  B.  W.  Flynn,  De- 
troit; William  T.  Dugdell,  Montezuma;  G.  W. 
Roberts,  Pearl;  Thomas  Reynolds,  Perry;  James 
McWilliams,  Griggsville ;  Strother  Grigsby,  New- 
burg ;  Francis  Frye,  Hardin ;  David  Hollis,  Spring 
Creek ;  William  Corey,  Fairmount ;  John  Preble, 
New  Salem ;  William  Fowler,  Martinsburg ;  A.  J. 
Lovell,  Pleasant  Hill ;  William  Grammar,  Hadley ; 
J.  W.  Burke,  Derry ;  William  Dustin,  Atlas ;  Cal- 
vin Davis,  Barry;  M.  D.  Massie,  Pleasant  Vale; 
John  Clutch,  Kinderhook. 

1873 — Lewis  Hani,  Pittsfield,  Chairman ;  David 
Pyle,  Flint ;  B.  W.  Flynn,  Detroit ;  Milton  Grimes, 
Montezuma ;  George  W.  Roberts,  Pearl ;  Thomas 
Reynolds,  Perry ;  James  McWilliams,  Griggs- 
ville; P.  H.  Cooper,  Newburg;  Wright  Hicks. 
Hardin;  F.  J.  Halford,  Spring  Creek;  William 
Corey,  Fairmount ;  Addison  Caldwell,  New  Sa- 
lem; Lewis  Dutton,  Pittsfield;  William  Fowler, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


93 


Martinsburg ;  A.  J.  Lovell,  Pleasant  Hill;  William 
Grammar,  Hadley;  Thomas  H.  Coley,  Derry; 
Josiah  Long,  Atlas ;  John  P.  Grubb,  Barry ;  John 
Horn,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John  Clutch,  Kinderhook. 

1874 — James  H.  Dennis,  Chambersburg,  Chair- 
man ;  William  Turnbull,  Flint ;  William  Douglas, 
Detroit ;  A.  J.  Worcester,  Montezuma ;  Andrew 
N.  Hess,  Pearl;  Thomas  Reynolds,  Perr,y;  James > 
McWilliams,  Griggsville;  Nathan  Kelley,  New- 
burg;  Wright  Hicks,  Hardin;  C.  C.  Melton, 
Spring  Creek;  William  Corey,  Fairmount;  Addi- 
son  Cadwell,  New  Salem ;  Lewis  Dutton,  Pitts- 
field;  Francis  Fowler,  Martinsburg;  A.  J.  Lovell, 
Pleasant  Hill;  William  Grammar,  Hadley;  Ma- 
berry  Evans,  Derry ;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas ;  Calvin 
Davis,  Barry ;  John  B.  Horn,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John 
Clutch,  Kinderhook. 

1875 — William  B.  Grimes,  Pittsfield,  Chairman; 
J.  L.  Metz,  Chambersburg;  Austin  Wade,  Flint; 
Henry  Moler,  Detroit ;  A.  J.  Worcester,  Monte- 
zuma; D.  W.  Miller,  Pearl;  Thomas  Reynolds,"' 
Perry;  James  McWilliams,  Griggsville;  J.  H. 
Farrington,  Hardin ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring  Creek ; 
R.  B.  McLaughlin,  Fairmount ;  Addison  Cadwell, 
New  Salem;  Thomas  Aiton,  Martinsburg;  A.  J. 
Lovell,  Pleasant  Hill;  William  Grammar,  Had- 
ley ;  Maberry  Evans,  Derry ;  J.  G.  Adams,  Atlas ; 
Alex.  White,  Barry;  M.  D.  Massie,  Pleasant 
Vale;  William  Ross,  Newburg;  R.  M.  Murray, 
Kinderhook. 

1876 — A.  ,  J.  Worcester,  Montezuma,  Chair- 
man ;  J.  L.  Metz,  Chambersburg ;  Joseph  Wilson, 
Flint;  Henry  Moler,  Detroit;  G.  W.  Roberts, 
Pearl;  Z.  Wade,  Perry;  George  Pratt,  Griggs- 
ville; C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg;  R.  R.  Pollock, 
Spring  Creek;  R.  B.  McLaughlin,  Fairmount; 
Addison  Cadwell,  New  Salem;  Wm.  B.  Grimes, 
Pittsfield;  Thomas  Aiton,  Martinsburg;  A.  J. 
Lovell,  Pleasant  Hill;  William  Grammar,  Had- 
ley; Maberry  Evans,  Derry;  Samuel  Taylor,  At- 
las ;  W.  F.  White,  Barry ;  R.  M.  Murray,  Kinder- 
hook  ;  John  W.  Brammell,  Pleasant  Vale ;  J.  H. 
Farrington,  Hardin ;  F.  A.  Douglas,  Levee. 

1877 — J.  W.  Burke,  Derry,  Chairman;  George 
Ham,  Chambersburg;  Joseph  Wilson,  Flint;  Da- 
vid Stoner,  Detroit;  Charles  E.  Bolin,  Monte- 
zuma; A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  Z.  Wade,  Perry;' 
George  Pratt,  Griggsville;  C.  P.  Chapman,  New- 


burg; Wright  Hicks,  Hardin;  W.  R.  Wilson, 
Spring  Creek;  R.  B.  McLaughlin,  Fairmount; 
Addison  Cadwell,  New  Salem;  Lewis  Dutton, 
Pittsfield;  William  Fowler,  Martinsburg;  John 
S.  Lockwood,  Pleasant  Vale;  William  Grammar, 
Hadley;  Samuel  Taylor,  Atlas;  W.  F.  White, 
Barry;  F.  L.  Zernberg,  Pleasant  Hill;  R.  M. 
Murray,  Kinderhook;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee. 

1878 — Calvin  Davis,  Barry,  Chairman;  George 
Ham,  Chambersburg;  Joseph  Wilson,  Flint;  W. 
T.  Smith,  Detroit;  C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma;  G. 
W.  Roberts,  Pearl ;  J.  W.  Grimes,  Perry ;  George  X 
Pratt,  Griggsville;  C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg;  J. 
H.  Griffin,  Hardin ;  M.  W.  Bogart,  Spring  Creek ; 
Dele  Elder,  Fairmount;  John  Preble,  New  Sa- 
lem; Lewis  Dutton,  Pittsfield;  P.  H.  Sullivan, 
Martinsburg;  A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill;  H. 
L.  Hadsell,  Hadley;  T.  H.  Coley,  Derry;  Samuel 
Taylor, -Atlas;  J.  S.  Lockwood,  Pleasant  Vale; 
Samuel  Clark,  Kinderhook;  Marcus  Hardy, 
Levee. 

1879—6.  W.  Flynn,  Detroit,  Chairman;  J.  C. 
Newton,  Chambersburg;  David  Pyle,  Flint; 
N.  D.  McEvans,  Montezuma;  G.  W.  Rob-)( 
erts,  Pearl;  Z.  Wade,  Perry;  George  Pratt, 
Griggsville ;  C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg ; 
George  Main,  Hardin;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring 
Creek;  Dele  Elder,  Fairmount;  Abel  Dunham, 
New  Salem;  H.  S.  Lloyd,  Pittsfield;  P.  H.  Sul- 
livan, Martinsburg;  A.  L.  Galloway.  Pleasant 
Hill;  Orrin  Campbell,  Hadley;  T.  H.  Coley, 
Derry;  C.  B.  Dustin,  Atlas;  E.  A.  Crandall, 
Perry;  M.  D.  Massie,  Pleasant  Vale;  John  Clutch, 
Kinderhook ;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee. 

1880— A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill,  Chair- 
man; J.  C.  Newton,  Chambersburg;  N.  D.  Mc- 
Evers,  Montezuma ;  W.  D.  Hanks,  Pearl ;  George  \ 
Pratt,  Griggsville;  George  Main,  Hardin;  Dele 
Elder,  Fairmount ;  R.  M.  Murray,  Pittsfield ; 
John  Eckes,  Hadley;  John  Clutch,  Kinderhook; 
N.  P.  Hart,  Barry ;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee ;  J.  F. 
M.  Meredith,  Detroit;  David  Pyle,  Flint;  Asa 
Hinman,  Perry;  C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg; 
Francis  Fowler,  Spring  Creek ;  Abel  Dunham, 
New  Salem ;  P.  H.  Sullivan,  Martinsburg ;  T.  H. 
Coley,  Derry ;  C.  B.  Dustin,  Atlas ;  Eugene  Gray, 
Pleasant  Vale ;  C.  F.  Lovett,  Ross. 

1881— J.    C.    Newton,    Chambersburg,    Chair- 


94 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


man  ;  Joseph  Wilson,  Flint ;  Elisha  Hayden,  Mon- 
tezuma ;  L.  W.  McMahan,  Griggsville ;  James  G. 
Hayden,  Hardin ;  T.  M.  Coss,  Fairmount ;  Julius 
Swartz,  Martinsburg ;  J.  W.  Eckes,  Hadley  ;  C.  B. 
Dustin,  Atlas;  N.  P.  Hart,  Barry;  M.  M.  Aid- 
rich,  Cincinnati;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee;  W.  D. 

yHanks,  Pearl;  H.  D.  Williams,  Detroit;  Asa 
Hinman,  Perry;  C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg; 
David  Hollis,  Spring  Creek ;  A.  Dow,  Pittsfield ; 
A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill ;  William  Evans, 
Derry;  Henry  Ferguson,  Ross;  Eugene  Gray, 
Pleasant  Vale ;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook ;  W.  H. 
Winterbothom,  New  Salem. 

1882 — Marcus  Hardy,  Levee,  Chairman;  Ed- 
ward Irving,  Chambersburg ;  Joseph  Wilson, 
Flint;  Elisha  Hayden,  Montezuma;  W.  H.  Yates, 
Griggsville;  Harvey  Weaver,  Hardin;  J.  R. 
Walker,  Fairmount;  A.  Dow,  Pittsfield;  A:  L. 
Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill;  T.  H.  Coley,  Derry; 
Henry  Ferguson,  Ross;  J.  H.  Brammell,  Pleas- 
ant Vale;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook;  H.  D.  Wil- 
liams, Detroit ;  J.  G.  Phillips,  Perry  ;  C.  P.  Chap- 
man, Newburg ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring  Creek ;  W. 
H.  Winterbothom,  New  Salem;  Julius  Swartz, 
Martinsburg;  Solon  Huntley,  Hadley;  Samu.l 
Taylor,  Atlas;  N.  P.  Hart,  Barry;. John  F.  Hall, 
Cincinnati ;  W.  D.  Hanks,  Pearl. 

1883 — Marcus  Hardy,  Levee,  Chairman ;  Ed- 
ward Irving,  Chambersburg;  H.  D.  Williams. 

^Detroit ;  C.  C.  Lammy,  Pearl ;  William  H.  Yates, 
Griggsville ;  Harvey  Weaver,  Hardin ;  John  R. 
Walker,  Fairmount;  Albert  Fishell,  Pittsfield; 
A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill ;  Clem  L.  Hoskins, 
Derry;  Henry  Ferguson,  Ross;  J.  H.  Brammell, 
Pleasant  Vale;  J.  F.  Hall,  Cincinnati;  Joseph 
Wilson,  Flint;  Thomas  N.  Hall,  Montezuma; 
Asahel  Hinman,  Perry;  Hardin  Westlake,  New- 
burg ;  D.  H.  Johnson,  Spring  Creek ;  John  Preble. 
New  Salem;  Julius  Swartz,  Martinsburg;  Solon 
Huntley,  Hadley;  Thomas  Fesler,  Atlas;  N.  P. 
Hart,  Barry;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook. 

1884— Marcus  Hardy,  Levee,  Chairman  :  Ed- 
ward Irving.  Chambersburg ;  Thomas  Shaw,  Mar- 
tinsburg ;  John  W.  Cannon,  Pleasant  Hill :  Wil- 
liam Grammar,  Hadley ;  H.  L-  Anderson,  Atlas ; 
Asa  Winter,  Newburg ;  David  Benn,  Hardin ;  D. 
Hollis.  Spring  Creek ;  E.  R.  Rust,  Fairmount ; 
John  Preble,  New  Salem ;  H.  Ferguson,  Ross ; 


C.  L.  Hoskins,  Derry;  J.  Wilson,  Flint;  H.  D. 
Williams,  Detroit ;  T.  N.  Hall,  Montezuma ;  J.  G. 
Phillips,  Perry ;  Frank  Hatch,  Griggsville ;  N.  P. 
Hart,  Barry;  H.  B.  Atkinson,  Pleasant  Vale; 
Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook ;  Daniel  Caffrey,  Cincin- 
nati;  E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield;  George  Roberts, 
Pearl. 

1885— Marcus  Hardy,  Levee,  Chairman ;  Ed- 
ward Irving,  Chambersburg;  H.  D.  Williams, 
Detroit :  Ransom  Kesinger,  Pearl ;  W.  H. 
Yates,  Griggsville ;  William  Cunningham, 
Hardin;  E.  R.  Rust,  Fairmount;  E.  F. 
Binns,  Pittsfield;  George  Watson,  Hadley; 
H.  L.  Anderson,  Atlas ;  H.  B.  Atkinson,  Pleasant 
Vale ;  J.  F.  Hall,  Cincinnati ;  N.  F.  Brown,  Ross  ; 
John  Clark,  Flint ;  T.  N.  Hall,  Montezuma ;  W. 
S.  Johns,  Perry;  C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg; 
David  Hollis,  Spring  Creek ;  John  Preble,  New 
Salem;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martinsburg;  William 
Evans,  Derry ;  William  Hoyt,  Barry ;  Smith 
Hull,  Kinderhook;  A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant 
Vale. 

J886 — E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield,  Chairman ;  Ed- 
ward Irving  Chambersburg ;  W.  J.  Smitherman, 
Detroit ;  R.  Kesinger,  Pearl ;  James  A.  Farrand, 
Griggsville  ;  William  Cunningham,  Hardin  ;  Dele 
Elder,  Fairmount;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martinsburg; 
William  Grammar,  Hadley ;  H.  L.  Anderson,  At- 
las;  T.  A.  Retallic,  Barry;  Smith  Hull,  Kinder- 
hook  ;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee ;  John  Clark,  Flint : 
C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma ;  O.  F.  Johns,  Perry ; 
C.  P.  Chapman,  Newburg ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring 
Creek;  D.  E.  Donly,  New  Salem;  A.  L.  Gallo- 
way, Pleasant  Hill;  William  Pryor,  Derry;  N. 
Brown,  Ross  ;  H.  B.  Atkinson,  Pleasant  Vale  ;  M. 
M.  Aldrich,  Cincinnati. 

1887— A.  L.  Galloway,  Pleasant  Hill,  Chair- 
man ;  Edward  Irving,  Chambersburg ;  W.  J. 
Smitherman,  Detroit ;  George  Roberts,  Pearl ;  J. 
A.  Farrand,  Griggsville ;  D.  L.  -Benn,  Hardin ; 
Dele  Elder,  Fairmount;  George  Barber,  Pitts- 
field  ;  W.  A.  Peck,  Hadley ;  H.  L.  Anderson,  At- 
las :  T.  A.  Retallic,  Barry ;  Smith  Hull,  Kinder- 
hook  ;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee ;  John  Clark,  Flint ; 
C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma ;  O.  F.  Johns,  Perry :  C. 
P.  Chapman,  Newburg ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring 
Creek ;  W.  H.  Laird,  New  Salem :  H.  T.  Shaw, 
Martinsburg:  W.  H.  Pryor,  Derry;  William 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


95 


Lovett,  Ross ;  H.  B.  Atkinson,  Pleasant  Vale ;  E. 
G.  Lyon,  Cincinnati. 

1888— H.  B.  Atkinson,  Pkasant  Vale,  Chair- 
man; Edward  Irving,  Chambersburg ;  H.  E.  Wil- 
liams, Detroit ;  Ransom  Kessinger,  Pearl ;  J.  A. 
Farrand,  Griggsville;  D.  L.  Benn,  Hardin;  Dele 
Elder,  Fairmount ;  R.  T.  Hicks,  Pittsfield ;  I.  D. 
Webster,'  Pleasant  Hill ;  W.  H.  Pryor,  Derry ;  H. 
H.  Duff,  Ross;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook;  Mar- 
cus Hardy,  Levee ;  Wallace  Parker,  Flint ;  O.  W. 
Bagby,  Montezuma ;  O.  F.  Johns,  Perry ;  Asa 
Winter,  Newburg ;  William  Gheen,  Spring  Creek  ; 
W.  H.  Laird,  New  Salem ;  H.  G.  Shaw,  Martins- 
burg  ;  W.  A.  Peck,  Hadley ;  H.  L.  Anderson,  At- 
las; T.  A.  Retallic,  Barry;  E.  G.  Lyon, 
Cincinnati. 

1889— H.  B-  Atkinson,  Pleasant  Vale,  Chair- 
man ;  Ed  Irving,  Chambersburg ;  H.  E.  Williams, 
Detroit;  A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  J.  A.  Farrand, 
Griggsville;  D.  L.  Benn,  Hardin;  W.  D.  Waters, 
Fairmount;  George  Barber,  Pittsfield;  I.  D.  Web- 
ster, Pleasant  Hill;  William  Evans,  Derry; 
George  Hoskins,  Ross;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook; 
Marcus  Hardy,  Levee;  John  Clark,  Flint;  O.  W. 
Bagby,  Montezuma;  Asa  Hinman,  Perry;  Asa 
Winter,  Newburg ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring  Creek ; 
W.  H.  Laird,  New  Salem;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Mar- 
tinsburg;  John  McCleery,  Hadley;  C.  R.  Shaw, 
Atlas;  T.  A.  Retallic,  Barry;  Daniel  Caffrey, 
Cincinnati. 

1890 — E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield,  Chairman;  Ed 
Irving,  Chambersburg;  W.  J.  Smitherman,  De- 
troit ;  R.  Kessinger,  Pearl ;  J.  A.  Farrand,  Griggs- 
ville ;  Hayes  Colvin,  Hardin ;  Leander  Vail,  Fair- 
mount;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martinsburg;  John  Mc- 
Cleery, Hadley ;  C.  R.  Shaw,  Atlas ;  John  Weber, 
Barry;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook;  Marcus  Hardy, 
Levee ;  John  Clark,  Flint ;  William  Hess,  Monte- 
zuma ;  O.  F.  Johns,  Perry ;  H.  J.  Westlake,  New- 
burg ;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring  Creek ;  W.  H.  Laird, 
New  Salem ;  I.  D.  Webster,  Pleasant  Hill ;  J.  R. 
Easley,  Derry;  George  Hoskins,  Ross;  Nelson 
Morey,  Pleasant  Vale;  H.  B.  Jeffries,  Cincinnati. 

1891— E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield,  Chairman;  J.  C. 
Newton,  Chambersburg ;  O.  F.  Johns,  Perry ;  H. 
J.  Westlake,  Newburg;  W.  D.  Waters,  Fair- 
mount;  W.  A.  Peck,  Hadley;  George  Hoskins, 
Ross;  John  Weber,  Barry;  Smith  Hull,  Kinder- 


hook;  William  Hess,  Montezuma;  Hayes  Colvin, 
Hardin;  James  Cawthorn,  Flint;  John  Clark, 
Flint;  Walter  Scarborough,  Detroit;  J.  A.  Far- 
rand, Griggsville;  Asahel  Duff,  Spring  Creek; 
Ira  Roberts,  Pleasant  Hill;  J.  R.  Easley,  Derry; 
Werner  Heidloff,  Pleasant  Vale;  R.  Kessinger, 
Pearl;  H.  B.  Jeffries,  Cincinnati;  Marcus  Hardy, 
Levee;  C.  R.  Shaw,  Atlas;  W.  H.  Laird,  New 
Salem;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martinsburg. 

1892 — E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield,  Chairman;  J.  C. 
Newton,  Chambersburg;  Walter  Scarborough, 
Detroit;  A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  J.  A.  Farrand, 
Griggsville ;  George  Main,  Hardin ;  W.  D.  Wa- 
ters, Fairmount;  Elliott  Baker,  Martinsburg; 
J.  R.  Easley,  Derry;  William  Bright,  Barry; 
Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook ;  Marcus  Hardy,  Levee ; 
George  Hoskins,  Ross;  James  Cawthorn,  Flint; 
William  Hess,  Montezuma ;  O.  F.  'Johns,  Perry ; 
H.  J.  Westlake,  Newburg;  Asahel  Duff,  Spring 
Creek;  W.  R.  Hooper,  New  Salem;  W.  A.  Peck, 
Hadley;  T.  J.  Fesler,  Atlas;  W.  Heideloff, 
Pleasant  Vale;  George  W.  Klitz,  Cincinnati;  Ira 
Roberts,  Pleasant  Hill. 

1893— E.  F.  Binns,  Pittsfield,  Chairman;  James 
Cawthorn,  Flint;  A.  N.  Hess,  Pearl;  W.  R. 
Hooper,  New  Salem;  William  Bright,  Barry; 
George  W.  Klitz,  Cincinnati;  H.  J.  Westlake, 
Newburg;  Walter  Scarborough,  Detroit;  Asahel 
Duff,  Spring  Creek;  M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant 
Hill ;  Henry  Young,  Ross ;  Thomas  J.  Fesler,  At- 
las ;  F.  L.  Hall,  Perry;  William  Hess,  Monte- 
zuma ;  George  Main,  Hardin ;  Elliot  Baker,  Mar- 
tinsburg; Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook;  J.  R.  Easley, 
Derry;  George  W.  Gerard,  Chambersburg;  L.  W. 
McMahan,  Griggsville;  Dele  Elder,  Fairmount; 
Charles  Johnson,  Hadley;  William  I.  Ware, 
Pleasant  Vale ;  W.  H.  Griggs,  Levee. 

!894 — J.  R.  Easley,  Derry,  Chairman;  J.  L. 
Cawthorn,  Flint ;  George  Williams,  Pearl ;  W.  R. 
Hooper,  New  Salem ;  Fred  Jaritz,  Martinsburg ; 
William  Bright,  Barry ;  W.  P.  Kennedy,  Cincin- 
nati;  G.  W.  Gerard,  Chambersburg;  F.  L.  Hall, 
Perry;  H.  J.  Westlake,  Newburg;  Dele  Elder, 
Fairmount;  Charles  Johnson,  Hadley;  W.  I. 
Ware,  Pleasant  Vale ;  William  Hess,  Montezuma ; 
George  Main,  Hardin;  Thomas  N.  Hall,  Pitts- 
field;  C.  I.  Rupert,  Atlas;  Smith  Hull,  Kinder- 
hook;  Thomas  Davis,  Levee;  W.  Scarborough, 


96 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Detroit;  L.  W.  McMahan,  Griggsville;  Asahel 
•Duff,  Spring  Creek;  M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant 
Hill ;  Henry  Young,  Ross. 

1895 — John  McTucker,  Hadley,  Chairman;  J. 
L.  Cawthorn,  Flint;  G.  W.  Williams,  Pearl;  W. 
R.  Hooper,  New  Salem ;  Fred  Jaritz,  Martins- 
burg;  William  Bright,  Barry;  W.  P.  Kennedy, 
Cincinnati;  G.  W.  Gerard,  Chambersburg ;  F.  L. 
Hall,  Perry;  Alva  R.  Foreman,  Newburg;  Ed  R. 
Lake,  Fairmount;  J.  R.  Easley,  Derry;  John  M. 
Ross,  Pleasant  Vale ;  William  Hess,  Montezuma ; 
George  Main,  Hardin;  T.  N.  Hall,  Pittsfield;  C. 
I.  Rupert;  Smith  Hull,  Kinderhook;  Thomas 
•Davis,  Levee;  Nathan  Sloan,  Detroit;  C.  M.  Sim- 
mons, Griggsville;  Asahel  Duff,  Spring  Creek;. 
M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant  Hill;  John  L.  Capps, 
Ross. 

1896— Henry  Hall,  Derry,  Chairman;  Frank 
Wade,  Flint;  G.  W.  Williams,  Pearl;  W.  R. 
Hooper,  New  Salem;  Elliott  Baker,  Martinsburg; 
J.  G.  Woolery,  Barry;  J.  W.  Smith,  Cincinnati; 
G.  W.  Gerard,  Chambersburg ;  F.  L.  Hall,  Perry ; 
A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg;  E.  R.  Lake,  Fair- 
mount;  John  McTucker,  Hadley;  John  M.  Ross, 
Pleasant  Vale;  William  Hess,  Montezuma; 
George  Main,  Hardin ;  M.  R.  Peckenpaugh,  Pitts- 
field  ;  C.  I.  Rupert,  Atlas ;  John  McCrory,  Kinder- 
hook;  W.  H.  Griggs,  Levee;  Nathan  Sloan,  De- 
troit; C.  M.  Simmons,  Griggsville;  Asahel  Duff, 
Spring  Creek;  M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant  Hill; 
J.  L.  Capps,  Ross. 

1897 — !•  L.  Lemon,  Spring  Creek,  Chairman; 
Frank  Wade,  Flint;  G.  W.  Williams,  Pearl;  W. 
R.  Hooper,  New  Salem;  Elliot  Baker,  Martins- 
burg;  J.  G.  Woolery,  Barry;  J.  W.  Smith,  Cin- 
cinnati; S.  J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg;  W.  T.  Rey- 
nolds, Perry ;  A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg ;  J.  R. 
Collard,  Pleasant  Hill;  W.  A.  Strubinger,  Derry; 
H,  E.  Reed,  Pleasant  Vale ;  William  Hess,  Mon- 
tezuma ;  George  Main,  Hardin ;  M.  R.  Pecken- 
paugh, Pittsfield  ;  C.  I.  Rupert,  Atlas ;  J.  J.  Mc- 
Crory, Kinderhook ;  A.  D.  Eckman,  Levee ;  Harry 
Dempsey,  Detroit;  C.  M.  Simmons,  Griggsville; 
E.  R.  Lake,  Fairmount;  Arthur  Elder,  Hadley; 
Henry  Young,  Ross ;  George  McFarland,  Pleasant 
Vale. 

1898 — I.  L.  Lemon,  Spring  Creek,  Chairman; 
S.  J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg;  W.  T.  Reynolds, 


Perry;  A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg;  J.  R.  Collard, 
Pleasant  Hill ;  W.  A.  Strubinger,  Derry ;  George 
McFarland,  Pleasant  Vale;  William  Hess,  Mon- 
tezuma; William  Pringle,  Hardin;  M.  R.  Peck- 
enpaugh, Pittsfield;  Joseph  Dober,  Atlas;  W.  P. 
Kennedy,  Cincinnati ;  A.  D.  Eckman,  Levee ;  W. 
G.  Hubbard,  Hadley;  Harry  Dempsey,  Detroit; 

C.  M.    Simons,   Griggsville;   E.   R.   Lake,   Fair- 
mount  ;    Arthur   Elder,   Hadley ;    Henry   Young, 
Ross;  Robert  Kilpatrick,  Flint;  G.  W.  Roberts, 
Pearl;  D.  Cover,  Jr.,  New  Salem;  H.  T.  Shaw, 
Martinsburg;    Calvin    Davis,    Barry;   J.    J.    Mc- 
Crory, Kinderhook;  C.  H.  Hurt,  Barry. 

1899—1.  D.  Webster,  Pleasant  Hill,  Chairman; 
Robert  Kilpatrick,  Flint;  G.  W.  Roberts,  Pearl; 

D.  Cover,  Jr.,  New  Salem;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martins- 
burg; C.  H.  Hurt,  Barry;  W.  P.  Kennedy,  Cin- 
cinnati ;  S.  J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg ;  W.  T.  Rey- 
nolds, Perry ;  A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg ;  Thomas 
J.  Waters,  Fairmount;  W.  A.  Strubinger,  Derry; 
George  McFarland,  Pleasant  Vale ;  William  Hess, 
Montezuma ;    William    Pringle,    Hardin ;    M.    R. 
Peckenpaugh,    Pittsfield;    Joseph    Dober,    Atlas; 
J.    J.    McCrory,    Kinderhook ;    A.    D.    Eckman, 
Levee;  W.  Scarborough,  Detroit;  G.  M.  Smith, 
Griggsville;  C.  C.  Melton,  Spring  Creek;  M.  C. 
Brown,  Hadley ;  Henry  Young,  Ross. 

1900 — I.  D.  Webster,  Pleasant  Hill,  Chairman; 
S.  J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg;  W.  T.  Reynolds, 
Perry;  A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg;  T.  J.  Waters, 
Fairmount ;  W.  A.  Strubinger,  Derry ;  Geo.  Mc- 
Farland, Pleasant  Vale ;  C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma ; 
Hayes  Colvin,  Hardin;  A.  L.  McDonald,  Pitts- 
field  ;  George  Adams,  Atlas ;  John  Walsh,  Kinder- 
hook  ;  A.  D.  Eckman,  Levee ;  W.  Scarborough, 
Detroit ;  G.  M.  Smith,  Griggsville ;  C.  C.  Melton, 
Spring  Creek;  M.  C.  Brown,  Hadley;  Henry 
Young,  Ross;  R.  Kilpatrick,  Flint;  G.  W.  Rob- 
erts, Pearl;  D.  Cover,  Jr.,  New  Salem;  H.  T. 
Shaw,  Martinsburg;  N.  R.  Davis,  Barry;  J.  W. 
Smith,  Cincinnati. 

1901—!.  D.  Webster,  Pleasant  Hill,  Chairman  ; 
Robert  Kilpatrick,  Flint;  G.  W.  Roberts,  Pearl; 
D.  Cover,  Jr.,  New  Salem ;  H.  T.  Shaw,  Martins- 
burg ;  N.  R.  Davis,  Barry ;  J.  W.  Smith,  Cincin- 
nati;  S.  J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg;  J.  B.  Gregory, 
Perry ;  A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg ;  T.  J.  Waters, 
Fairmount ;  E.  T.  Strubinger,  Derry  ;  W.  I.  Ware, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


97 


Pleasant  Vale;  C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma ;  Hayes 
Colvin,  Hardin;  A.  L.  McDonald,  Pittsfield ;  G. 
S.  Adams,  Atlas;  John  Walch,  Kinderhook ;  A. 
D.  Eckman,  Levee;  Samuel  Williams,  Detroit; 
G.  M.  Smith,  Griggsville ;  Arch  Wall,  Spring 
Creek;  A.  B.  Wike,  Hadley;  Henry  Young, 
Ross. 

1902 — C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma,  Chairman ;  S. 
J.  Hobbs,  Chambersburg ;  J.  B.  Gregory,  Perry; 

A.  R.  Foreman,  Newburg ;  T.  J.  Waters,  Fair- 
mount ;   A.    B.    Wike,   Hadley;    Henry   Young, 
Ross ;  W.  J.  Garner,  Atlas ;  J.  W.  Smith,  Cincin- 
nati ;  W.  E.  Allen,  Levee ;  N.  R.  Davis,  Barry ; 
Robert  Burbridge,  Hardin;  John   Biddle,  Flint; 
Samuel  Williams,  Detroit;  G.  M.  Smith,  Griggs- 
ville; Arch  Wall,  Spring  Creek;  I.  D.  Webster, 
Pleasant  Hill;  E.   T.   Strubinger,   Derry ;  W.   I. 
Ware,  Pleasant  Vale ;  John  Walch,  Kinderhook ; 
William  Shinn,  Martinsburg;  John  Seigle,  Pitts- 
field;  D.  Cover,  Jr.,  New  Salem;  J.  H.  Stillwell, 
Pearl. 

1903 — C.  E.  Bolin,  Montezuma,  Chairman ; 
John  Biddle,  Flint;  Robert  Burbridge,  Hardin; 
John  Seigle,  Pittsfield  ;  W.  J.  Garner,  Atlas ;  John 
Walch,  Kinderhook;  J.  W.  Stead,  Griggsville; 
Arch  Wall,  Spring  Creek ;  A.  B.  Wike,  Hadley ; 
Werner  Heidloff,  Pleasant  Vale ;  E.  B.  Tolbert ; 
Chambersburg ;  W.  T.  Reynolds,  Perry ;  Thomas 
Troutner,  Ross  ;  J.  H.  Stillwell,  Pearl ;  D.  Cover, 
Jr..  New  Salem ;  W.  T.  Shinn,  Martinsburg ;  X. 
R.  Davis.  Barry ;  J.  W.  Smith,  Cincinnati ;  A.  R. 
Foreman,  Newburg;  M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant 
Hill;  E.  T.  Strubinger,  Derry;  T.  E.  Aldrich, 
Levee:  G.  W.  Seybold,  Fairmount ;  S.  Williams, 
Detroit. 

1904 — C.  E.  Bolin.  Montezuma,  Chairman ;  E. 

B.  Tolbert,  Chambersburg ;  W.  T.  Reynolds,  Per- 
ry; A.  R.  Foreman.  Newburg;  G.  W.  Seybold, 
Fairmount ;  A.  B.  Wike,  Hadley ;  Thomas  Trout- 
ner.  Ross:  G.   W.   Darrah.   Flint;   Robert   Bur- 
bridge,   Hardin ;   John   Seigle,   Pittsfield :  W.   D. 
Miller.  Atlas:  John  Walch,  Kinderhook;  T.  E. 
Aldrich,  Levee ;  Samuel  Williams,  Detroit ;  J.  W. 
Stead,  Griggsville  ;  Arch  Wall,  Spring  Creek  ;  M. 
F.    Godwin.    Pleasant    Hill;    E.    T.    Strubinger. 
Derry ;  W.  Heidloff.  Pleasant  Vale ;  J.  S.  Crow- 
der.  Pearl ;  S.   B.   Peacock,  New   Salem  ;  W.  T. 
Shinn,  Martinsburg ;  N.  R.  Davis,  Barry ;  G.  W. 
Lowe,  Cincinnati. 


1905 — Samuel  Williams,  Detroit,  Chairman; 
G.  W.  Darrah,  Flint;  Smith  Crowder,  Pearl;  S. 
B.  Peacock,  New  Salem;  W.  T.  Shinn,  Martins- 
burg; N.  R.  Davis,  Barry;  G.  W.  Lowe,  Cincin- 
nati; John  Wilson,  Fairmount;  Harry  Peck, 
Hadley;  E.  T.  Strubinger,  Derry;  Henry  A. 
Ham,  Chambersburg;  J.  S.  Felmly,  Griggsville; 
M.  F.  Godwin,  Pleasant  Hill ;  C.  E.  Bolin,  Mon- 
tezuma ;  Robert  Burbridge,  Hardin ;  John  Seigle, 
Pittsfield;  W.  D.  Miller,  Atlas;  John  Walch, 
Kinderhook ;  T.  E.  Aldrich,  Levee ;  Thomas 
Troutner,  Ross ;  C.  C.  Dewell,  Pleasant  Vale ;  A. 
L.  Kiser,  Newburg ;  W.  T.  Reynolds,  Perry ;  A. 
F.  Turnbaugh,  Spring  Creek. 

PIKE   COUNTY   OFFICIALS. 

Pike  county  circuit  clerks  have  been  James 
Whitney— My  Lord  Coke,  1821-5;  George  W. 
Hight,  1825-7;  William  Ross,  1827-35;  James 
Davis,  1835 ;  John  J.  Lombaugh,  1835-43 ;  P.  N. 
O.  Thompson,  1843-52 ;  James  Kenney,  1852-6 ; 
•W.  R.  Archer,  1856-60;  George  W.  Jones,  1860-4, 
1876-80;  J.  H.  Crane,  1864-8;  J.  J.  Topliff, 
1868-72;  J.  A.  Rider,  1872-6;  W.  R.  Wilson, 
1880-4;  E.  R.  Motley,  1884-8;  George  W. 
Archer,  1888-1896;  Henry  Bowers,  1896-1904; 
J.  E.  Dinsmore,  1904. 

The  county  clerks  were:  J.  W.  Whitney,  1821  ; 
George  W.  Britton,  1825-6;  William  Ross, 
1826-34;  James  Davis,  1834-8;  Asa  D.  Cooper, 
1836;  William  D.  Boling,  1838-43;  Henry  T. 
Mudd,  1843-7;  J°hn  J-  Collard,  1847-9;  p«ter  v- 
Shankland,  1849-53  ;  Austen  Barber,  1853-7  ;Stro- 
ther  Griggsby,  1857-61;  William  Stears,  1861-9; 
William  B.  Grimes,  1869-73;  J-  L-  Fl7e.  ^73-?', 
E.  F.  Binns,  1877-81;  C.  I.  Swan,  1881-6;  V. 
A.  Grimes,  1886-98;  J.  R.  Gicker,  1898.  Only 
four  of  the  circuit  clerks  and  five  of  the  county 
clerks  are  living. 

The  county  has  had  seventeen  circuit  and 
eighteen  county  clerks  from  1821  to  1905,  and  I 
knew  all  but  seven  of  them. 

The  county  has  had  the  following  school  super- 
intendents :  'j.  G.  Pettingill,  1865]  John  N.  De- 
well,  1869  ;  "j.  W.  7ohnson.  1873  ;  William  H. 
Crow,  1877:  R.  M.  Hitch.  1886;  W.  R.  Hatfield, 
1894;  J.  B.  Gragg,  1897;  Miss  Caroline  Grote, 
present  incumbent. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


The  following  served  as  school  commissioners : 
Joseph  H.  Goodin,  1832;  Lyman  Scott,  1833; 
D.  B.  Bush,  1841 ;  T.  G.  Trumbull,  1845 ;  James 
F.  Hyde,  1849;  M.  H.  Abbott,  1851;  John  D. 
Thomson,  1853;  Joseph  J.  Topliff,  1859;  J.  G. 
Pettingill,  1861. 

The  county  has  had  the  following  surveyors: 
Stephen  Dewey,  1821-24;  James  W.  Whitney, 
1824;  Charles  Pollock,  1834;  David  Johnston, 
1835-39;  Joseph  Goodin,  1839;  David  Johnston, 
1841-49;  James  H.  Ferguson,  1849;  A.  G.  Cham- 
berlain, 1853;  H.  P.  Buchanan,  1857;  John  A. 
Harvey,  1859;  Hiram  J.  Harris,  1863;  Isaac  A. 
Clare,  1875:  George  H.  Whittaker,  1882;  Jesse 
Bowen,  1895;  M.  Z.  Smith,  1900;  H.  H.  Hardy, 
1905. 

Pike  county's  coroners  have  been  as  follows: 
Daniel  Whipple,  1822;  Israel  N.  Burt,  1832; 
Benjamin  E.  Dunning,  1834;  Stephen  St.  John, 
1838;  James  Brown,  1842;  C.  H.  Brown,  1844; 
Cyrus  B.  Hull,  1846;  Edward  Connet,  1850;  R. 
S.  Underwood,  1852 ;  Samuel  Sitton,  1854 ;  Wil- 
liam Benn,  1856;  H.  St.  John,  1857;  Lewis  E. 
Hayden,  1858;  G.  W.  Molinix,  1860;  Eli  Farris, 
1862;  Sherman  Brown,  1868;  Martin  Camp, 
1872;  Martin  V.  Shive,  1874;  A.  C.  Peebles, 
1876;  Fred  Ottowa,  1879;  L.  N.  Ferris,  1880; 
J.  Windmiller,  1884;  John  Morton,  1888;  D.  P. 
H.  Marshall,  1892;  Daniel  Weeks,  1896;  I.  L. 
Lemon,  1900;  L.  J.  Huntley,  1904. 

Pike  county  has  had  the  following  treasurers : 
Nathaniel  Shaw,  1821  and  1825 ;  Nathaniel 
Hinckley,  1822 ;  Leonard  Ross,  1823 ;  Henry  J. 
Ross,  1824;  John  Ross,  1827-9;  Isaac  Vandeven- 
ter,  1829-34;  John  Barney,  1834-7;  John  Britton, 
1838;  Jones  Clark,  1839-43  and  1850;  William 
Watson,  1843-7;  Samuel  L.  Crane,  1847-9  and 
1850;  Charles  Mason,  1849;  William  T.  Harper, 
1851-3 ;  Strother  Griggsby,  1853-63 ;  R.  A.  Mc- 
Clintock,  1863-5;  David  S.  Hill,  1865-7;  L-  J- 
Smitherman,  1867-71  ;  Thomas  Gray,  1871-3 ; 
David  Hollis,  1873-5  ',  Thomas  Reynolds,  1875-7  '< 
R.  M.  Murray,  1877-9;  B-  W.  Flinn,  1879-84; 
Addison  Cadwell,  1884-8;  Thomas  H.  Coley, 
1888-92;  Jacob  Windmiller,  1892-6;  Thomas  H. 
Ward,  1896-1900;  Daniel  L.  Weeks,  1900-4; 
A.  L.  McDannold,  present  incumbent. 

Twenty-eight  in  all,  twenty  of  whom  I  knew. 


All  but  six  have  joined  the  silent  majority.  The 
first  treasurer  received  $765,  and  the  others  have 
handled  from  $5,000  to  $50,000  a  year.  One  of 
the  first  probate  judges  received  only  $16.60  as 
salary.  Money  was  scarce  and  doubtless  court 
business  was  light. 

"My  Lord  Coke"  was  the  money  maker  in 
1822.  He  received  $50  as  sheriff,  $30  for  circuit 
clerk,  $30  for  clerk  of  the  commissioner's  court, 
and  $50  as  probate  judge,  $160  in  all.  David 
Dutton,  one  of  the  first  commissioners  of  Pike 
county,  received  a  small  compensation,  and  was  a 
resident  here  for  nearly  forty  years.  He  died  in 
New  Canton  in  1854,  perhaps  the  richest  man  on 
the  west  side. 

Pike  county  has  had  the  following  sheriffs : 
Rigdon  C.  Fenton,  1821 ;  Leonard  Ross,  1822  to 
1829;  Levi  Huntley,  1827;  Nathaniel  Hinckley, 
1832;  J.  W.  Seeley,  whig,  1831  to  1838;  Alfred 
Grubb,  democrat,  1840;  Ephraim  Cannon,  demo- 
crat, 1842,  1844;  D.  D.  Hicks,  democrat,  1846; 
S.  R.  Gray,  ind.  democrat,  1850;  Elisha  Hurt, 
whig,  1852;  G.  T.  Edwards,  whig,  1854; 
W.  S.  Dennis,  democrat,  1856;  John  Hous- 
ton, democrat,  1858;  Joshua  Woosley,  dem- 
ocrat, 1860;  P.  H.  Davis,  democrat,  1862;  J.  B. 
Landrum,  democrat,  1864 ;  W.  G.  Hubbard,  dem- 
ocrat, 1866;  J.  J.  Manker,  democrat,  1868: 
Joseph  McFarland,  democrat,  1870,  1872 ;  A. 
Simpkins,  democrat,  1874,  1882;  E.  W.  Blades, 
democrat,  1876,  1884 ;  Theo.  Kellogg,  republican, 
1878;  J.  Windmiller,  democrat,  1886;  M.  H. 
Darrah,  democrat,  1890;  Sam  Knox,  democrat, 
1892;  P.  P.  Johnson,  democrat,  1896;  G.  W. 
Smith,  present  incumbent. 

Just  half  of  the  number  named  are  living.  I 
personally  knew  all  but  five.  All  were  compe- 
tent and  able  officials,  and  laid  down  their  offices 
at  the  expiration  of  their  terms  with  general  sat- 
isfaction to  the  public. 

Pike  county  has  had  two  members  of  congress : 
Scott  Wike,  three  terms  and  W.  E.  Williams. 
one  term.  The  county  has  had  the  following 
presidential  electors:  William  A.  Grimshaw, 
Thomas  Worthington,  jr.,  and  A.  C.  Matthews. 
Mr.  Grimshaw  was  the  messenger  to  take  the 
state  vote  to  Washington. 

Alex.  Starn  and  O.  M.  Hatch  were  secretaries 


COUNTY  JAIL 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


101 


of  state.     W.  R.  Archer,  Harvey  Dunn,  W.  A. 
Grimshaw  and  Montgomery  Blair  were  members 
of  the  constitutional  convention  of   1847.     Alex. 
xStarn  of  1862  and  W.  R.  Archer  of  1870. 

The  state  senators  from  Pike  county  were 
Henry  J.  Ross,  William  Ross,  Thomas 
Worthington,  Sr.,  Hugh  L.  Sutphin,  Solomon 
Parsons,  J.  M.  Bush,  W.  R.  Archer,  J. 
W.  Johnson  and  Harry  Higbee.  The  fol- 
lowing were  members  of  the  Illinois  house  of 
representatives :  N.  Hanson,  John  Shaw,  Leo 
Roberts,  H.  J.  Ross,  John  Turney,  Joel  Wright, 
William  Ross,  Solomon  Parsons,  Parvin  Paulen, 
William  Blair,  Adolph  Wheeler,  B.  D.  Brown, 
Richard  Kerr,  Oscar  Long,  Alfred  Grubb,  James 
McWilliams,  Alex.  Starn,  William  P.  Harpole, 
James  M.  Higgins,  Tyre  Jennings,  O.  M.  Hatch, 
Hugh  L.  Sutphin,  C.  L.  Higbee,  J.  L.  Grimes, 
Gilbert  J.  Shaw,  W.  R.  Archer;  Scott  Wike,  J. 
H.  Dennis,  A.  Mittower,  Charles  Kenney,  Albert 
Landrum,  M.  D.  Massie,  A.  C.  Matthews,  J.  L. 
Underwood,  Thos,  Worthington,  jr.,  H.  D.  L. 
Griggsby,  A.  Dow,  W.  I.  Klein,  F.  L.  Hall,  T.  A. 
Retallic,  A.  G.  Crawford,  I.  D.  Webster.  Out 
of  forty-two  only  ten  are  living  who  were  in  the 
general  assembly  from  1820  to  1905. 

The  county  has  had  the  following  circuit 
judges:  C.  L.  Higbee,  A.  C.  Matthews,  Jeffer- 
son Orr,  Harry  Higbee;  and  the  following  pro- 
bate or  county  judges :  James  Ward,  Charles 
Harrington,  Alfred  Grubb,  John  W.  Allen,  R.  M. 
Atkinson,  Strother  Griggsby,  Edward  Doocy, 
William  B.  Grimes,  B.  F.  Bradburn.  Judges  of 
the  appellate  court:  C.  L.  Higbee  and  Harry 
Higbee. 

THE  PIKE  COUNTY  BAR. 


The  county  was  originally  in  the  first  judicial 
circrit  and  has  ever  been  prominent  in  this  great 
state.  Some  of  the  greatest  and  most  famous  men 
of  the  state  and  nation  have  practiced  at  this  bar. 
namely :  Abraham  Lincoln,  "the  greatest  man 
who  ever  came  in  the  tide  of  time ;"  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  "the  little  giant  of  Illinois;"  General 
E.  D.  Baker,  "the  superb  orator ;"  General  John  J. 
Hardin,  a  martyr  of  the  Mexican  war;  Milton 
Hay,  Pike  county's  steadfast  friend;  O.  H. 


Browning,  a  member  of  Lincoln's  cabinet ;  Ne- 
hemiah  Bushnell,  a  great  United  States  court 
lawyer;  Governor  Richard  Yates,  the  war  gov- 
ernor ;  Samuel  D.  Lockwood ;  Lyman  Trumbull ; 
W.  A.  Richardson ;  Calvin  A.  Warren ;  Murray 
McConnell ;  Arch  Williams  ;  Jackson  Grimshaw  ; 
Daniel  H.  Gilmer ;  I.  N.  Morris ;  Z.  N.  Garbutt ; 
Alfred  Grubb ;  Joseph  Kline ;  William  R.  Archer ; 
William  A.  Grimshaw;  R.  M.  Atkinson;  J.  L. 
Dobbin ;  James  S.  Irwin ;  James  F.  Greathouse ; 
H.  D.  L.  Griggsby ;  Thomas  Worthington ;  J.  L. 
Underwood ;  S.  V.  Hayden ;  J.  M.  Bush ;  Chaun- 
cey  L.  Higbee;  Scott  Wike;  and  D.  B.  Bush,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  bar  in  Massachusetts  in  1814 
and  came  here  in  1836.  All  of  the  above  have 
passed  away  save  J.  M.  Bush,  Thomas  Worthing- 
ton and  S.  V.  Hayden. 

The  present  Pike  county  bar  is  as  follows: 
Judge  Harry  Higbee,  Joseph  M.  Bush,  A.  C. 
Matthews,'  Jtefrerson  Orr,  A.  G.  Crawford,  Ed- 
ward Doocy,  William  Mumford,  W.  E.  Williams, 
A.  Clay  Williams,  B.  T.  Bradburn,  Paul  F. 
Grote,  Ray  N.  Anderson,  A.  C.  Bentley,  H.  T. 
Bush,  Edward  Yates,  W.  H.  Crow,  J.  W.  Stauf- 
fer,  L.  T.  Graham,  George  C.  Weaver,  Edwin 
Johnson,  Mark  Bradburn,  J.  D.  Hess,  Frank  Du- 
lany,  W.  I.  Klein  and  George  Hinman.  A  little 
of  the  prominence  of  some  of  these  disciples  of 
Blackstone  is  interesting  now  and  will  be  more  so 
as  time  wings  its  flight.  Harry  Higbee  was  several 
times  state  se'nator  and  twice  elected  circuit  judge. 
J.  M.  Bush  was  United  States  commissioner,  state 
senator,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  mas- 
ter in  chancery.  A.  C.  Matthews  was  a  colonel 
in  the  Civil  war,  collector  internal  revenue,  for 
six  years  supervisor  of  internal  revenue  for  the 
states  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  from 
1875  until  the  office  was  abolished,  three  times  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  legislature  and  was  speaker 
of  the  thirty-sixth  general  assembly,  was  circuit 
judge  and  comptroller  of  the  United  States  treas- 
ury under  President  Harrison.  Jefferson  Orr  has 
been  state's  attorney  and  circuit  judge;  Edward 
Doocy  has  been  county  judge  and  master  in  chan- 
cery. W.  E.  Williams,  state's  attorney  and  a 
member  of  congress ;  A.  Clay  Williams,  state's 
attorney;  B.  T.  Bradburn,  county  judge;  A.  C. 
Bentley,  master  in  chancery ;  Mark  Bradburn, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


state's  attorney;  W.  I.  Klein,  a  member  of  the 
Illinois  legislature;  W.  H.  Crow,  master  in  chan- 
cery, the  other  gentlemen  have  fame  before  them, 
and  Richelieu  said:  "In  the  bright  lexicon  of 
youth  there  is  no  such  word  as  fail,"  and  an  old 
lawyer  once  said:  "Use  what  talent  you  possess. 
The  woods  would  be  very  silent  if  no  bird  sung 
there  but  those  which^'can  sing  best." 

Pike  county's  first  circuit  court  was  held  at 
Cole's  Grove,  October  i,  1821,  and  the  following 
have  been  the  judges  in  the  eighty-five  years  that 
have  passed :  Hon.  John  Reynolds  was  a  supreme 
judge  when  he  held  court  at  Atlas  about  1822 ; 
Hon.  John  Y.  Sawyer  was  the  first  circuit  judge 
to  hold  court  in  this  county  in  1825 ;  Hon.  Rich- 
ard M.  Young  was  judge  till  1837,  when  he  re- 
signed to  accept  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
senate;  Hon.  James  H.  Ralston  served  in  1837, 
but  in  August  of  the  same  year  he  resigned  on 
account  of  ill  health;  Hon.  Peter  Lott  was  in 
office  till  1841 ;  Hon.  S.  A.  Douglas  was  elected 
by  the  legislature  in  1841,  and  served  until  he 
was  elected  to  congress  in  1843;  Hon.  Jesse  B. 
Thomas  was  appointed  in  1843 !  Hon.  Norman 
H.  Purple  was  elected  in  1845  and  held  until 
1849 ;  Hon.  W.  A.  Minshall  was  elected  in  May, 
1849,  ar>d  held  till  his  death,  October,  1851  ;  Hon. 
O.  C.  Skinner  succeeded  Judge  Minshall  and  held 
the  office  until  May,  1853;  Hon.  Pinckney  H. 
Walker  was  in  office  until  1858,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  supreme  bench ; 
Hon.  John  S.  Bailey  served  three  years ;  Hon. 
Chauncey  L.  Higbee  was  elected  in  1861  for  a 
term  of  six  years  and  was  three  times  re-elected, 
making  nearly  twenty-four  years  of  consecutive 
service  therein.  He  departed  this  life  December 
7,  1884.  He  was  one  of  the  purest  and  most 
learned  of  jurists,  was  wise  in  counsel,  learned 
and  upright  in  decision,  on.  A.  C.  Matthews 
was  appointed  in  1885  to  fill  out  the  unexpired 
term  of  the  late  Judge  Higbee.  Hon.  S.  P.  Shope 
was  elected  judge  of  this  district  in  1877.  Hon. 
Charles  J.  Schofield  was  judge  for  six  years. 
Hon.  Jefferson  Orr  served  from  1889  to  1895. 
Hons.  J.  C.  Broady,  John  H.  Williams  and  Oscar 
Bonney  held  court  here  frequently.  The  present 
incumbents  are  Hon.  Harry  Higbee,  resident 
judge,  who  is  on  his  second  term,  Hon.  Albert 


Akers  and  T.  N.  Mehan.  All  have  been  able 
and  of  great  legal  ability,  and  have  added  much  to 
the  jurisprudence  of  the  old  first  judicial  circuit. 

The  prosecuting  attorneys  have  been  as  fol- 
lows :  In  the  early  days  the  attorney  general  of 
the  state  acted  as  prosecuting  attorney  and  later 
each  circuit  was  given  an  attorney,  while  in  1872 
each  county  was  given  one.  These  were  Thomas 
Ford,  J.  H.  Ralston  and  J.  J.  Hardin  from  about 
1826  to  1835  ;  in  1837  W.  A.  Richardson,  best 
known  as  old  Dick,  an  old-time  democratic  war 
horse,  six  times  a  member  of  congress,  and  gov- 
ernor of  Nebraska  under  President  Buchanan ; 
Henry  L.  Bryant,  in  1839;  William  Elliott  till 
1848;  Robert  S.  Blackwell,  1848  to  1852;  Mr. 
Blackwell  was  a  great  lawyer,  an  old-time  spell- 
binder on  the  stump  ;^Harmon  G.  Reynolds,  Wil- 
liam C.  Goudy  and  Calvin  A.  Warren  from  1852 
to  1854;  John  S.  Bailey  till  1858;  L.  H.  Waters 
in  1860,  who  entered  the  civil  war  and  became 
colonel  of  the  eighty-fourth  Illinois,  it  being  re- 
lated of  him  that  when  he  came  to  Springfield  in 
1865  with  his  regiment  for  muster  out,  that  the 
only  citizen  that  met  him  at  the  depot  was  a 
butcher  and  the  proprietor  of  a  "hand  me  down," 
who  wanted  to  sell  "cheap  cloding"  and  blue 
beef.  The  boys  all  say  "Lew"  was  a  good  officer. 
Daniel  H.  Gilmer,  Thomas  E.  Morgan  and  Wil- 
liam R.  Archer  served  as  attorneys  pro  tem  from 
1860  to  1862.  Mr.  Morgan  and  L.  W.  James 
were  the  last  under  the  old  law.  When  each 
county  was  given  a  prosecuting  attorney,  Jeffer- 
son Orr  was  elected  in  1873  and  1876;  J.  W. 
Johnson  in  1880,  and  H.  C.  Johnson  in  1884.  W. 
E.  Williams  served  from  1887  to  1892  and  was 
afterwards  a  member  of  congress  from  this  coun- 
ty. A.  Beavers  served  one  term ;  A.  Clay  Wil- 
liams was  elected  in  1896  and  1900;  M.  S.  Brad- 
burn  in  1904  being  the  present  incumbent. 

The  masters  in  chancery  have  been  J.  Merrick 
Bush  from  1860  to  1885,  and  his  successors  have 
been  W.  H.  Crow,  A.  C.  Bentley  and  Edward 
Doocy. 

CHURCH    HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY. 

The  first  sermon  preached  in  Chambersburg 
township  was  at  the  house  of  Rachel  Brown  by 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


103 


'Rev.  John  Medford,  a  Methodist,  and  the  first 
Sunday-school  was  by  the  Methodists  in  the  town 
of  Chambersburg.  The  Christians  and  Baptists 
are  also  well  represented  by  a  host  of  good  citi- 
zens. Flint  has  Methodist,  Baptist  and  Christian 
churches,  and  the  worshipers  are  devout  and 
worthy  citizens.  Detroit  has  six  churches: 
Christian,  Methodist  Episcopal  South,  Methodist, 
Presbyterian,  Baptist  and  Missionary  Baptist. 
Montezuma  township  has  the  towns  of  Milton, 
Montezuma  and  Bedford,  which  each  have 
Christian  and  Methodist  houses  of  worship  with 
good  membership.  Pearl  has  a  Trinity  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  a  Christian  church. 
Both  societies  are  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The 
first  church  was  built  in  1867.  Perry  has  a 
Methodist  church  organized  in  1832,  with  such 
noted  old  pioneers  as  B.  L.  Matthews  and  wife, 
G.  W.  Hinman  and  wife  and  ten  others.  The 
Christian  church  was  organized  in  1837.  In 
1879  a  committee  consisting  of  Jon  Shastid, 
Alex  Dorsey  and  seven  others  erected  a  gothic 
style  church  at  a  cost  of  about  four  thousand  dol- 
lars. Zion  church  was  erected  in  1852.  The 
Lutheran  church  was  organized  in  1859.  Griggs- 
ville  has  six  churches.  The  Baptist  church  was 
organized  in  1834,  and  their  first  house  of  wor- 
ship was  finished  in  1840.  In  1873  the  old  church 
was  torn  down  and  a  brick  edifice  costing  about 
two  thousand  dollars  was  erected.  The  First 
Methodist  society  was  called  the  Atlas  mission  in 
1830,  with  the  great  Peter  Cartright  as  presiding 
elder.  The  regular  church  was  organized  in  1835 
by  the  Rev.  William  Hunter.  The  Congrega- 
tional church  was  organized  February  16,  1837. 
Hinman  Chapel  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was 
organized  in  1844;  the  United  Brethren  church  in 
1842,  and  the  church  of  Christ  in  1874.  Newburg 
has  a  Bethel  church  built  by  the  Methodists. 

Hardin  has  a  Methodist  and  two  Christian 
churches.  Spring  Creek  has,  in  the  town  of  Nebo, 
a  Baptist  church  and  the  Regular  Predestinarian 
Baptist.  The  societies  were  formed  in  1862  and 
1863.  Fairmount  has  the  United  Brethren,  Pres- 
byterian, Methodist  and  Christian  churches.  New 
Salem  lias  a  Universalist  church  and  Methodist, 
also  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  United  Breth- 
ren churches  in  Baylis.  Pittsfield  has  a  Congre- 


gational church.  Its  first  house  of  worship  was 
built  in  1838  and  its  second  in  1846.  They  now 
have  one  of  the  largest  edifices,  erected  several 
years  ago.  The  Christian  church  is  one  of  mod- 
ern style  and  has,  perhaps,  the  largest  membership 
of  any  in  the  county.  The  Methodists  also  have 
a  large  and  substantial  church,  erected  in  1876. 
The  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  1839.  St. 
Stephen's  Episcopal  was  built  in  1852.  The 
Roman  Catholic  church  was  built  in  1869.  There 
is  also  a  Presbyterian  church,  a  German  Metho- 
dist and  a  church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints.  Mar- 
tinsburg  has  a  Methodist  and  a  Christian  church. 
Pleasant  Hill  has  a  Baptist,  Methodist  and  Chris- 
tian church.  Hadley  has  several  church  organ- 
izations and  their  meetings  are  held  in  some  of  the 
commodious  school  buildings  of  the  township. 
Derry  had  a  Methodist  society  in  1829,  and  in  1830 
the  renowned  Lorenzo  Dow  preached  there  and 
baptized  two  persons.  The  town  of  Eldara  has  a 
Methodist  and  a  Christian  church.  Atlas  has  a 
Congregational  church  at  Summer  Hill,  also  at 
Atlas  ;  a  Methodist  church  at  Rockport  and  Gilgal. 
Barry  has  a  Methodist,  Baptist  and  Christian 
church,  and  all  three  churches  are  large  and  com- 
modious edifices,  each  with  large  memberships. 
Pleasant  Vale  has  at  New  Canton  a  Methodist  and 
Union  church,  the  latter  occupied  by  the  Christian 
society.  Cincinnati  has  Wike  chapel,  a  Methodist 
church.  Kinderhook  has  a  Baptist  and  Metho- 
dist church  in  the  town  and  the  Akers  chapel, 
a  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  a  Methodist 
and  Baptist  church  at  Hull.  Levee  has  a  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  near  Spencer  Switch.  The 
wonderful  and  famous  Lorenzo  Dow  and  Peter 
Cartright  several  times  preached  on  the  west  side 
of  the  county,  notably  at"  Atlas,  Derry  and  Pleas- 
ant Vale.  This  church  history  is  not  as  complete 
as  desired,  but  the  cause  is  that  so  few  of  the 
church  societies  have  kept  records. 

"By  ourselves  our  lives  are  fed, 
With  sweet  or  bitter  daily  bread." 


Pike  county   men   who  went  to   California   in 
1849,  1850,  1851  and  1852  were  as  follows:  From 


104 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Detroit :  John  J.  Mudd,  John  Haddican,  Andy 
Work,  Dr.  George  C.  Harris,  Wash  Harris,  Neal 
Peckenpaugh,  J.  K.  Sitton,  James  Rush,  James 
Dinsmore,  James  Stoner,  John  Marcus,  William 
Meredith,  Woodson  Meredith,  James  Meredith,  J. 
Brown,  Ben  Hayden,  Elisha  Hayden,  Asa  Hay- 
den,  Jack  Tucker,  Alex  Blake,  William  Stack- 
pole,  Zack  Ownby,  Thomas  Ownby,  Sam  Fry, 
Henry  Ingils  and  wife,  Henry  <Kiser  and  wife 
and  Joseph  W.  Ingles ;  from  Montezuma :  B.  F. 
Stewart,  James  Stewart,  Burl  McPherson,  Joe 
McCrary,  William  Lester,  John  Nation,  Dr.  Clein- 
mons,  Dan  Crawford,  Joel  Mechan,  James  Het- 
terick  and  wife,  W.  Zumalt  and  W.  B.  Grimes, 
from  Hardin :  David  Porter,  Samuel  G.  Sitton, 
David  Sitton,  Ruben  Hendricks,  Marsh  Dins- 
more,  William  Dinsmore,  Johnson  Brace,  Lince 
Johnson,  George  Kent,  Samuel  Hendj^cks,  Riley 
Johnson,  Ben  Barney  and  John  Kiser;  from  Pitts- 
field:  Dewitt  Castle,  George  Abbott,  Alfred  Mil- 
ler, William  Thompson,  Hamilton  Wills,  Norton 
Bates,  Ervin  Davis,  Mr.  McElroy,  Marshall  Dut- 
ton,  Henry  St.  John,  N.  E.  Quinby  and  Jones 
Clark ;  from  Barry :.  George  Griffith,  L.  Brown, 
Barton  Alkire,  Josiah  Alkire,  William  Israel, 
Grant  Israel,  Jack  Brown,  Henry  Brown,  William 
Hedger,  John  Brown,  Elijah  McAtee,  Elisha 
Hurt,  Major  Donaldson  and  Jackson  Jennings; 
from  Griggsville :  James  Elledge,  Uriah  Elledge, 
Dan  Elledge,  George  Coss,  William  Jones,  old 
Mr.  Fessenden  and  son,  Captain  May,  Enos 
Parks  and  John  McWilliams;  from  Pearl:  Wil- 
liam Wheeler,  Peter  Kessinger,  William  \yinne- 
ger  and  William  Leper ;  from  Newburg'T  David 
Gibson,  James  Gibson,  Holly  Rose,  Henry  Rob- 
inson, Nathan  Kelly,  George  Godwin,  Abe  Liv- 
ingston and  Fred  Stone;  from  New  Canton: 
Amos  Morey,  J.  H.  Talbart,  P.  H.  Davis,  Wil- 
liam Weir,  Harrison  Brown,  W.  H.  Uppinghouse, 
Henry  Havens,  Peter  Bully,  Aura  Brown,  Walk 
Neely,  Joseph  Mygatt,  John  Emerson,  Samuel 
Taylor,  L.  G.  Hosford,  James  Dutton,  John  H. 
Brammell,  Orin  Parkis,  Frank  Tittswirth,  Clark 
Churchill,  Ed  Tryon,  C.  T.  Brewster,  Orin 
Shearer,  Sam  Dowden,  Manly  Barney,  Henry 
Dobbins,  George  Stanley,  James  Speed,  Jo  Stan- 
ley, William  Flippen,  Horace  Palmer,  Jay  Green, 
John  Cartright,  William  Handlin,  Moses  Sam- 


uels, Tom  Cravens,  William  Redmond,  Arnold 
Woodward,  William  Fugate,  Hugh  Barker,  Isaac 
Williams,  Horace  Garrison,  Hardin  Havard,  Ru- 
ben Griggsby  and  Moses  Waggoner;  from  El- 
dara:  In  1848,  W.  Isaiah  Cooper,  John  Cooper 
and  George  Wood,  in  1849,  Sam  Blackwood, 
Sam  Watson,  George  Roberts,  William  Lippin- 
cott,  Nathan  Paulin,  Ben  Newnham  and  family, 
James  Harris,  Henry  Hazelrigg,  Sam  Steele,  H. 
R.  Wood,  Henry  Taylor,  J.  L.  Underwood,  James 
Caldwell,  Isaiah  Cooper,  William  Crozier,  Simon 
Crozier,  William  Crozier,  Jr.,  William  P.,  George 
W.  and  Pleasant  M.  Freeman,  Charles  Foreman, 
in  1850  William  Chamberlin,  Peter  Carey,  Carlisle 
Burbridge,  Isaac  Holman,  George  Hoover,  Sam 
Hoover,  John  Sigsworth,  Ben  Dolbow,  Jake 
Swerengen,  Nathan  Kendall,  in  1852,  Joe  Lip- 
pincott,  David  Lippincott,  T.  W.  Martin,  Oliver 
Martin,  William  Snyder,  George  W.  Underwood, 
Jehu  Wood,  John  Bowers,  Ed  Bowers,  Phil 
Crowder  and  son,  David  Crowder,  P.  T.  Dickin- 
son, Maybery  Evans,  William  H.  Johnson,  in 
1854  William  Veal  and  family,  William  Corner 
and  family,  John  Keezee,  John  R.  Newnham,  Wil- 
liam Evans,  Tilford  B.  Taylor,  Thomas  Taylor, 
L.  N.  Worsham  and  Robert  Little ;  from  Pleasant 
Hill:  H.  Weaver,  George  Roberts,  James  Goff, 
Ched  B.  Lewis,  William  Ward  and  Peter  Carey. 
The  above  list  of  the  Pike  county  argonauts  is 
not  as  complete  as  it  should  be,  but  upon  reflec- 
tion, over  a  half  century  has  passed  since  the  trip 
was  made  overland,  and  it  took  long  and  tedious 
months  crossing  the  plains,  beset  with  many  dan- 
gers and  much  suffering  and  loss  of  life.  There 
is  a  new  generation  now  and  the  old  Californians 
are  not  in  their  thoughts.  Many  of  the  gold  seek- 
ers left  their  bones  to  bleach  on  the  then  great 
American  desert.  The  gold  fever  excitement  and 
the  Civil  war  were  the  most  costly  in  lives  and 
treasure  of  any  thing  in  American  history.  Only 
about  six  of  the  returned  Californians  are  living 
in  1906. 

BANKS   AND   BANKERS. 

In  the  old  times  banks  were  not  known,  as 
coon  skins  and  beeswax  were  in  many  cases  the 
medium  of  exchange,  but  later  when  the  stage 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


105 


coach  and  the  mail  service  were  inaugurated 
money  became  a  necessity,  and  the  old  picayune 
six  and  a  quarter  cents;'  and  the  old  bit  or  twelve 
and  one-half  cents,  and  wild  cat  paper  circulated 
and  then  the  Spanish  mill  dollar,  and  occasionally 
some  American  silver.  Then  came  a  deluge  of 
"shinplaster"  paper,  promises  to  pay,  that  in  most 
instances  were  a  delusion  to  the  holder.  This  un- 
satisfactory condition  of  the  "root  of  all  evil" 
lasted  until  the  Civil  war,  since  which  time  the 
"money  question"  is  one  of  entire  satisfaction  to 
all.  Pike  county  has  banks  in  many  of  the  towns 
and  they  have  been  a  great  aid  in  all  business 
transactions.  The  first  bank  in  the  county  was 
at  Pittsfield  in  an  early  day,  established  by  Colo- 
nel Ross  and  others.  The  old-time  note  shavers 
and  sidewalk  brokers  have  come  down  through 
the  ages  and  are  still  with  us.  The  county  in 
1906  had  fifteen  banks  as  follows: 

Barry,  the  First  National,  with  T.  A.  Retallic 
president,  and  O.  Williamson,  cashier ;  Baylis,  the 
Farmers'  Bank,  with  S.  T.  Grammar,  presi- 
dent, and  R.  Y.  Barnes,  cashier ;  Chambersburg, 
the  Farmers'  Exchange,  J.  M.  Chenoweth  presi- 
dent, and  H.  B.  Dennis,  cashier ;  Griggsville,  the 
Griggsville  National,  with  B.  F.  Newman  presi- 
dent, and  E.  S.  Hoyt,  cashier ;  and  Illinois  Val- 
ley Bank,  with  A.  Dunham  president,  and  F.  H. 
Farrand,  cashier ;  Hull,  the  First  International 
Bank,  with  J.  W.  Sperry  president,  and'  W.  W. 
Somers,  cashier ;  Milton,  the  Exchange  Bank, 
with  C.  E.  Bolin,  president,  and  C.  E.  Bolin,  cash- 
ier; Nebo,  the  Minier  Brothers,  with  T.  L.  Minier 
president,  and  C.  Armentrout,  cashier ;  and  the 
Bank  of  Nebo.  with  R.  R.  Pollock  president,  and 
Roy  Pollock,  cashier;  New  Canton,  Bank  of 
New  Canton,  with  H.  B.  Atkinson,  and 
J.  R.  Easley,  cashier;  Pearl,  the  Bank  of 
Pearl,  with  C.  A.  Manker  president,  and  C.  A. 
Manker,  cashier;  Perry,  the  Perry  State  Bank, 
with  W.  H.  Wilson  president,  and  Robert  Greg- 
ory, cashier;  Pittsfield,  the  First  National  Bank, 
with  Harry  Higbee  president,  and  R.  T.  Hicks, 
cashier :  and  the  Farmers'  State  Bank,  with 
Lewis  Dutton  president,  and  Ross  Matthews, 
cashier;  Pleasant  Hill,  the  Citizens'  Bank,  with 
N.  R.  Shultz  president,  and  C.  C.  Thomas, 
cashier. 


NEWSPAPERS    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 

The  first  newspaper  was  started  in  1842  by 
Michael  J.  Noyes  in  Pittsfield  and  named  The 
Sucker  &  Farmers  Record,  which  was  followed 
by  the  Free  Press,  Journal,  Old  Flag,  Radical, 
Morning  Star,  Sentinel,  Banner,  People's  Advo- 
cate and  Herald,  all  at  Pittsfield;  at  Barry,  the 
Enterprise,  Observer,  Unicorn,  Greenback  and 
Breeze ;  at  Perry,  The  News  and  Paragraph ;  at 
Hull,  The  Breeze;  at  Griggsville,  The  Reflector; 
at  Milton,  The  Beacon  and  Advocate;  at  New 
Canton,  the  Mail,  News  and  Advance.  They  are 
papers  of  the  past,  gone  but  not  forgotten.  The 
publications  in  1906  are  in  Pittsfield,  the  Pike 
County  Democrat,  started  in  1857.  I"  I86S»  J-  M. 
Bush  became  editor  and  owner,  running  the  paper 
for  nearly  forty  years.  It  is  now  managed  by 
William  and  J.  M.  Bush,  Jr.  The  Pike  County 
Republican  was  started  by  S.  T.  Donahue  about 
1896,  and  is  now  edited  and  owned  by  Burr  H. 
Swan.  The  Pike  County  Times,  started  in  1895, 
is  owned  and  edited  by  A.  C.  Bentley  and  C.  W. 
Caughlin.  Griggsville  has  the  Press,  with  E.  E. 
Williamson,  editor;  the  Herald,  with  Arden 
Northrup,  editor.  Perry  has  the  Citizen,  edited 
by  Six  &  Bro.  Milton  has  the  Beacon,  with  H.  T. 
Humm  as  editor ;  Barry  has  the  Adage,  with  A.  E. 
Hess  as  editor  and  owner;  the  Record,  owned  and 
edited  by  the  .Record  Publishing  Co.  Pleasant 
Hill  has  the  Messenger,  with  C.  R.  Barnes  as  ed- 
itor. Hull  has  the  Enterprise,  with  H.  C.  Sperry 
as  editor.  Baylis  has  the  Guide,  with  G.  R. 
Haines  as  editor.  Nebo 'has  the  Banner,  with 
Truman  Dinsmore  as  editor.  New  Canton  has  the 
Press,  with  C.  L. 'Hopkins  as  editor  and  owner. 
These  papers  are  all  well  managed,  have  good 
patronage  and  are  welcome  weekly  visitors  to 
many  homes.  Their  subscribers  are  very  numer- 
ous all  over  the  west  as  Pike  county  people  are 
to  be  found  in  all  the  western  states,  and  the  old 
home  papers  are  like  a  letter  from  home. 

STEAMBOATING. 

In  the  days  of  steamboating  the  Illinois  river 
was  a  great  outlet  and  inlet  for  the  east  side  of 
the  countv  and  the  river  steamers  that  were  so 


io6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


useful  are  now  recalled :  the  Post  Boy,  Lady  Lee, 
Calhoun,  Time  and  Tide,  North  Star,  Peoria, 
Belle  of  Pike,  Regulator,  Fanny  Keener  and  many 
others.  Captain  Samuel  Rider,  Captain  Abrams 
and  Dan  Bates  are  well  remembered  by  passen- 
gers and  shippers.  Many  times  freight  would  be 
left  at  the  various  landings  for  several  days, 
awaiting  shipment  because  the  steamers  had  not 
sufficient  tonnage  for  the  vast  quantities  that  were 
offered.  Pittsfield  had  a  plank  road  to  Florence 
and  it  made  the  latter  place  one  of  the  large  re- 
ceiving and  shipping  points,  but  when  the  rail- 
roads came  they  soon  made  the  rosy,  glorious 
days  of  river  traffic  vanish  and  now  they  are 
only  a  memory.  On  the  Illinois  river  Griggs- 
ville  Landing,  Florence,  Montezuma  and  Bedford 
were  the  principal  shipping  points,  while  on  the 
Mississippi  river  the  points  were  Douglasville, 
opposite  Hannibal,  Missouri,  Cincinnati  and 
Scott's  Landings.  The  business  of  Pike  county 
farmers  and  business  men  on  the  two  rivers  up  to 
the  time  that  railroads  took  the  trade  were  im- 
mense as  the  crops  were  nearly  always  abundant, 
and  our  industrious  and  active  citizens  have  ever 
been  alert  in  grasping  the  opportunities  that  have 
mad.e  the  county  so  great. 

Like  a  pleasant  dream  the  good  old  days  of 
steamboating  pass  in  review,  and  the  realty  of 
those  halcyon  times  will  appeal  vividly  to  the 
older  citizens  who  remember  the  floating  palaces 
that  were  to  be  seen  daily  between  St.  Louis  and 
Keokuk.  Many  were  real  palaces  finished  in 
white,  blue  and  gold,  with  beautiful  pictures  on 
the  stateroom  doors,  and  fore  and  aft  painting 
of  some  city  or  historical  scene.  The  steamers 
those  days  cost  from  $60,000  to  $80,000  and  often 
more,  and  a  trip  on  one  of  those  commodious 
and  tastefully  equipped  steamers,  either  for  busi- 
ness or  pleasure,  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  enjoyed  it  in  the  wonderful  past. 

A  list  of  the  old-time  boats  and  their  very  ca- 
pable, affable  and  courteous  captains  will  interest 
many  along  the  great  Mississippi  river,  as  well  as 
those  here,  who  will  recall  the  names  with  pleas- 
urable recollections.  The  list  will  embrace  about 
all  the  freight  and  passenger  boats  since  the  time 
of  the  organization  of  the  St.  Louis  &  Keokuk 
Packet  Co.,  which  was  a  power  in  its  time,  and 


assisted  in  making  the  great  river  the  commer- 
cial artery  for  all  the  vast  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  Boreas,  the  boat  that  will  never  be  for- 
gotton,  as  it  was  the  only  one  that  had  a  high 
pressure  engine  that  could  be  heard  for  five  miles 
and  was  a  fright  to  animals. 

The  low  pressure  boats  were  the  Ocean  Wave, 
Edward  Bates,  Kate  Kearney,  Die  Vernon,  Mary 
Stephens,  Sheridan,  New  England,  Regulator, 
Lucy  Bertram,  Golden  Era,  Jennie  Deans,  Han- 
nibal City,  Quincy,  Warsaw,  Keokuk,  City  of 
Louisiana,  Mollie  McPike,  Sam  Gaty,  Des 
Moines,  Golden  Eagle,  Gray  Eagle,  Bon  Accord, 
J.  H.  Johnson,  Andy  Johnson,  Rob  Roy,  Min- 
nesota, St.  Paul,  Gem  City,  Tom  Jasper,  Denmark 
and  Atlas.  The  two  last  named  sank  near  Cincin- 
nati Landing  and  were  never  raised.  The  Atlas 
had  100  barrels  of  whisky  in  the  hull,  and  after 
the  upper  works  were  removed,  attempts  were 
made  to  get  the  whisky  but  with  no  success.  The 
knowing  ones  assert  that  the  hull  and  contents 
were  buried  in  the  sand  and  could  the  whisky  be 
be  saved  it  would  be  worth  more  money  than 
the  article  ever  sold  for.  The  island  called  Atlas 
and  Denmark  is  now  over  the  wrecks. 

The  old-time  captains  were  Meal  Cameron, 
Chas.  Dean,  Rufus  Ford,  A.  Berzie,  J.  H.  John- 
son, Flem  Calvert,  John  W.  Malin,  R.  J.  Whit- 
tedge,'  Frank  Burnett,  David  Asbury,  C.  Alford, 
J.  W.  Gunn,  H.  W.  Brolaski,  I.  Matson,  Moses 
Hall,  John  Hamilton,  and  Lyman  Scott.  The 
latter  was  not  in  command  very  long,  as  he  was 
a  prohibitionist  and  removed  the  bar  on  his  boat, 
and  as  the  public  would  not  stand  for  that  he 
was  soon  removed. 

All  the  boats  had  bars,  and  they  were  kept  till 
the  Diamond  Jo  line  of  boats  superseded  the  old 
Keokuk  line,  when  they  were  all  removed.  A  few 
years  later  the  railroads  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  captured  the  river  business,  and  now,  in- 
stead of  seeing  from  five  to  ten  boats  every  day 
plowing  the  old  Father  of  Waters,  laden  with 
freight  and  passengers,  two  or  three  a  week  is  all 
that  is  to  be  seen.  All  the  glory  and  profit  of  the 
palmy  days  is  only  a  memory. 

In  those  days,  especially  in  the  pork  packing 
seasons,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  teams  a  day 
from  Barrv,  Kinderhook  and  New  Canton,  would 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


107 


go  to  Cincinnati  Landing,  where  the  pork,  lard 
and  bulk  meats,  wheat  and  corn  would  be  stored 
till  the  river  opened.  It  was  frequently  the  case 
that  the  bank  of  the  river  would  have  ricked  up 
from  3,000  to  5,000  barrels  of  pork  and  lard,  and 
as  much  as  50,000  pieces  of  bulk  meat  in  the 
warehouses.  Large  quantities  of  hay  were  also 
shipped.  It  was  baled  in  the  old  and  slow  way, 
pressing  a  bale  at  a  time  tying  it  with  ropes  of 
hickory  withes. 

The  boats  were  so  overloaded  that  many  times 
freight  would  lie  in  the  warehouses  for  a  month 
or  more,  awaiting  shipment.  One  man  had  500 
sacks  of  wheat  that  cost  $1.00  per  bushel  and  he 
was  vexed  that  he  could  not  ship  it,  but  his  worry 
turned  to  a  great  grin  of  satisfaction,  for  when 
it  did  go,  wheat  had  advanced,  and  he  sold  it  for 
$2.00  per  bushel. 

Another  man  had  about  2,000  bushels  of  ear 
corn  and  was  offered  75  cents  for  it,  but  held  it 
for  a  rise.  He  afterwards  had  offers  of.$i.oo, 
$1.25,  and  the  last  offer  included  shelling,  sacking 
and  hauling  to  the  river,  which  meant  $1.25  net 
for  him.  No  sale;  he  was  holding  for  $1.50. 
Here's  where  he  laughed  out  of  the  other  corner 
of  his  mouth.  Corn  went  down.  He  sent  for 
sacks,  shelled  and  shipped  it  to  St.  Louis,  and  it 
net  him  only  35  cents.  One  man  bought  a  lot 
of  wheat  at  $3.00  per  bushel,  sent  it  to  the  landing 
by  flatboat,  thence  by '  the  steamer  to  St.  Louis, 
and  sold  it  for  $3.55  per  bushel.  He  had  a  net 
profit  of  20  cents  a  bushel. 

The  writer  personally  knew  all  the  old-time 
boatmen  named  in  this  article,  and  with  possibly 
two  exceptions  all  have  joined  the  silent  major- 
ity on  the  other  shore.  The  principal  shippers 
here  and  at  Barry  and  at  Kinderhook  have  all 
passed  away  with  possibly  four  exceptions. 
Among  the  warehouse  men  at  Cincinnati  Land- 
ing not  one  is  left. 

RAILROADS. 

In  reference  to  means  of  transportation  this 
county  is  greatly  favored  by  nature.  Indeed, 
there  is  no  county  in  the  State  to  which  nature 
gave  such  abundant  and  convenient  channels  of 
transportation  as  to  Pike.  Here  are  two  of  the 


finest  water  courses  in  America  washing  its 
shores,  and  no  portion  of  the  county  over  half  a 
day's  drive  from  one  of  them.  Without  a  rail- 
road many  of  the  northern  counties  of  the  State 
would  yet  be  in  their  native  condition.  Yet  Pike 
county  could,  and  did,  get  along  very  conven- 
iently without  a  railroad. 

As  early  as  May,  1860,  a  railroad  was  pro- 
jected, principally  by  Messrs.  Starne  and  Hatch. 
This  road  was  known  as  the  Pike  County  Road, 
and  later  as  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  Road. 
Some  grading  was  done,  but  the  county,  at  a 
general  election,  refused  aid,  and  the  project  was 
abandoned  until  after  the  war,  when  through  the 
efforts  of  Judge  Higbee,  Scott  Wike,  James  S. 
Irwin,  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw,  W.  Steers, 
of  Pittsfield,  Messrs.  Brown  and  Wike,  of  Barry, 
and  Messrs.  McWilliams,  Ward,  Philbrick  and 
others  of  Griggsville,  the  enterprise  was  revived 
and  pushed  to  completion. 

Originally  about  $350,000  were  expended  on 
old  Pike  road ;  and  of  this  sum  the  city  of  Hanni- 
bal furnished  as  a  city  $200,000,  the  townships 
on  the  line  of  the  road  $70,000,  and  individuals 
in  Hannibal  and  Pike  county  the  balance.  The 
money  subscribed  was  faithfully  expended  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  Starne,  the  president  of  the 
road,  and  a  competent  engineer ;  the  war  com- 
menced and  the  road  failed,  as  did  most  of  the 
public  enterprises  of  the  country.  It  was  at  that 
time  in  debt  to  Mr.  Clough,  one  of  the  engineers, 
about  $1,000,  and  upon  a  suit  commenced  by  him 
a  judgment  was  rendered  against  the  road  for  his 
debt.  The  friends  of  the  road  were  anxious  that 
it  should  not  be  sacrificed,  and  when  it  was  sold, 
bid  it  in  in  the  name  of  Scott  Wike,  for  $1,039, 
who  transferred  the  certificate  of  purchase  to  the 
directors  of  the  old  road,  Messrs.  A.  Starne,  B. 
D.  Brown,  O.  M.  Hatch,  George  Wike,  George 
W.  Shields,  J.  G.  Helme,  James  McWilliams  and 
Scott  Wike ;  and  the  sheriff  made  them  a  deed 
February  12,  1863.  They  were  then  incorpo- 
rated as  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  Railroad  Com- 
pany. Mr.  Shields  was  the  mayor  of  the  city  of 
Hannibal,  and  Mr.  Helme  a  large  property 
holder  there.  They  were  directors  of  the  old 
road,  and  were  appointed  by  the  city  council  to 
look  after  the  interests  of  the  city.  The  other 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


gentlemen  were  directors  in  the  old  road  and 
large  property  holders  in  Pike  county. 

When  the  agitation  incident  to  the  Rebellion 
had  subsided  and  the  people  again  turned  to  the 
improvement  of  their  homes  and  the  carrying 
out  of  home  enterprises,  the  completion  of  this 
road  was  urged. 

Enthusiastic  meetings  were  held  throughout 
the  county  in  December,  1867.  The  proposition 
by  the  supervisors  to  bond  the  county  was  de- 
feated by  a  popular  vote  December  24 — 2,777 
for,  to  2,841  against,  one  of  the  largest  votes  ever 
cast  in  the  county. 

At  a  railroad  meeting  held  at  the  courthouse 
in  Pittsfield  December  30,  1868,  resolutions  for 
pushing  the  railroad  interests  of  the  county  were 
passed,  and  a  committee  appointed,  headed  by 
William  A.  Grimshaw,  to  "take  the  requisite 
steps  to  carry  out  the  project  of  railroad  con- 
nections for  Pittsfield  and  Pike  county  with  the 
Chicago  &  Alton,  or  the  Pennsylvania  Central, 
or  any  other  roads  interested  and  willing  to  co- 
operate with  Pittsfield  and  Pike  county." 

At  the  same  time  there  was  a  project  of  a  rail- 
road from  Louisiana,  Missouri,  to  run  west  to  the 
Missouri  river,  headed  by  Thomas  L.  Price,  then 
a  railroad  king  of  the  West. 

Ten  miles  of  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  road  were 
completed  February  18,  1869,  namely,  to  Kinder- 
hook,  and  a  banquet  and  great  rejoicing  were  had 
on  the  occasion,  in  a  car  at  Kinderhook. 

In  pursuance  of  an  official  call  a  railroad 
meeting  was  held  at  Pittsfield,  March  8,  1869, 
with  R.  A.  McClintock,  chairman,  and  J.  M. 
Bush,  secretary,  when  Col.  A.  C.  Matthews  ex- 
plained the  object  of  the  meeting.  A  committee 
was  appointed,  one  from  each  township  repre- 
sented, to  assess  the  sum  of  $150,000  among  the 
various  townships  embraced  in  the  call.  The 
meeting  passed  a  resolution  indorsing  the  act 
of  the  Legislature  providing  for  the  refunding 
to  the  several  townships  and  counties,  the  con- 
tracting debts  for  railroads,  the  entire  taxes  on 
such  railroad  property,  and  the  excess  of  all 
State  taxes  over  the  assessment  of  1868. 

August,  1869,  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  road 
reached  a  point  within  two  and  one-half  miles  of 
New  Salem ;  reached  Griggsville  in  September ; 


railroad  completed  in  October;  crossed  the  Illi- 
nois river  January  20,  1870 ;  February  1 1 ,  fin- 
ished to  Pittsfield.  At  that  time  a  grand  free 
excursion  was  given,  when  the  following  inci- 
dent occurred :  The  train  being  gone  about  three 
hours  longer  than  was  expected,  parties  who  had 
been  left  behind  began  to  feel  uneasy.  One  man, 
whose  wife  and  son  were  with  the  excursionists, 
with  his  remaining  son  built  a  fire  near  the  track ; 
and  while  waiting  with  great  anxiety  for  the  re- 
turn of  the  train,  the  little  boy  started  toward  the 
track.  The  father  in  his  agony  said,  "Don't,  my 
son ;  don't  go  near  the  track ;  I'm  afraid  some 
dreadful  accident  has  happened  and  you  and  I 
will  both  be  orphans."  When  the  train  at  last 
arrived  all  safe  and  sound,  there  was  great  re- 
joicing. The  contract  for  building  the  railroad 
from  Pittsfield  to  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  road  was 
let  July  24,  1869,  to  Hon.  A.  Starne.  Work  was 
immediately  begun  and  before  a  year  had  passed 
trains  were  running. 

After  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  road  was  com- 
pleted, it  was  changed  soon  after  to  the  Toledo, 
Wabash  &  Western  Railway,  and  in  March, 
1880,  when  the  great  Wabash  line  came  in  pos- 
session of  the  T.,  P.  &  W.  Ry.  and  other  lines, 
it  was  changed  to  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pa- 
cific Railway.  About  the  time  of  the  completion 
of  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  road,  other  roads  were 
projected.  In  May,  1869,  a  line  was  surveyed 
from  Rushville,  via.  Mt.  Sterling  to  Pittsfield. 

In  the  summer  of  1869  special  efforts  were 
made'  by  the  citizens  of  the  county  to  complete 
the  projected  railroads,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Pittsfield  and  Newburg  townships  at 
Pittsfield,  June  17,  committees  were  appointed  to 
devise  ways  and  means  to  raise  the  amount  re- 
quired of  them,  namely,  $32,000.  C.  P.  Chap- 
man was  appointed  chairman  of  said  committee. 

In  the  spring  of  1871,  everything  pertaining  to 
the  railroad  interests  of  the  county  seemed  to  be 
lying  dead  or  asleep,  and  the  suspicion  of  the 
people  began  to  be  aroused  that  the  enterprise 
was  abandoned,  when  Qeneral  Singleton,  presi- 
dent of  the  Quincy,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  road,  an- 
nounced that  that  company  was  waiting  to  obtain 
the  righ  of  way  through  Quincy.  This  road  was 
soon  completed,  following  the  line  of  the  Mis- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


109 


sissippi  from  the  northern  line  of  the  county 
to  the  southern  where  it  crosses  the  river  at 
Louisiana. 

In  the  spring  of  1872  it  was  proposed  to  build 
a  road  to  Perry  Springs,  connecting  with  the 
Bobtail  to  Pittsfield.  At  this  time  the  county  of 
Pike  and  the  townships  of  Pittsfield  and  New- 
burg  had  invested  $132,000  in  the  Pittsfield 
branch,  with  no  prospect  of  dividends ;  but  it  was 
proposed  to  issue  county  bonds  of  $10,000  to 
$12,000  per  mile  on  the  Pittsfield  branch,  on 
which  the  Wabash  company  should  guaranty  the 
interest,  thus  enabling  them  to  negotiate  the 
bonds  at  a  fair  rate. 

The  Quincy,  Payson  &  Southeastern  Railroad 
was  projected  to  make  a  direct  line  to  Pittsfield 
through  Payson,  thence  nearly  directly  east  to 
Effingham,  to  connect  for  Cincinnati  and  the 
East,  but  nothing  definite  has  been  done. 

The  Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  ran  the  "Lou- 
isiana," of  "Kansas  City"  branch  through  the 
southern  townships  of  this  county.  This  was 
done  without  local  aid  from  this  county,  but  re- 
ceived help  from  the  city  of  Louisiana.  This 
is  a  first-class  road,  and  opened  up  a  most  pro- 
lific part  of  Pike  county.  At  this  time  a  railroad 
bridge  was  built  across  the  Mississippi  at  Louisi- 
ana. August  i,  1871,  a  magnificent  bridge  was 
completed  across  the  same  river  at  Hannibal. 

In  the  olden  times,  when  Berry,  New  Canton 
and  Kinderhook  shipped  all  their  produce  and 
received  their  goods  from  Cincinnati  Landing, 
the  ways  and  means  were  confined  to  teams  in 
midsummer  and  in  spring  to  skiffs  and  flatboats, 
as  it  was  almost  certain  that  the  Mississippi 
would  overflow  the  low  lands  and  sometimes  re- 
main half  of  the  year.  After  the  Hannibal  &  Na- 
ples Railroad  had  been  in  operation  a  year  or 
so,  the  Quincy,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  was  built  from 
Quincy  to  Louisiana;  then  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
in  the  south  part  of  the  county,  and  soon  the  old 
ways  were  changed. 


Along  the  whole  of  the  west  side  of  Pike  county 
there  runs  a  bayou  of  the  Mississippi  river,  named 
by    the    early    French    Chenal   Ecarte    (crooked 
7 


channel)  but  in  English  generally  called  "Sny," 
for  short,  from  the  French  pronunciation  of  Che- 
nal. This  bayou  commences  in  Adams  county 
about  twelve  miles  below  Quincy,  and  runs  south- 
easterly somewhat  parallel  with  the  river,  until 
it  ends  in  Calhoun  county,  its  channel  being  gen- 
erally about  midway  between  the  river  and  the 
bluffs.  The  low  land  drained  by  this  "bayou," 
"channel,"  "slough,"  "creek,"  etc.,  as  it  is  vari- 
ously called,  comprises  about  110,000  acres.  This 
was  subject  to  overflow  every  spring,  and  being 
the  most  fertile  ground  in  the  West,  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  it  be  reclaimed  if  possible.  Without 
improvement  it  is  entirely  useless,  and  even  a 
source  of  malaria  and  sickness. 

Consequently,  in  the  year  1870  a  movement  was 
set  on  foot  to  reclaim  this  vast  tract  of  rich  land 
by  an  embankment  near  the  river.  To  aid  in  this 
great  enterprise  the  Legislature  passed  an  act,  ap- 
proved April  24,  1871,  authorizing  the  issue  of 
bonds,  to  be  paid  by  special  assessments  on  the 
lands  benefited.  To  carry  out  the  provisions  of 
this  act  "The  Mississippi  Levee  Drainage  Com- 
pany" was  organized  about  the  first  of  August, 
1871,  by  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Pike  and 
Adams  counties,  electing  a  board  of  directors, 
with  S.  M.  Spencer,  president,  other  officers,  and 
a  board  of  commissioners.  The  citizens  also  drew 
up  and  signed  a  petition  for  the  appointment  of 
the  commissioners  according  to  law,  whereupon 
the  County  Court  (R.  M.  Atkinson,  Judge)  ap- 
pointed George  W.  Jones,  William  Dustin  and 
John  G.  Wheelock,  commissioners,  Mr.  Dustin's 
place,  after  his  death,  being  filled  by  Benjamin  F. 
Westlake.  For  the  construction  of  the  levee  they 
issued  bonds,  bearing  interest  at  10  per  cent,  and 
they  were  sold  mostly  in  the  Eastern  markets, 
some  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  the  interest  payable  an- 
nually. Accordingly  the  levee  was  constructed  in 
1872-4,  at  a  cost  of  about  $650,000. 

But  the  manner  of  collecting  assessments  au- 
thorized by  this  act  was  called  in  question  by  a 
case  brought  up  to  the  Supreme  Court  fro.m  the 
Wabash  river,  where  similar  work  was  being 
done,  and  the  court  decided  that  feature  of  the  act 
to  be  unconstitutional.  A  similar  case  went  up  to 
that  tribunal  from  this  county,  and  the  Court  re- 
affirmed its  former  decision.  It  was  then  thought 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


expedient  to  procure  an  amendment  to  the  State 
Constitution ;  the  necessary  resolution  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  by  the  3Oth  General  Assem- 
bly, and  it  was  adopted  by  an  overwhelming  ma- 
jority. Thereupon  another  act  was  passed  by  the 
3 1st  General  Assembly,  to  make  the  law  conform 
to  the  constitution  as  amended,  and  under  this  act 
the  owners  of  lands  on  the  Sny  bottom  proposed 
to  construct  a  drainage  district  to  be  known  as 
"The  Sny  Island  Drainage  District." 

The  levee,  as  at  first  projected,  was  completed, 
as  before  stated,  but  it  has  proved  wholly  insuffi- 
cient, as  the  Mississippi  flood,  aided  by  high 
winds,  in  April,  1876,  broke  through  the  embank- 
ment, and  all  the  low  land  was  inundated,  destroy- 
ing crops,  carrying  away  fences,  and  driving  out 
the  inhabitants.  No  one,  however,  was  drowned, 
but  planting  was  retarded.  The  breaches  were 
soon  repaired,  but  more  lately  a  new  company  has 
been  organized  to  improve  the  levee  and  make  it 
perfect,  that  is,  capable  of  protecting  the  bottom 
land  against  such  a  high  water  as  there  was 
in  1851. 

This  levee  is  by  far  the  largest  above  Vicksburg, 
being  about  fifty-two  miles  in  length,  commencing 
on  a  sand  ridge  in  Adams  county,  and  extending 
into  Calhoun  county.  It  is  constructed  of  the 
sandy  soil  along  its  line,  and  readily  becomes  sod- 
ded and  overgrown  with  willow  and  other  small 
growth.  The  streams  which  formerly  emptied 
into  the  Mississippi  now  find  their  way  into  Bay 
creek,  and  then  into  Hamburg  bay,  in  Calhoun 
county.  A  few  farms  were  opened  in  the  bottom 
before  the  construction  of  the  levee,  but  since  that 
work  was  completed  the  land  is  becoming  pretty 
well  covered  with  farms,  occupied  by  a  good,  in- 
dutrious  class  of  citizens.  The  time  may  come 
when  the  dwellers  in  this  land  will  become  a 
power  in  the  county. 

We  desire  here  to  state  to  the  public,  with  some 
emphasis,  that  neither  the  county  nor  any  munici- 
pality in  the  same  is  in  any  manner  liable  for  the 
bonds  issued  in  aid  of  the  construction  of  this 
-levee.  Neither  the  State,  county  nor  towns  took 
any  part  in  the  issue  of  the  bonds,  or  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  work.  The  enterprise  was  a  pri- 
vate one,  and  the  fact  that  the  bonds  are  not  paid 
reflects  on  no  one.  The  law  under  which  they 


were  issued  was  declared  unconstitutional,  and 
in  such  cases  the  bonds  must  fall  with  the  law. 

On  the  completion  of  the  levee  the  source  of 
water  supply  for  the  Rockport  Mills,  situated  on 
the  Sny,  was  of  course  mostly  cut  off.  Conse- 
quently, about  September  15,  1874,  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  mills,  Messrs.  Shaw  &  Rupert,  hired 
parties  in  St.  Louis  to  come  up  and  cut  the  levee, 
having  been  advised  that  they  had  lawful  authority 
to  "abate  the  nuisance"  by  their  own  act.  Great 
excitement  was  occasioned  by  this  transaction,  and 
during  the  ensuing  litigation  the  mill  proprietors 
obtained  a  mandamus  for  opening  the  Sny ;  but  a 
settlement  was  finally  effected  by  a  compromise 
with  the  drainage  company,  the  latter  paying  the 
former  $30,000.  The  mill,  however,  was  subse- 
quently destroyed  by  fire. 

The  levee  bond  suit  was  in  the  courts  for  many 
years,  when  it  was  settled  in  favor  of  the  land 
owners. 

In  1870  the  primary  committee  for  putting  the 
Sny  Island  levee  on  its  way  to  reclaim  1 10,000 
acres  from  annual  overflow  held  its  meetings  here 
and  was  composed  of  the  following  citizens,  resi- 
dents near  the  proposed  levee :  C.  N.  Clark, 
Charles  T.  Brewster,  Samuel  Spencer,  Joseph 
Colvin  and  Richard  Wells,  with  M.  D.  Massie  as 
secretary  and  assistant  treasurer.  This  committee 
met  here  and  at  the  house  of  C.  T.  Brewster  near 
here,  and  formulated  plans  for  getting  money  and 
legislation,  which  resulted  in  the  Levee  and  Drain- 
age law  of  1871,  and  the  appointment  of  the  first 
levee  commissioners,  namely:  George  W.  Jones, 
John  G.  Wheelock  and  William  Dustin. 

The  levee  was  hurriedly  and  poorly  constructed 
and  was  not  protective,  and  in  a  suit  testing  the 
validity  of  the  law  the  State  Supreme  Court  de- 
clared the  law  void  and  unconstitutional  as  to  the 
land  assessments.  The  court  also  issued  an  inter- 
locutary  order  that  the  levee  commissioners  take 
charge  of  the  works  for  the  parties  interested. 
Hence  the  great  bond  suit  for  about  two  millions 
of  dollars,  for  old  bonds  and  accrued  interest. 
After  years  of  delay  the  suit  was  tried,  and  re- 
sulted in  a  verdict  for  the  land  owners  as  against 
the  bond  holders.  The  defendants  at  a  meeting 
at  Hull  chose  the  following  five  as  an  executive 
committee  to  employ  attorneys  and  look  after  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  case :  C.  N.  Clark,  chairman ;  Thomas  Worth- 
ington,  secretary;  M.  D.  Massie,  treasurer;  Wil- 
liam Grammar  and  George  Long. 

After  a  trial  in  the  various  courts,  ending  in 
the  United  States  Supreme  Court  and  lasting 
twenty  years,  the  case  was  decided  in  favor  of  the 
land  owners.  The  executive  committee,  in  con- 
junction with  the  levee  commissioners :  S.  E. 
Hewes,  Marcus  Hardy  and  H.  B.  Atkinson,  met 
at  Hannibal,  Missouri,  in  1902  and  settled  up  all 
the  old  business.  The  costs  aggregated  nearly 
$31,000,  as  follows: 

Hay,   Green   &   Company,  attorneys   first 

employed    $  8,000 

Ex-President  Harrison    7>75° 

Attorney  General  Miller   2,000 

Home  attorneys,  printing,  stenographers .  .  1 1 ,800 
Committee  expenses  900 


$30,450 

William  Grammar,  one  of  the  committee,  died, 
and  Joel  Scarborough  was  chosen  and  did  duty 
till  the  suit  was  ended. 

The  rebuilding  of  the  levee,  which  broke  at  the 
following  periods :  April  17,  1876;  June  30,  1880; 
April  25,  1881 ;  October  20,  1881 ;  May  14,  1888; 
June  5,  1903,  was  of  an  immense  benefit,  not  only 
to  the  reclaimed  lands  but  to  the  adjoining  terri- 
tory. The  sanitary  benefits  were  perhaps  greatest 
of  all,  as  malaria,  chills  and  fever,  and  other  dis- 
eases incident  to  flooded  lands  had  possession, 
and  kept  the  doctors  busy  day  and  night.  Now 
all  is  changed,  and  the  entire  110,000  acres  are 
dotted  with  homes,  schools  and  churches,  and  are 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  the  people  en- 
joy as  good  health  as  anywhere  in  the  county. 

Now  the  lands  that  were  slow  sale  at  $2  to  $10 
per  acre  are  held  at  from  $40  to  $100  an  acre.  Re- 
cent purchasers  are  loath  to  sell  at  current  prices, 
as  the  yields  of  corn,  wheat  and  hay  are  so  satis- 
factory that  it  makes  the  land  about  the  best 
investment  that  can  be  had.  One  illustration.  A 
certain  tract  of  land  that  formerly  was  almost 
worthless,  now  pays  owner  and  tenant  each  from 
$7.50  to  $10  per  acre.  The  soil  is  apparently  al- 
most inexhaustible,  and  will  improve  in  quality 


and  productiveness  as  it  is  properly  tilled  and 
cared  for. 

The  Sny  levee  commissioners,  since  its  organ- 
ization, have  been  George  W.  Jones,  John  G. 
Wheelock,  William  Dustin,  B.  F.  Westlake,  Al- 
fred Stebbins,  J.  Barnard,  R.  M.  Murray,  A.  V. 
Wills,  Henry  C.  Cupp,  Marcus  Hardy,  J.  G. 
Adams,  Edward  Prince,  Samuel  E.  Hewes,  H.  B. 
Atkinson,  H.  E.  Seehorn,  A.  J.  Thomas.  The 
treasurers  were  Philip  Donahue,  H.  B.  Atkin- 
son, Joseph  Dober  and  J.  R.  Easly.  The  first 
attempt  to  construct  a  levee  was  made  by  Samuel 
Leonard,  of  Louisiana,  Missouri,  about  1858,  and 
some  work  was  done  near  Cincinnati  Landing, 
and  then  abandoned.  In  1870  Charles  N.  Clark, 
of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  began  the  preliminary 
work,  and  lived  to  see  it  a  grand  success. 

The  present  commissioners  are  about  complet- 
ing a  ditch  fifty-three  miles  in  length  that  is  ex- 
pected when  finished  will  thoroughly  drain  the 
entire  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  acres  in  the 
Sny  levee  district.  They  have  at  work  a  large 
dredge  boat  and  a  suction  boat,  well  manned,  and 
the  work  is  highly  satisfactory.  The  entire  cost 
will  exceed  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Pike 
county  is  not  alone  in  the  interest  of  this  work, 
but  Illinoisans,  Missourians  and  Indianians  are 
landowners  and  interested  in  the  district. 

RURAL    MAIL    ROUTES. 

Pike  county  has  the  following  rural  mail 
routes :  Pittsfield,  seven ;  Barry  four  ;  Griggs- 
ville,  three;  New  Canton,  three;  Nebo,  two; 
Hull,  two;  Rockport,  two;  Pleasant  Hill,  two: 
Baylis,  two ;  Pearl,  one ;  Strout,  one ;  Kinder- 
hook,  one ;  Hadley,  one ;  New  Salem,  one ;  Cham- 
bersburg,  one ;  total,  thirty-three  routes.  There 
are  thirty-three  postoffices,  twenty-one  of  which 
are  money  order  offices.  Sixty  years  ago  mail 
and  postal  facilities  were  very  crude  and  limited. 
Now  with  fast 'mails  and  a  generous  Uncle  Sam 
the  great  dailies  with  news  of  the  world  are  now 
an  additional  breakfast  food.  The  old-time  post- 
masters, who  kept  postoffice  in  their  hats,  would 
be  astonished  could  they  return  from  the  echoless 
shore  and  see  the  modern  and  up-to-date  post- 
offices.  In  the  old  days  envelopes  and  stamps 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


were  unknown.  Sheets  were  folded  and  mailed 
for  a  distant  friend,  who  paid  twenty-five  cents 
for  his  letter.  Now  in  1906  a  letter  for  from  two 
to  five  cents  will  traverse  the  globe. 

PIKE  COUNTY'S  ILLUSTRIOUS  DEAD. 

The  early  pioneers  were  not  particularly  noted 
for  their  legal  acumen  and  statecraft  but  more 
for  the  eternal  principles  of  right,  and  their  en- 
ergy and  endurance  in  the  old  and  trying  times 
when  they  started  old  Pike  on  the  forward 
march  of  progress  and  civilization,  and  gave  to 
us  one  of  the  gardens  of  the  then  new  world. 
The  first  names  on  the  roll  of  illustrious  dead  are 
Ebenezer  Franklin  and  Daniel  Shinn ;  and  soon 
came  William,  Clarenden,  Leonard  and  Henry 
Ross.  The  first  named  was  the  most  distin- 
guished and  was  known  as  Col.  William  Ross, 
who  is  now  held  in  everlasting  esteem  for  what 
he  did  for  posterity.  John  and  Jeremiah  Ross, 
Rufus  Brown,  John  Wood,  Willard  Keyes, 
James  M.  Seely,  John  and  Nathaniel  Shaw,  Al- 
fred Bissell,  John  Matthews,  Nicholas  Hansen 
and  Benjamin  Barney,  all  will  live  in  history  as 
our  first  and  most  illustrious  pioneer  citizens. 
In  the  list  of  pioneer  business  men  the  following 
left  their  impression  on  the  times,  and  will  be 
remembered  for  what  they  did  for  the  advance- 
ment and  development  of  affairs :  Lyman  Scott, 
John  Webb,  N.  W.  Jones,  C.  P.  Chapman,  Aus- 
tin Barber,  B.  D.  Brown,  M.  Blair,  Lombard  & 
Ayres,  D.  D.  Hicks,  George  Wike,  Amos  Morey, 
Lewis  Angle,  B.  F.  Westlake,  John  McTucker 
and  Isaac  A.  Hatch.  In  the  list  of  professional 
men  occur  the  medical ;  and  they  gave  the  best 
years  of  their  lives  to  the  public:  Drs.  W.  A. 
Whiting,  A.  C.  Baker,  Thomas  Worthington,  O. 
C.  Campbell,  F.  A.  Landrum,  John  A.  Thomas 
and  J.  H.  Ledlie.  The  brilliant  legal  minds  that 
now  are  still  and  pulseless,  but  are  so  well  re- 
membered are:  Chauncey  L.  Higbee,  of  whom 
Milton  Haly  said,  "As  great  soldiers  are  said  to 
learn  the  art  of  war  upon  the  battlefield,  so  in  the 
open  field  of  practice,  opposed  with  rivals  and 
contestants,  so  Judge  Higbee  acquired,  to  a  high 
degree  of  excellence,  both  the  principles  and  art 
of  his  profession"  ;  Scott  Wike,  William  A.Grim- 


shaw,  James  S.  Irwin,  William  R.  Archer, 
Strother  Griggsby  and  H.  D.  L.  Griggsby,  each 
were  devoted  to  this  profession,  and  doubtless 
fully  endorsed  this,  from  the  day  when  Cicero 
said  that  the  law  was  set  over  the  magistrate  to 
the  time  of  Chatham's  famous  declaration,  that 
where  law  ends  tryanny  begins,  and  from  that 
day  to  ours,  great  men  have  celebrated  the  con- 
nection of  law  with  liberty.  To  lessen  the  re- 
spect for  law  in  America,  whether  that  respect  is 
lost  by  magistrate  or  the  people,  is  a  poor  serv- 
ice" to  our  country. 

Added  to  this  list  properly  come  the  following 
who  were  well  known  as  good  citizens,  whose 
lives  added  to  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  old 
Pike.  They  all  did  something  for  schools, 
churches,  for  charity,  and  generally  for  all  the 
people's  interests.  B.  L.  Matthews,  J.  L.  Metz, 
Rev.  William  Hawker,  J.  Cleveland,  J.  H.  Den- 
nis, William  Turnbull,  James  McWilliams, 
Charles  Gibbs,  George  Pratt,  J.  O.  Bolin,  B.  H. 
Atkinson,  William  Watson,  Joel  Pennington, 
Perry  Wells,  William  Yokum,  W.  R.  Wills,  Sr.. 
J.  G.  Adams,  J.  D.  Rupert,  Samuel  Taylor,  Ha- 
zen  Pressy,  D.  A.  Shaw,  Moses  Easley,  Joseph 
Strubinger,  Rev.  William  Rose,  Revs.  Carter, 
Worthington  and  Barrett,  William  Green,  Niles 
Kinne,  Samuel  Clark,  Horace  Horton,  James 
Tolbert,  Moses  and  Joel  Morey,  J.  C.  Colvin, 
Joseph  McFarland,  Alex  McClintock,  C.  T. 
Brewster,  Dr.  P.  M.  Parker  and  F.  M.  Clyde. 

OLD  SETTLERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

It  is  not  strange  that  among  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  any  new  country  a  deep-seated  and  sincere 
friendship  should  spring  up  that  would  grow  and 
strengthen  with  their  years.  The  incidents  pe- 
culiar to  life  in  a  new  country,  the  trials  and 
hardships,  privations  and  destitution, — are  well 
calculated  to  test  not  only  the  physical  powers  of 
endurance,  but  the  moral,  kindly,  generous  attri- 
butes of  manhood  and  womanhood.  Then  are 
the  times  that  try  men's  souls,  and  bring  to  the 
surface  all  that  may  be  in  them  whether  good  or 
bad.  As  a  rule  there  is  an  equality  of  conditions 
that  recognizes  no  distinctions.  All  occupy  a 
common  level,  and  as  a  natural  consequence  a 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


strong  brotherly  and  sisterly  feeling  rise  up  that 
is  as  lasting  as  time.  For  "a  fellow  feeling  makes 
us  wondrous  kind."  With  such  a  community 
there  is  a  hospitality,  a  kindness,  a  benevolence,  a 
charity  unknown  and  unpracticed  among  the  old- 
er, richer  and  more  dense  commonwealths.  The 
very  nature  of  the  surroundings  teaches  them  to 
feel  each  other's  woe  and  share  each  other's  joy. 
An  injury  or  a  wrong  may  be  ignored,  but  a 
kindly,  charitable  act  is  never  forgotton.  The 
memory  of  old  associations  is  always  fresh. 
Raven  locks  may  bleach  and  whiten,  full,  round 
cheeks  become  sunken  and  hollow,  the  fires  of 
intelligence  vanish  from  the  organs  of  vision,  the 
brow  become  wrinkled  with  care  and  age  and  the 
erect  form  bowed  with  accumulating  years, — 
but  the  true  friends  of  "long  ago'1  will  be  re- 
membered as  long  as  life  and  reason  endure. 

The  surroundings  of  pioneer  life  are  well  cal- 
culated to  test  the  "true  inwardness"  of  the  hu- 
man heart.  As  a  rule  the  men  and  women  who 
first  settle  in  a  new  country, — who  go  in  advance 
to  spy  out  the  land  and  prepare  it  for  the  coming 
people, — are  bold,  fearless,  self-reliant  and  indus- 
trious. In  these  respects,  no  matter  from  what 
remote  section  or  country  they  may  come,  there 
is  a  similarity  of  character.  In  birth,  education, 
religion  and  language,  there  may  be  a  vast  differ- 
ence, but  imbued  with  a  common  purpose, — the 
founding  and  building  of  homes, — these  differ- 
ences are  soon  lost  by  association,  and  thus  they 
become  one  people  united  by  a  common  interest : 
and  no  matter  what  changes  may  come  in  after 
years  the  associations  thus  formed  are  never 
buried  out  of  memory. 

In  pioneer  life  are  always  incidents  of  peculiar 
interest,  not  only  to  the  pioneers  themselves,  but 
which,  if  properly  preserved,  would  be  of  interest 
to  posterity;  and  it  is  a  matter  of  some  regret 
that  "The  Old  Settlers'  Association"  was  not 
formed  years  before  it  was,  and  that  more  copious 
records  were  not  kept.  Such  an  association  with 
well  kept  records  of  the  more  important  events, 
such  as  dates  of  arrivals,  births,  marriages,  deaths, 
removals,  natavities,  etc..  as  any  one  can  easily 
and  readily  see,  would  be  the  direct  means  of 
preserving  to  the  literature  of  the  country  the 
history  of  every  community,  that  to  future  gen- 


erations would  be  valuable  as  a  record  of  refer- 
ence, and  a  ready  and  sure  method  of  settling 
important  questions  of  controversy.  Such  rec- 
ords would  possess  facts  and  figures  that  could 
not  be  had  from  any  other  source.  Aside  from 
this'  historic  importance  such  associations  serve 
as  a  means  of  keeping  alive  and  further  cement- 
ing old  friendships  and  renewing  among  its  mem- 
bers associations  that  were  necessarily  interrupt- 
ed by  the  innovation  of  increasing  population,  cul- 
tivating social  intercourse  and  creating  a  chari- 
table fund  for  such  of  their  old  members  as  were 
victims  of  misfortune  and  adversity. 

The  subject  of  organizing  an  old  settlers'  so- 
ciety was  brought  up  in  the  summer  of  1869.  In 
the  Pike  County  Democrat  of  July  29,  that  year, 
the  following  significant  passage  occurs :  "The 
time  will  come  when  the  history  of  this  county 
will  be  written.  For  that  history,  the  meeting  of 
such  society  will  furnish  the  best  material,  and 
the  parties  now  living  attest  the  facts  that  will 
form  a  large  portion  of  it."  There  was  nothing 
definitely  done  toward  the  organization  of  this 
society  until  the  summer  of  1872,  when  some  of 
the  leading  old  settlers  interested  themselves  in 
it.  The  first  meeting  was  held  on  what  is  called 
Blue  creek,  August  21,  1872.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  order  by  Wm.  Turnbull,  of  Flint,  on 
whose  motion  Capt.  B.  F.  Westlake  was  appoint- 
ed temporary  chairman.  Upon  taking  the  chair 
Captain  Westlake  stated  in  brief  the  object  of  / 
the  meeting,  and  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  an 
organization  he  suggested  the  propriety  of  ap- 
pointing a  committee  on  permanent  organization 
to  report  to  the  meeting  at  i  o'clock,  p.  m.  This 
committee  consisted  of  Col.  A.  C.  Matthews, 
James  H.  Dimmitt  and  William  Turnbull.  The 
meeting  was  then  addressed  by  Rev.  Mr.  McCoy, 
after  which  an  adjournment  was  had  until  I 
o'clock,  p.  m.  After  the  dinner  was  dispatched 
the  people  were  called  together  by  the  choir,  dis- 
coursing most  pleasant  music.  After  singing, 
the  committee  on  permanent  organization  report- 
ed the  following  named  persons  as  officers  of  the 
"Old  Settlers'  Association  of  Pike  and.  Calhoun 
counties,  Illinois. 

For  President,  Col.  Wm.  Ross,  Newburg;  1st 
Vice  President,  Col.  Benj.  Barney.  Pleasant  Vale; 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


2d  Vice  President.  Daniel  B.  Bush,  Pittsfield ; 
3d  Vice  President,  Capt.  B.  F.  Westlake,  New- 
burg;  4th  Vice  President,  Capt.  Benj.  L.  Mat- 
thews, Perry;  5th  Vice  President,  Jos.  Brown, 
Chambersburg ;  6th  Vice  President,  John  Lyster, 
Detroit;  7th  Vice  President,  James  Grimes,  Mil- 
ton; 8th  Vice  President,  Abel  Shelley,  Griggs- 
ville;  gth  Vice  President,  Perry  Wells,  Atlas; 
loth  Vice  President,  Samuel  G.  Sitton,  Hardin ; 
nth  Vice  President,  William  Grammar,  Hadley ; 
1 2th  Vice  President.vMontgomery  Blair,  Barry; 
1 3th  Vice  President,  John  Brittain,  Martins- 
burg;  I4th  Vice  President,  Thomas  H.  Dimmitt, 
Griggsville.  Secretary,  Marcellus  Ross,  New- 
burg;  ist  Assistant  Secretary,  Dr.  E.  M.  Seeley, 
Pittsfield ;  2d  Assistant  Secretary,  William  Turn- 
bull,  Flint. 

Colonel  Barney  presided  at  this  meeting,  Colo- 
nel Ross  being  absent  on  account  of  sickness.  A 
communication  was  however  read  from  the  presi- 
dent. Rev.  W.  D.  Trotter,  one  of  the  pioneer 
preachers  of  the  county,  spoke  for  about  an  hour, 
reviewing  the  early  life  of  the  pioneers.  Hon. 
William  A.  Grimshaw  delivered  the  address  of 
the  day.  It  was  an  ably  prepared  historical  re- 
view of  the  county's  history.  Indeed,  so  replete 
is  it  with  interesting  facts  of  pioneer  times  that 
we  give  the  entire  address  in  this  connection : 

ADDRESS   OF    HON.    WILLIAM    A.    GRIMSHAW. 

Mr.  President.  Ladies  and  Gentlemen — Se- 
lected by  your  committee  of  arrangements  to  bid 
you  welcome  here  to-day,  I  do  so  most  cordially 
as  an  old  settler  myself,  of,  say,  the  second  period 
of  Pike  county,  coming  here  in  the  year  1833: 
that  being  after  the  winter  of  the  deep  snow, 
which  was  our  early  noted  period  in  the  annals 
of  this  then  wild,  romantic  and  beautiful  coun- 
try, •sparsely  settled  and  embraced  in  the  bounds 
of  Pike  county.  That  snow  with  us,  once,  was 
the  starting  point  of  the  date  of  current  events, 
although  our  records  of  the  court  of  justice  do 
not  legally  recognize  that  as  "a  day  in  law," 
vet  u  e  even  in  courts,  in  the  simplicity  of  onr 
early  language,  often  heard  events  traced  by  that 
snow  as  the  date  point. 

In  the  early  days  we  all  enjoyed  the  largest 


constitutional  liberty ;  we  voted  for  him  we  like  J 
best,  as  I,  a  whig,  did  for  "honest  Joe  Duncan," 
a  democrat,  on  a  deep  question  in  those  days, 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  "the  deep  cut ;'' 
M-C  also  each  worshipped  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  our  own  conscience  and  under  our 
vine  and  fig  tree.  When  Brother  Trotter,  who 
;s  now  present,  venerable  with  years  and  revered 
for  piety,  or  old  Father  Woolf,  now  gathered  to 
his  fathers,  blessed  for  his  good  deeds,  came 
around  to  his  appointment,  all,  of  every  religion 
and  no  one  religion,  turned  out  to  meeting  in  the 
woods  or  the  log  schoolhouse  or  at  a  settler's 
home.  We  had  no  fine  churches  in  those  days. 
Mormons  puzzled  the  unwary  by  their  startling 
pretense  at  new  revelations.  Or,  if  disappointed 
by  the  regular  minister,  old  Father  Petty  would 
recite  in  prayer  Belshazzar's  feast  in  trembling 
tones  of  piety. 

Our  worthy  and  venerable  president  (elect  but 
absent),  Col.  William  Ross,  who  has  been  often 
honored  by  the  people  of  Pike  county  by  their 
votes,  ejecting  him  to  high  offices  of  public  trust, 
could  tell  vou  much  of  the  first  period  or  earliest 
years  of  the  settlement  of  your  county,  as  he  ar- 
rived in  the  county  in  1820  and  settled  at  Atlas, 
which  was  the  county  seat  in  its  day,  and  was  laid 
out  by  the  Ross  brothers.  Atlas  was  yet  the  place 
at  which  the  county  records  were  kept  in  1833, 
but  in  the  spring  of  the  year  Pittsfield  was  sur- 
veyed and  laid  off  into  lots  and  the  sale  thereof 
made  at  different  periods,  the  first  sale  of  lots  be- 
ing in  that  spring.  A  courthouse  was  built  in 
the  summer  of  1833  at  Pittsfield;  from  that  event 
the  greater  prosperity  of  the  country  and  an  in- 
crease of  population  began. 

The  terror  infused  into  the  public  mind,  be- 
yond the  settlements  of  Illinois,,  by  the  Black 
Hawk  war,  which  had  retarded  emigration  to  oir.- 
State,  the  Indians  being  removed  to  the  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  tide  of  emigration  began 
to  set  in,  and  you  witness  to-day,  in  the  presence 
here  of  this  assemblage,  the  vast  change  in  a 
little  over  fifty  years  since  the  Yankees  (who 
came  before  the  clock  peddlers)  set  foot  within 
the  limits  of  Pike  county,  as  it  now  exists.  Clock 
peddlers  were  the  only  gentlemen  in  those  days, 
as  they  rode  in  the  only  covered  carriages. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


It  is  true,  when  you  consider  the  rise  and  the 
growth  of  Chicago  in  our  own  State,  and  of  St. 
Louis  in  Missouri,  rival  cities,  each  of  nearly 
four  hundred  thousand  people,  we  don't  seem 
to  have  much  to  brag  of  as  our  growth.  Con- 
sider, however,  that  we  are  almost  strictly  an 
agricultural  county,  that  being  our  chief  and 
most  profitable  pursuit,  and  then  the  greatest 
zealot  for  progress  must  admit  that,  from  a  be- 
ginning of  a  few  families  in  1821,  we  are  now  a 
county  not  to  be  sneezed  at,  and  especially  when 
our  vote  at  the  polls  is  counted.  Excluding 
counties  in  which  cities  have  arisen,  we  are  most 
densely  populated,  more  so  than  many  in  our 
beautiful  Illinois,  and  yet  we  have  broad  acres 
of  valuable  lands  in  a  state  of  nature. 

Once  our  prairies  were  the  home  of  the  bound- 
ing deer  in  vast  herds,  of  the  prairie  wolf,  the 
prairie  fowl  in  great  flocks,  the  timber  land 
abounded  with  the  squirrel,  the  turkey  and  the 
pigeon,  and  in  the  hollow  trees  we  had  the  beau- 
tiful but  noisy  paroquet;  as  well  as  in  their 
haunts  numerous  other  birds  and  animals.  These 
have  in  a  great  measure  disappeared  until  game 
is  a  rarity.  The  wild  fruits  once  abounding  have 
been  superseded  by  more  luscious  cultivated 
fruits.  And  yet,  who  of  the  old  settlers  does  not 
remember  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  the  old  set- 
tlers' first  substitute  for  an  apple,  a  big  turnip; 
and  also  find  a  good  taste  in  the  mouth  when  he 
thinks  of  those  nice  preserved  plums,  crab  apples 
and  ground  cherries,  and  the  pumpkin  pie,  and 
the  pork  mince  meat.  We  then  think  of  the  prai- 
rie and  woodland  each  abounding  in  the  season 
in  beautiful  flowers,  rivaling  in  their  colors  the 
rainbow.  These  were  the  holiday  delights  of 
dame  and  maiden,  and  the  husband  and  lover 
were  alike  made  glad  in  their  contemplation.  The 
retrospect  of  nature  has  its  beauties.  The  reality 
of  the  first  settler's  life  in  a  new  country  is  often 
full  of  prose  and  but  little  poetry.  Compare  the 
simple  and  even  poor  furniture  of  our  early 
homes  with  the  elegant  furniture  now  in  use,  and 
what  a  contrast !  But  with  all  the  drawbacks  of 
an  early  settler's  life  few  repine  at  their  lot  in 
this  beautiful  land.  None  can  who  accept  with 
reflection  and  thankfulness  the  many  mercies 
which  crown  our  lives. 


I  am  reminded  by  this  retrospection,  that  yes- 
terday, on  returning  home,  I  found  a  written, 
kind  notification  from  your  committee,  in  charge 
of  the  convening  of  this  your  first  Old  Settlers' 
meeting,  that  I  was  invited  and  expected  to  ad- 
dress you  to-day.  I  then  took  my  pen  to  endeavor 
to  bridle  my  thoughts  and  to  bid  them  serve  the 
request  of  the  committee,  that  I  should  speak  as 
to  the  "honesty,  patience,  industry,  self-sacrifice 
and  hospitality  of  the  old  settlers. 

Honesty  was  the  rule,  crime  the  exception,  in 
the  early  days.  It  would  seem  as  if  at  the  first 
mention  of  the  honesty  of  the  old  settlers  it  was  a 
sarcasm,  on  the  idea  of  lawyers  settling  here, 
and  as  if  I  had  some  personal  experience  and 
revelation  to  make.  Of  course  I  know  something 
and  much  of  the  facts,  and  will  relate  them. 

It  was  well  known  that  because  we  had  no 
locks  we  never  locked  our  houses  and  out  build- 
ings ;  it  was  proverbial  that  the  deer  skin  of  the 
door  latch  was  never  pulled  in,  that  is  the  latch 
string  was  out;  then  we  had  not  much  to  tempt 
people  to  steal ;  so  our  things  lay  about  loose ;  our 
plows  with  wooden  mold  boards  hung  on  the 
fences  with  impunity ;  but  at  Christmas  time,  the 
plow  or  ox  skull  hung  upon  a  tree  by  the  way- 
side, reminded  the  passer-by  of  the  three-year- 
old,  riding  to  see  his  girl,  that  a  fool's  head  was 
too  soft  to  butt  either  of  those  pendants  in  the 
tree. 

At  an  early  day  an  old  ax,  worth  fifty  cents 
perhaps  in  these  days  being  stolen,  the  vile  thief 
was  ordered  to  leave  the  settlement  of  Atlas,  and 
did  leave  for  his  country's  good.  It  was  said  that 
loud  porcine  cries  were  heard  upon  the  "Sny  Is- 
land" at  times,  because  men  would  kill  their 
neighbor's  hogs;  that  was  a  trifling  affair  and 
cost  only  the  penalty  of  going  halves  with  the 
nearest  justice ;  thus  dividing  the  meat — unless 
the  head  and  ears  were  found  and  those  bearing 
some  man's  recorded  mark ;  then  that  was  a  case 
for  the  grand  jury.  Hog  stealing  was  said  to  be 
caused  by  drinking  Sny  water. 

We  have  told  only  of  the  style  of  dishonest 
tricks  in  those  days.  With  more  facts  to  bear  us 
out,  we  can  now  affirm  that  the  general  reputa- 
tion of  our  early  settlers  was  remarkably  good 
for  honesty  in  general,  but  there  was  a  slight 


Tl6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


propensity  to  "hook  timber"  to  make  rails  and 
to  use  at  house  logs,  and  some  fellows  in  the 
land,  held,  in  fact  it  was  "common  law"  that  a 
"bee  tree"  even  in  your  pasture  lot  was  lawful 
plunder. 

As  to  the  patience  of  our  people,  if  that  means 
bearing  up  with  the  courage  of  a  true  man  and 
true  woman  under  the  perils  to  limb  and  prop- 
erty, the  early  settlers  were  exemplary  for  that ; 
the  trials  of  an  early  settler's  life  were  legion. 
His  resources,  so  far  as  supplies  for  his  family 
were  small;  his  debts  were  a  great  vexation,  and 
some  if  not  all,  had  these  pests,  until  the  lands 
were  entered  and  paid  for,  the  money  often  being 
loaned  at  interest  as  high  as  seventy-five  per  cen- 
tum per  annum.  Then  if  you  went  to  mill,  you 
journeyed  a  score,  aye,  three-score  miles;  to 
meeting  often  as  far.  No  bridges,  and  but  few 
roads  existed ;  the  saddle,  or  the  ox  cart,  or  the 
truck,  wooden-wheeled  wagon,  and  no  fine  car- 
riages, was  the  mode  of  travel. 

Corn  dodger,  without  salt,  and  pork  or  side- 
meat,  were  great  staples ;  vegetables  and  fruits, 
unless  wild  fruits,  were  rarely  on  the  table,  unless 
when  company  came  to  spend  the  afternoon,  or 
to  a  quilting,  then  the  best  in  the  house  or  the 
neighborhood  afforded  was  forthcoming  for  the 
visitor.  The  quilting  parties  were  generally  the 
resort  .of  young  and  old.  Marriages  were  rare 
in  those  days,  because  bachelors  were  more  plen- 
tiful than  belles. 

As  to  the  industry  of  the  old  settlers,  as  a 
class,  industry  was  to  the  extent  of  present  abil- 
ity, implements,  health  and  condition,  and  was 
not  surpassed  by  the  toil  of  men  of  the  present 
day.  The  matron  and  the  few  young  ladies  had 
much  toil  and  vexation,  and  that  was  often  more 
excessive  on  wash  day,  because  of  having  to 
pick  up  fuel  as  it  could  be  gleaned,  or  carryng 
the  clothes  to  and  from  the  wash  place,  which  was 
a  branch  or  spring.  The  clothes  line  was  a  grape 
vine  or  a  fence,  and  the  hogs  and  calves  tres- 
passed on  that  to  "chaw  the  things,"  and  to  keep 
the  "creeters"  off  old  boss  and  the  old  woman 
(not  yet  twenty-five  years  old)  often  had  a  hard 
fight  lest  the  baby  in  the  cradle  sitting  near  the 
out-door  fire  should  be  "up-sot." 

Self-sacrifice  was  one  of  the  many  and  noblest 


virtues  of  the  early  settler ;  in  times  of  sickness 
you  were  free  to  call  up  any  neighbor  for  help, 
to  sit  up  with  the  sick,  to  ride  twenty-five  or  even 
more  miles  for  the  doctor,  and  that  mostly,  as 
our  doctors  said,  in  the  dead  of  night,  to  the  great 
horror  of  the  doctor,  who  had  to  saddle  up  and 
travel  in  the  dead  of  night,  to  the  farthest  limits 
of  his  own  or  to  an  adjoining  county. 

Although  the  county  of  Pike  was  naturally 
healthy,  the  over  toil,  the  privation,  the  imperfect 
protection  from  the  inclemency  of  seasons,  the 
water  used  from  shallow  water  holes,  all  these 
tended  to  multiply  disease  and  death.  This 
county  was  never,  as  a  general  thing,  visited  so 
much  with  sickness  and  death  as  other  counties 
in  our  State. 

In  the  early  day  no  iron  horse  snorted  and 
raced  over  the  prairies.  The  steamer  once  perhaps 
in  several  weeks  dragged  itself  along.  Twelve 
days  was  a  short  time  for  a  trip  from  New  York 
here,  and  that  mostly  by  stage.  Our  mails  ar- 
rived once  a  week,  and  a  letter  cost  us  our  "last 
quarter."  News  from  Europe  a  month  old  was 
fresh.  No  troublesome  quotations  of  daily  mark- 
ets puzzled  or  enlightened  us.  A  counterfeit 
United  States  bill  was  almost  legal  tender.  Hoop 
poles,  staves  and  cord  wo.od  were  equal  at  a  later 
day  to  gold.  Store  pay  was  better  than  any  of 
the  foregoing,  but  often  lead  to  heavy  mortgages 
and  secret  bills  of  sale.  The  laws  were  quickly 
enforced.  Once  a  client  of  a  celebrated  lawyer 
was  taken  out  of  court  and  the  penalty  of  the  law 
put  on  his  back  with  stripes  before  the  motion  for 
a  new  trial  was  over ;  then  the  client  protested 
against  a  new  trial  lest  if  convicted  he  would  be 
a  second  time  whipped. 

Now  how  changed  is  everything  around  us ! 
In  the  early  day  there  was  more  variety  in  dress, 
if  less  taste.  All  dressed  in  their  best,  and  some- 
times (if  the  ladies  will  pardon  such  an  o'er  true 
tale)  a  white  satin  bonnet,  the  worse  for  the  wear, 
was  seen  over  a  blue  "Dolly  Varden"  ruffled  cap. 
The  most  distinguished  man  at  shows  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  was  an  old,  gaunt,  straight  man, 
with  a  bell-crowned  hat,  in  the  height  of  the 
fashion  when  he  was  young,  which  was  nearly 
twelve  inches  perpendicular;  horses  often  carried 
double  in  those  days,  if  girls  were  plenty,  and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


117 


about  sparking  and  wedding  time.  Oh  how  so- 
ciable Land  yet  all  was  modesty  and  innocence. 

Hospitality — that  signifies  strictly  "practice  of 
entertaining  strangers,"  but  in  its  true  early  set- 
tler's ways  much  more  was  meant,  intended,  and 
done.  On  a  journey  almost  every  house  wasawel- 
come  home  to  the  weary  traveler;  if  any  charge 
was  made  for  the  entertainment  it  was  very  mod- 
erate ;  at  times  the  parting  word  to  you  was,  "You 
are  welcome  to  such  as  we  had,  and  please  call 
again  when  traveling  this  way." 

Hospitality  scarce  expresses  the  fine  sensibility, 
the  manly  Christian  spirit,  of  many  of  the  olden 
time.  The  pioneer  feels  that  each  and  every  set- 
tler of  his  neighborhood  (and  he  does  not  criti- 
cise much  as  to  who  is  his  neighbor)  is  entitled 
to  such  help  and  good  feeling  as  may  be  asked  or 
should  be  extended. 

I  felt  and  still  feel  a  large  degree  of  sympathy, 
and  that  the  most  cordial,  with  the  old  settlers. 
It  occurs  to  me  that  as  Pike  county  once  included 
Calhoun,  and  as  some  of  the  settlers  there  are 
contemporaries  with  our  earliest  settlers,  we 
should  include  the  Calhoun  old  settlers  in  our  So- 
ciety— in  fact  just  this  week  that  was  named  to 
me  in  that  county. 

With  great  hopefulness  as  to  the  prosperity  of 
this  new  society,  desiring, for  it  many  happy  re- 
unions, I  offer  to  you  the  thanks  of  myself,  an 
old  settler,  for  your  courtesy  in  inviting  me  to  ad- 
dress this  meeting ;  and  may  God  bless  our  vast 
population  spread  over  our  large  county,  which 
had  when  first  known  to  myself  about  three  thou- 
sand people,  and  now  contains  approaching  forty 
thousand,  although  the  hive  of  people  has  swarmed 
many  times. 

Farewell,  my  friends,  one  and  all.  Let  us  part 
with  mutual  good  wishes,  as  we  never  more  can 
all  meet  again  in  this  life. 

At  the  first  meeting  it  was  decided  to  invite  the 
old  settlers  of  Calhoun  county  to  join  with  the 
Pike  County  Old  Settlers'  Society.  In  harmony 
with  this  decision  Calvin  Twitchell,  Smith  Jen- 
nings and  William  Wilkinson  were  elected  vice 
presidents. 

SECOND  MEETING. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Asso- 
ciation was  held  in  September,  1873.  The  fol- 


lowing letter   from  Judge  William  Thomas,   of 
Jacksonville,  was  read : 

"JACKSONVILLE,  Aug.  30,  1873. 
"MR.  MARCELLUS  Ross,  Secretary:  Dear  Sir — 
I  have  received  two  invitations  to  attend  the  Old 
Settlers'  meeting  in  Pike  county  on  Wednesday 
next.  I  regret  that  I  can  not  accept  either,  for  I 
would  be  glad  to  meet  the  survivors  of  those  with 
whom  I  became  acquainted  forty-five  years  ago. 
I  attended  the  circuit  court  in  Atlas  in  June,  1827, 
which  was  my  first  visit  to  Pike.  The  court  was 
held  by  Judge  Lockwood,  who  now  resides  at 
Batavia,  in  Kane  county.  The  attorneys  in  at- 
tendance were  John  W.  Whitney,  N.  Hanson,  and 
John  Jay  Ross,  of  Pike  county,  Gen.  James  Tur- 
ney  and  Alfred  Caverly,  of  Greene  county,  now  of 
Ottawa,  and  J.  W.  Pugh,  of  Sangamon  county, 
Mr.  Jenkins,  of  Calhoun  county,  John  Turney  and 
myself,  of  Morgan  county.  Capt.  Leonard  Ross, 
one  of  nature's  noblemen,  was  sheriff.  Col.  Wil- 
liam Ross  was  clerk ;  James  M.  Seeley  was  an 
officer  of  the  court.  Of  all  these,  Judge  Lock- 
wood,  Mr.  Caverly  and  myself  are  the  only  sur- 
vivors. The  court  was  in  session  three  days,  and 
then  went  to  Calhoun  county.  It  was  held  in  a 
log  cabin  in  the  prairie,  near  which  was  a  log 
cabin  occupied  by  the  grand  jury.  The  traverse 
jury  had  the  privilege  of  the  prairies. 

"In  September  afterward,  returning  from  the 
Winnebago  war  I  left  the  boat  at  Quincy,  where  I 
purchased  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle  for  $40. 
From  Quincy  I  came  to  Atlas,  a  good  day's  travel ; 
remained  in  Atlas  one  day  and  two  nights,  and 
then  set  out  for  home.  Passing  Colonel  Seeley's, 
I  found  no  other  house  until  I  reached  Blue  river, 
where  Van  Deusen  had  a  small  grist  mill,  and  I 
crossed  the  Illinois  river  on  Van  Deusen's  ferry. 
That  night  I  reached  Exeter.  The  weather  was 
pleasant,  the  roads  were  dry  and  smooth. 

"Pike  county  was  then  a  wilderness.  I  came  as 
directed,  the  nearest  and  best  route  home.  I  could 
never  then  have  been  made  to  believe  that  I  should 
live  to  see  a  population  of  30,000  within  its 
boundaries. 

"Captain  Ross  entertained  .the  jury  and  the  law- 
yers in  their  double  log  cabin  free  of  charge,  ex- 
pressing his  regret  that  we  could  not  stay  longer. 
I  was  at  Atlas  at  the  presidential  election  in  1824 


n8 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


and  voted  for  John  Quincy  Adams  for  President. 

"Judge  Lockwood,  Mr.  McConnell  and  myself, 
in  attending  court  at  Atlas  (the  year  I  do  not 
recollect),  passed  the  present  site  of  Griggsville 
and  saw  the  man,  Mr.  Scholl,  raising  the  first  log 
cabin  on  the  hill.  I  suppose  the  land  had  been 
laid  out  in  town  lots. 

"In  the  early  settlement  of  the  Military  Tract 
traveling  cost  but  little.  The  old  settlers  were 
always  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  entertaining 
travelers,  and  especially  the  judge  and  lawyers, 
from  whom  they  could  obtain  interesting  accounts 
in  relation  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  world 
around  them.  Besides,  we  often  had  to  encamp 
in  the  woods  and  prairies  because  no  house  was 
within  reach  at  dark,  and  this  was  called  "lodging 
at  Munn's  tavern,"  because  of  the  large  number  of 
quarter  sections  of  land  owned  by  him.  I  have 
often  fared  sumptuously  in  the  log  cabins  on 
bread  made  of  grated  meal,  venison,  honey,  but- 
ter, and  milk  and  stewed  pumpkins,  and  slept 
comfortably  and  soundly  on  the  puncheon  floor. 


"Feb.  14,  1823,  Wm.  Ross  was  elected  Judge 
of  the  Court  of  Probate.  In  1823,  Geo.  Cadwell, 
then  of  Greene  County,  but  afteward  included  in 
Morgan,  was  elected  to  the  Senate  for  Greene 
and  Pike,  and  Archibald  Job,  who  was  still  living, 
for  the  House.  Cadwell's  term  expired  in  two 
years,  and  in  1824,  Thomas  Carlin,  afterward 
elected  governor  in  1836,  was  elected  to  the  Sen- 
ate. Cadwell  was  a*n  educated  physician,  a  man 
of  talent  and  stern  integrity ;  he  died  in  1824  or 
1825. 

"At  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  1824 
Nicholas  Hanson  and  John  Shaw  both  produced 
certificates  of  election  to  the  House.  The  ques- 
tion which  was  entitled  to  the  seat  was  referred  to 
the  Speaker,  who  decided  in  favor  of  Hanson. 
During  the  session  the  question  was  again 
brought  before  the  House,  and  decided  by  a 
unanimous  vote  in  favor  of  Hanson.  Near  the 
close  of  the  session  the  question  was  reconsidered 
and  Shaw  admitted,  in  consideration  of  which 
Shaw  voted  for  the  resolution  for  a  call  of  a  con- 
vention. 


"For  several  years  after  I  came  to  the  State, 
deer,  wild  turkey  and  wild  beasts  were  plenty, 
especially  on  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers. 
But  for  this  fact  many  of  our  early  settlers 
would  have  suffered  for  provisions,  or  have  been 
compelled  to  retreat  for  supplies. 

"In  passing  from  Rushville  to  Quincy,  the 
Judge,  Mr.  Caverly  and  myself  slept  on  the 
prairie  during  the  night,  and  the  next  morning, 
which  was  Sunday,  we  found  a  house  a  few  miles 
distant  in  the  barrens ;  and  we  could  not  make  the 
family  believe  it  was  not  Saturday.  The  nearest 
neighbor  lived  five  miles  distant.  They  lived  on 
wild  game,  grated  corn  meal  and  roasted  ears, 
and  lived  well.  We  thought  at  breakfast  we 
could  not  wish  for  better  fare. 

"In  passing  from  Atlas  to  Gilead  in  Calhoun 
county  we  always  made  the  house  of  an  old 
gentleman  named  Munn  our  stopping  place.  He 
and  his  wife  were  always  glad  to  see  us  and  made 
sumptuous  preparations  for  our  comfort. 

"If  I  were  at  the  stand  and  questioned  I  could 
probably  answer  many  questions  in  regard  tc 
matters  of  interest  to  the  present  inhabitants; 
but  as  I  do  not  know  the  points  on  which  they 
would  question  me,  and  as  I  have  already  extend- 
ed this  letter,  considering  the  hot  weather,  to  what 
may  be  considered  a  reasonable  length,  I  close, 
hoping  that  you  may  have  a  good  day  and  a 
good  time. 

"Respectfully    your    friend, 

"William  Thomas." 

This  meeting  was  addressed  by  many  old  set- 
tlers, who  related  many  interesting  experiences. 
The  exercises  were  interspersed  with  music  and 
a  grand  picnic  dinner,  etc.  Letters  were  read  from 
Edwin  Draper  and  Levi  Pettibone,  of  Louisiana, 
Missouri,  besides  one  from  Judge  Thomas,  above 
given.  Wm.  A.  Grimshaw  was  elected  President, 
James  McWilliams,  of  Griggsville,  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  George  W.  Jones  Assistant  Secretary. 
The  following  resolution  was  ad  opted:  "Resolved, 
That  the  old  settlers  of  Pike  and  Calhoun  coun- 
ties be  requested  to  notify  the  President  and  Sec- 
retary of  the  Old  Settlers'  organization,  the  names 
of  all  members  of  this  Association  who  shall 
depart  this  life  during  the  present  year,  and  that 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


119 


the   Secretary   be   instructed    to    enter   the    same 
upon  record." 

Among  those  who  addressed  the  assembly  were 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  Grimshaw,  John  T.  Hodgen,  of 
St.  Louis,  Calvin  Twichell,  of  Calhoun  county, 
J.  T.  Long,  now  of  Barry,  for  many  years  a 
resident  of  Adams  county,  Wm.  Turnbull,  of 
Flint,  A.  P.  Sharpe,  of  Griggsville,  Alvin  Wheel- 
er, the  oldest  living  settler  of  Pike  county  (came 
here  in  1818),  now  75  years  of  age.  Col.  D.  B. 
Bush  closed  the  line  of  history  by  giving  a  sketch 
of  Pittsfield.  Dr.  Worthington  claimed  Fred- 
erick Franklin,  of  Montezuma,  as  the  oldest  liv- 
ing settler  of  Pike  county  now  living.  He  was 
the  son  of  Ebenezer  Franklin,  the  first  settler  in 
the  county. 

In  this  connection  we  give  the  very  interesting 
letter  of  Mr.  Draper: 

"Louisiana,  Mo.,  Sept.  i,  1873. 

"Hon.  Wm.  A.  Grimshaw  and  Others:  Gentle- 
men.— Through  the  politeness  of  some  friend  of 
your  county-seat  I  am  indebted  for  an  invitation 
to  attend  the  meeting  of  old  settlers  of  your  coun- 
ty at  Pittsfield,  on  the  3d  inst. ;  for  this  invitation 
I  presume  I  am  indebted  for  the  fact  of  being 
nearly  connected  by  marriage  with  Levi  Petti- 
bone,  Esq.,  an  old  settler  and  perhaps  the  oldest 
man  in  Pike  county,  Missouri,  and  perhaps  with 
exceptions  the  oldest  man  in  Missouri,  he  being- 
few  exceptions  the  oldest  man  in  Missouri,  he  be- 
ing now  nearing  the  completion  of  his  93d  year. 
But  from  whatever  cause,!  esteem  it  a  compliment 
altogether  undeserved  to  myself,  but  \vhich  never- 
theless I  should  take  the  greatest  pleasure,  if  cir- 
cumstancs  permitted,  of  meeting  with  the  old 
settlers  of  your  county,  among  whom  I  am  proud 
to  recognize,  not  only  the  many  distinguished 
public  men,  but  many  old  and  long  esteemed  per- 
sonal friends,  some  of  whom  have  long  been  set- 
tlers of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  not  a  few  of  them 
old  settlers  of  Pike  and  Lincoln  counties,  Mis- 
souri, who.  not  being  content  with  aiding  to  break 
up  the  wilds  of  Missouri  and  bring  them  into  paths 
and  fields  of  civilization,  have  largely  colonized 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  they  have  been  long 
enough  to  earn  the  appellation  of  'old  settlers,' 
where  they  are  realizing  the  rich  fruits  of  their 
industry  in  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey, 


and  as  I  lament  to  know,  many  of  them  are  rest- 
ing beneath  the  sods  that  are  no  respecters  of 
persons  in  the  final  winding  up  of  human  affairs. 
The  memory  of  many  of  these  persons,  both  liv- 
ing the  dead,  carries  me  far  back  into  the  history 
of  the  past,  in  the  early  history  of  Missouri,  of 
whose  soil  I  have  been  an  occupant  since  the 
year  1815,  before  either  your  State  or  Missouri 
had  a  State  Government.  Though  then  quite 
young  (but  eight  years  old)  I  was  old  enough 
to  remember  everything  I  saw,  and  everybody  I 
knew, — much  more  so  than  persons  and  facts  of 
later  years;  but  to  attempt  to  recount  or  name 
any  considerable  number  of  them  would  be  to  in- 
flict a  bore  upon  you  that  I  dare  not  presume 
upon,  but  as  I  presume  that  a  part  of  the  exer- 
cises of  the  occasion  would  be  to  recur  to  the  early 
history  of  the  West,  including  your  State  and 
ours,  I  can  not  resist  the  temptation  to  jot  down 
a  few  facts  and  names,  even  at  the  risk  of  being 
laid  upon  the  table  as  a  bore. 

"The  date  1815  shows  that  the  early  settlers, 
among  whom  was  my  father,  were  crowding 
into  Missouri  even  before  the  forts  were  all  va- 
cated, whither  the  old  settlers  had  fled  for  the  pur- 
pose of  protection  from  hostile  savages,  who  had 
but  recently  had  almost  undisputed  possession 
of  a  large  part  of  our  state.  To  get  into  Missouri, 
then  largely  considered  as  the  promised  land,  we 
had  to  cross  the  Mississippi  river,  the  Father  of 
Waters.  I  don't  know  how  much  of  a  father  he 
was  at  that  time,  but  I  have  been  acquainted 
with  him  since  that  time,  and  I  don't  know  much 
difference  in  his  size  between  then  and  now,  ex- 
cept occasionally,  as  in  1851,  he  got  into  a  terrible 
rage  and  had  uncontrolled  possession  from  Louis- 
iana to  Atlas,  and  rolled  on,  whether  vexed  or 
unvexed,  in  solemn  majesty  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

"But  to  continue.  He  had  to  be  'crossed'  to  get 
into  Missouri.  In  1815,  as  history  shows,  no 
steamboats  were  known  on  our  rivers,  and  the 
only  modes,  or  rather  mode,  of  crossing  the  river 
at  St.  Louis  was  by  means  of  a  small  keel-boat  or 
barge  without  any  deck  or  covering,  propelled  by 
poles;  and  our  wagons  were  crossed  by  placing 
two  planks  or  slabs  across  the  keel,  running  the 
wagons  by  hand  upon  these  slabs  across  the  boats 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


and  'scotching'  the  wheels  with  billets  of  wood, 
filling  in  the  inner  parts  of  the  boat  with  horses, 
children,  etc.  Yet  we  conquered  the  old  gentle- 
man and  rode  across  in  triumph,  but  not,  however, 
until  after  waiting  two  days  on  the  eastern  bank 
for  the  wind  to  lie,  which  had  so  ruffled  the  sur- 
face and  temper  of  the  'father'  that  he  could  not, 
safely  at  least,  be  mounted  by  an  insignificant  keel- 
boat  until  the  cause  of  his  irritation  had  ceased. 

"Safely  on  the  Missouri  shore,  the  first  night 
was  passed  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  then  contain- 
ing about  1,200  inhabitants  and  very  few  brick 
houses ;  J  did  not  count  them,  however.  No  rail- 
roads then  were  even  thought  of  in  the  West,  so 
far  as  I  remember,  but  now — well,  you  can  tell 
the  tale  yourselves.  St.  Louis  has  now  450,000 
inhabitants  and  would  likely  have  a  million  but  for 
Chicago  and  the  railroads,  which  have  revolution- 
ized the  course  of  nature  and  the  natural  rights 
of  St.  Louis,  which  depended  on  the  navigation 
of  the  great  rivers  to  work  for  her ;  and  while  her 
great  landowner  slept  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
Chicago  and  the  railroads  were  surging  ahead 
of  her. 

"Excuse  this  digression,  which  I  could  not  help 
while  reflecting  on  the  immense  change  all  over 
the  West  since  I  first  crossed  the  great  river. 

"I  have  alluded  to  the  fact  of  your  county  being 
largely  colonized  from  Pike  and  Lincoln  counties, 
Missouri.  It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  enu- 
merate all  of  them,  even  if  I  knew  them  all ;  but 
among  the  names  I  remember  well  those  of  the 
Gibsons,  the  Sittons,  Buchanan,  Yokems,  Gallo- 
way, Uncle  Jake  Williamson,  the  Cannons,  Col- 
lard,  Wellses,  Kerrs,  Noyes,  Metz,  Johnsons,  Mc- 
Connells,  Andersons,  etc.,  etc.,  all  of  whom  went 
from  Pike  or  Lincoln.  All  of  them  were  good 
citizens,  while  some  of  them  held  high  and  honor- 
able positions  in  public  office.  Your  former  val- 
ued sheriff,  Ephraim  Cannon,  was  for  a  while  a 
schoolmate  of  mine,  larger  and  older  than  I,  but 
still  a  schoolmate.  The  only  special  recollection 
I  have  of  our  schoolboy's  life  was  that  the 
teacher  once  asked  him,  when  nearly  time  to  close 
school,  'How  high  is  the  sun  ?'  He  replied  he 
had  no  means  of  measuring  the  height,  but  'from 
appearance  it  was  about  a  rod  high.' 

"John  J.  Collard,  Esq.,  a  former  clerk  of  one  of 


your  courts,  was  the  son  of  an  old  settler  of  Lin- 
coln county,  dating  before  the  war  of  1812,  if  my 
memory  is  not  at  fault.  I  have  attended  your 
courts  when  held  at  the  old  county  seat,  Atlas, 
and  since  its  location  at  your  beautiful  town,  Pitts- 
field.  The  old  settlers  at  Atlas,  as  well  as  of  Pitts- 
field  were  the  Rosses,  most  of  whom  I  knew  per- 
sonally, and  had  a  slight  acquaintance  with  the 
'Bashaw'  of  Hamburg,  Mr.  Shaw.  Old  Father 
Burnett  and  his  boys  John  and  Frank  belonged  to 
both  Pikes,  in  Illinois  and  Missouri.  The  sons 
wore  out  their  lives  in  trying  to  sustain  a  ferry 
between  the  two  Pikes. 

"But  I  must  forbear,  fearing  that  I  have  already 
bored  you,  a  thing  I  feared  at  the  start.  I  could 
write  a  half  quire  of  recollections  of  Pike  in  Mis- 
souri, and  some  of  Pike  in  Illinois,  if  there  were 
any  market  for  them.  But  I  must  close  with  my 
best  wishes  for  your  people,  both  old  and  young. 
"EDWIN  DRAPER." 

THIRD  MEETING. 

At  the  Old  Settlers'  meeting,  September  2, 
1874,  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw  delivered  an 
address  of  welcome,  and  interesting  speeches  were 
made  by  Col.  Benjamin  Barney.  Rev.  J.  P.  Dim- 
mitt,  Dr.  Hodgen,  Mr.  Turnbull,  Judge  Grigsby 
and  others.  Dr.  P.  E.  Parker  was  elected  secre- 
tary in  place  of  G.  W.  Jones,  resigned.  A  motion 
was  adopted  changing  the  time  of  membership 
from  1840  to  1850;  also  a  motion  to  establish  a 
portfolio  and  gallery  of  likenesses  of  old  settlers ; 
and  members  and  others  were  invited  to  send  pic- 
tures. A  social  reception  of  old  settlers  was  given 
in  the  evening  at  Bush's  Hall. 

FOURTH     MEETING. 

At  the  fourth  annual  meeting  of  the  old  settlers 
at  Barry,  August  19,  1875,  old-time  customs  were 
commemorated  by  the  erection  of  a  cabin  com- 
plete in  all  its  details.  It  looked  as  if  a  family 
had  been  living  in  it  for  years.  Cooking  utensils 
hanging  around  the  wall;  suspended  on  a  string 
were  slices  of  pumpkin  and  dried  apples,  corn 
hung  from  the  posts  suspended  by  the  husks,  the 
rifle  hung  on  the  wooden  hook  over  the  door,  the 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


spinning  wheel,  the  reel  and  the  hand-cards  occu- 
pied prominent  positions;  the  mammoth  gourd 
for  a  water  bucket  and  the  lesser  one  as  a  dipper, 
attracted  considerable  attention.  On  the  outside 
walls  the  skins  of  different  fur-bearing  animals 
were  stretched ;  climbing  vines  were  turned  up  to 
the  roof,  and  the  sunflower  in  all  its  magnificence 
nodded  here  and  there  close  to  the  house,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  latch-string  hung  on  the  out- 
side. The  cabin  was  presided  over  during  the 
early  part  of  the  day  by  Mr.  William  Grotts,  who 
entertained  his  visitors  with  his  "fiddle,"  playing 
"Arkansas  Traveler,"  "Money  Musk,"  "Old 
Rosin  the  Bow,"  etc.  Mr.  Grotts  was  born  in  this 
state  in  1802,  in  Madison  county.  His  father  was 
killed  by  Indians  in  Bond  county  in  1814. 

FIFTH     MEETING. 

During  the  Old  Settlers'  meeting  at  Griggs- 
ville,  August  30,  1876,  they  formed  a  pro- 
cession in  front  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  headed  by  an  old  truck  wagon 
drawn  by  oxen,  containing  a  band,  the  peo- 
ple being  dressed  in  the  Sunday  attire  of 
pioneer  times,  girls  and  boys  riding  double  on 
horseback  without  saddles,  showing  how  they 
went  to  church  in  olden  times.  This  was  one  of 
the  most  attractive  features  of  the  procession,  the 
young  1  adies  especially  conducting  themselves 
with  becoming  grace,  and  appeared  as  if  they 
were  inspired  with  the  spirit  of  their  grandmoth- 
ers. An  old  dilapidated  wagon  drawn. by  oxen  was 
loaded  with  the  old-fashioned  loom,  spinning 
wheel,  flax  wheel  and  reel,  and  an  old  plow  was 
followed  by  most  of  our  modern  machinery  in  the 
shape  of  reapers,  mowers,  harrows,  etc.  After 
these  a  man  dressed  in  Indian  costume  on  his 
pony,  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  modern  style  in 
buggies  and  carriages,  the  fire  engine  drawn  by 
members  of  the  base-ball  clubs  in  uniform,  and  a 
modern  child-wagon  with  children  was  drawn  by 
a  very  small  donkey. 

Col.  William  Ross  was  the  first  president  and 
Marcellus  Ross  the  first  secretary.  The  record 
is  rather  indefinite  until  1877,  when  William  A. 
Grimshaw  was  chosen  president  and  William  H. 
Johnson  secretary.  Each  held  the  office  for  nine 


consecutive  years.  In  1877  J-  M.  Bush,  Sr.,  was 
chosen  president  and  held  the  office  for  five  years 
at  intervals.  Jason  A.  Rider  was  secretary  for 
six  years.  A.  L.  Galloway  was  president  two 
years ;  M.  D.  Massie  was  president  for  five  years 
at  intervals ;  W.  B.  Grimes,  secretary  for  three 
years.  Jon  Shastid,  president  three  years  at  in- 
tervals ;  Asa  C.  Matthews,  president  four  years, 
and  is  the  present  incumbent.  Will  S.  Binns  has 
been  secretary  for  ten  years,  and  is  the  present 
incumbent.  At  one  of  the  meetings  at  Barry,  the 
citizens  presented  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw 
with  a  fine  silver  set,  and  at  New  Canton,  old  and 
young  settlers  presented  William  H.  Johnson 
with  a  gold-headed  ebony  cane.  The  presents 
were  given  as  a  fitting  token  to  the  gentlemen 
for  long  and  faithful  services.  The  old  settlers' 
meetings  have  been  held  at  Blue  Creek,  Pitts- 
field,  Barry,  Griggsville,  New  Salem,  Kinder- 
hook,  New  Canton,  Pleasant  Hill  and  Eldara. 
The  different  towns  each  gave  interesting  pro- 
grams, intespersed  with  addresses  by  noted  citi- 
zens at  home  and  abroad,  music,  old  relics,  pic- 
tures of  departed  pioneers  and  other  interesting 
matters,  that  made  the  day  one  of  recreation  and 
pleasure  that  will  always  keep  the  towns  and  the 
entertainers  bright  for  the  dear  old  memories 
awakened. 

"Say,  Bill,  don't  you  remember  when  you  an'  me 

was  small, 
How  all  the  houses  looked  so  big,  an'  all  the  trees 

so  tall, 
An'  we  could  look  an'  see  jest  where  the  sky  come 

to  the  ground? 
'Twas  jest  about  a  mile  from  us,  fer  all  the  way 

around. 
An'  that,  to  us,  was  all  the  world ;  we  knowed  of 

nothin'  more. 
Our   knowledge   of   earth's   magnitude   was   jest 

about  "two  by  four." 
An'  we  never  knowed  no  better  till  one  day  when 

Uncle  Ike 
Come   drivin'   like  the   mischief,   down   that   old 

river  pike, 
An'   stoppin'   sudden  at  our  gate,  he  said   that 

Uncle  Jim 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Was  at  his  house,  most  awful  sick,  an'  we  all  went 

home  with  him. 
An'  you  an'  me  both  sot  behind  in  that  old  wagon 

box, 
An'  jolted  us  'most  inside  out,  o'er  stumps  and 

roots  and  rocks, 
Till  Uncle  struck  that  prairie   road,   an'   started 

toward  the  sun ; 
That's  where  the  "spreadin-out  process"   in  you 

an'  me  begun. 
We  noticed  that  the  place  where  earth  had  always 

met  the  sky 

Was  jest  as  far  ahead  of  us,  an'  we  both  won- 
dered why, 
An'  ever  since  that  day,  dear  Bill,  the  earth  an' 

sky's  been  growin'. 
But,  Oh !  the  years  have  gone  so  fast ;  so  short  the 

time  for  sowin'. 
But  lookin'  back  along  the  paths  that  you  and  me 

have  trod, 
I  think  I  see  at  every  turn  the  guidin'  had  of 

God. 
From  that  small  world  whose  bound'ry  was  where 

heaven  touched  the  ground, 
To  this  great,  boundless  universe ;  along  the  road 

I've  found 
That  when  the  path  seemed  darkest,  and  my  soul 

was  filled  with  dread, 

If  I  reached  my  hand  out  heavenward,  I  was  al- 
ways safely  led. 
But,  thinkin'  of  that  startin'  point,  and  how  things 

have  spread  out, 
I  wonder,  when  this  life  is  done,  if  we're  not  jest 

about 
Ready  to  start  in  on  one  that's  always  goin'  to 

grow, 
An'  spread,  an'  widen,  an'  expand,  an'  like  a  river 

flow, 
Until  our  knowledge  has  no  bound — our  joy  is 

unconfined, 
An'  we  become  like  unto  God — in  love,  an'  soul, 

an'  mind." 

EARLY    EVENTS. 

The  first  three  couples  married  in  Pike  county 
under  license  law  were:  First,  Peter  J.  Sax- 
bury  and  Matilda  Stanley,  on  June  27,  1827,  by 
Nathaniel  Hinckly,  J.  P. ;  second,  William  Foster 


and  Elizabeth  Sconce,  on  August  n,  1827,  by 
William  Ross,  J.  P.;  third,  William  White  and 
Barbara  Sapp,  on  August  20,  1827,  by  James 
W.  Whiting,  J.  P.,  best  known  as  my  "Lord 
Coke."  There  were  great  weddings  in  the  old 
days.  The  ceremony  was  very  impressive  and 
taught  that  it  was  "till  death  do  us  part."  The 
happy  bridegroom  certainly  felt  as  Shakespeare 
expresses  it  in  his  Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona: 

"Why,  man,  she  is  mine  own ; 
And  I  as  rich  in  having  such  a  jewel, 
As  twenty  seas,  if  all  their  sands  were  pearls, 
The  water  nectar  and  the  rocks  pure  gold. 

Too  sacred  to  be  spoken." 

The  old-time  political  meetings  were  often  a 
source  of  pleasure  as  well  as  a  gathering  of 
knowledge  as  to  how  "we"  are  saving  the  country 
and  how  the  other  fellows  are  about  to  dump 
the  whole  outfit  into  ruin.  An  old  party  man 
related  a  good  one  illustrative  of  the  often  long 
and  tedious  speeches  that  were  so  common. 

"Old  man  Cinnattus  was  to  speak  at  one  of  the 
river  towns  and  he  began  at  the  creation  and 
apologized  and  explained  for  an  hour  and  the 
fellow  who  went  with  him  had  often  heard  the 
old  straw  threshed  over  and  he  said  to  a  man 
near  by,  'I  will  take  a  nap  and  when  the  old  man 
gets  down  to  where  Washington  crossed  the  Del- 
aware wake  me  up.'  "  It  is  not  so  now,  as  a  read- 
ing public  will  not  submit  to  long  and  tiresome 
harangues  as  of  old. 

The  county's  amusements  have  been  good  and 
sufficient,  and  the  old  and  young  generations  have 
perhaps  properly  mixed  labor  and  recreation,  the 
older  ones  are  yet  wishing  for  the  old-fashioned 
one-ring  circus,  and  it  is  a  pleasant  remembrance 
to  recall  the  old-time  funmakers  and  entertainers, 
the  old  clowns,  Dan  Rice,  Bill  Lake  and  Den 
Stone,  and  the  proprietors  were  Van  Amburg, 
Sands,  Caldwell,  Bailey,  Mabie,  Robbins,  Bar- 
num  and  a  host  of  others  that  willingly  exchanged 
fun  and  the  glittering  tinsel  of  the  sawdust  arena 
for  the  public's  quarters  and  halves,  and  after  a 
day  at  the  circus  and  a  good  social  mixing  with 
their  neighbors,  all  returned  to  their  homes  and 
buckled  down  to  hard  work  till  the  next  and  only 


OLD  COURTHOUSE 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


125 


greatest  came  along.  It  was  ever  thus,  and  the  old 
fellows  are  still  attending  "jist"  to  take  the  chil- 
dren. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Forty-five  years  ago  a  merchant  here  had  a 
big  lot  of  eggs  which  he  had  taken  in  trade  at 
three  cents  a  dozen.  The  demand  was  so  poor 
he  concluded  to  pack  them  and  ship  them  to  St. 
Louis.  Here  is  the  result: 


180  dozen  eggs 

One  barrel    

Two   bushels    oats.  .  .  . 
Freight  and   hauling.  . 

Total... 


$5-40 

30 

80 

.  ..,75 


•$7-25 


In  about  four  days  he  heard  from  them.  St. 
Louis  was  overstocked  and  his  shipment  sold  for 
three  cents  a  dozen.  After  paying  a  small  sum 
for  commission  he  had  $5.00  left.  Now  the  same 
number  of  eggs  would  net  at  his  door  about  $30. 

About  those  times  a  dressed  hog  would  sell 
for  $1.50  per  hundred,  and  nearly  all  farm  prod- 
ucts were  dull  sale  and  at  low  prices.  Now  the 
public  have  good  prices  for  all  farm  stuff,  and  all 
supplies  are  very  cheap  as  compared  with  the 
past.  Progress,  demand,  competition  and  most 
excellent  facilities  of  transportation  make  this 
the  golden  age. 

This  township  had  a  venerable  old  citizen, 
John  Hardesty,  an  old-time  pedagogue,  who  was 
an  auctioneer  at  a  sale  in  Scott  county  when 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  afterward  the  "little  giant 
of  Illinois,"  was  the  clerk  of  the  sale.  He  al- 
ways referred  with  pride  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
given  the  young  Green  Mountain  boy  his  first 
job  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Hardesty  and  the  great 
Douglas  entered  the  dreamless  sleep  that  knows 
no  waking,  in  the  same  year. 

Peter  J.  Saxbury,  the  first  man  married  in 
Pike  county  under  the  license  law,  in  1827,  was 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  attended  the  same 
school  with  Martin  Van  Buren ;  who  was  eighth 
president  of  the  United  States.  He  was  a  resi- 


dent here  from  1826  to  his  death,  about  1869. 
Had  the  high  honor  of  having  all  of  his  sons  in 
the  Federal  army:  Benjamin  in  the  Sixteenth 
Illinois,  Edison  in  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois,  and 
James  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh 
Illinois. 

The  old-time  wheat  harvest  was  a  great  one  as 
compared  to  the  present.  When  the  first  Mc- 
Cormick  reaper  was  used  here  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful attraction  and  the  driver  and  raker  were 
looked  upon  as  great  people  to  manage  such  an 
intricate  machine.  Then  there  were  six  or  eight 
binders,  several  shockers  and  a  whiskey  and  wa- 
ter boy ;  so  the  harvest  was  an  expensive  one. 
Then,  came  the  dropper,  and  manv  said  the 
heights  had  been  reached  and  there  could  be 
nothing  better.  Next  the  self-binder,  and  now 
instead  of  nearly  twenty  men  three  or  four  men 
can  harvest  a  hundred-acre  field  with  less  than 
one-fourth  the  expense  of  the  old  way. 

The  writer  has  ridden  a  horse  to  tramp  out 
wheat,  before  threshing  machines  were  in  use, 
and  saw  the  wheat  winnowed  in  a  sheet.  Next 
saw  the  old-fashioned  flail  in  use,  the  sickle  and 
then  the  cradle  for  cutting  wheat.  Now  all  is 
changed,  and  the  present  generation  hardly  real- 
izes how  primitive  things  were  in  our  grand- 
father's days. 

A  little  over  fifty  years  ago  the  writer  was 
explaining  a  water  telegraph  system  that  was  in 
use  in  this  county  at  the  Wike  woolen  mill  and 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  John  Kendrick.  The 
old  man  who  was  a  listener  said,  "Now,  my  son, 
don't  tell  me  that."  As  I  was  trying  to  assure  the 
old  man  it  was  true  he  said,  "You  young  rascal, 
don't  lie  to  me.  It  can't  be  did."  A  week  later 
the  old  man  saw  it  in  operation,  and  the  next 
thing  he  did  was  to  hunt  up  the  boy  and  say.  "My 
boy,  I  ax  your  pardon.  It  is  the  truth  you  tell 
me.  I  seed  it  with  my  own  eyes." 

In  1847  James  Hyde,  now  a  resident  of  Lin- 
coln. Illinois,  and  in  the  ninety-second  year, 
taught  school  here.  Solomon  Shewe,  Sr.,  who  was 
a  resident  here  for  nearly  forty  years,  was  in  the 


126 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY; 


early  days  an  Ohio  river  boatman,  and  saw  the 
celebrated  Mike  Fink  shoot  the  cup  of  whiskey 
off  of  Carpenter's  head.  And  later,  when  their 
friendship  waned,  he  saw  Fink  after  he  had  pur- 
posely killed  Carpenter  by  aiming  below  the  cup 
and-  putting  the  ball  in  his  forehead. 

It  is  not  generally  known  but  it  is  true  that  in 
1846  to  1850  what  is  now  Cincinnati  Landing 
was  the  larg'est  and  most  business-like  town  in 
the  county.  It  had  several  stores,  a  large  lumber 
and  grist  mill,  a  beef  and  pork  packing  establish- 
ment, and  was  the  point  of  entry  for  nearly  all  of 
Pike  county.  The  largest  New  Orleans  boats 
came  there,  and  took  their  entire  cargoes  of 
wheat,  corn,  beef,  pork  and  other  produce  that 
had  accumulated  during  the  winter.  In  those 
days  there  were  two  lines  of  steamers  every  day 
from  St.  Louis  to  Keokuk. 

Not  so  many  decades  ago  Pike  county  had 
twenty-four  mills,  fifteen  pork  packing  plants, 
three  woolen  mills,  six  tobacco  factories  and  a 
few  foundries.  But  now  changed  conditions 
have  closed  all  but  three  or  four  flour  mills,  and 
yet  the  old  county  is  one  of  the  best  in  an  agri- 
cultural way,  but  very  poor  in  manufactures. 

Pike  county  was  organized  January  31,  1821, 
and  in  1830  had  2,396  inhabitants.  In  1880  it  had 
the  largest  population,  33,761 ;  in  1900,  only 

31,595- 

In  war  times  Pike  county  had  some  citizens 
that  were  as  useful  at  home  as  those  at  the  front. 
A  few  that  I  knew  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
were  highly  esteemed  by  home  folk  as  well  as 
the  boys  in  the  field.  The  writer  at  one  time  sent 
nearly  $10,000  to  the  following  for  distribution 
to  their  families  and  home  friends  from  the  Nine- 
ty-ninth boys:  L.  L.  Talcott,  Pittsfield;  Benjamin 
D.  Brown,  Barry;  Amos  Morey,  New  Canton; 
S.  B.  Gaines,  Kinderhook,  and  others  that  I  do 
not  now  recall.  The  money,  representing  several 
months  of  service  of  the  soldier  boys,  was 
promptly  turned  over  to  those  that  were  named 
in  the  instructions,  and  riot  a  cent  of  charges 
would  any  of  those  splendid  old  citizens  take. 
Their  hands  and  hearts  were  ever  open  to  the 
families  of  the  soldier  boys.  John  McTucker,  of 
Barry,  and  Amos  Morey,  of  New  Canton,  were 


about  the  only  citizens  that  Grand  Army  posts 
were  named  after. 

In  1862  when  the  Pikers  of  the  Ninety-ninth 
were  in  Texas  county,  Missouri,  S.  S.  Burdett, 
who  was  afterward  commander  of  the  national 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  was  quartermaster 
for  General  Warren's  brigade,  he  was  called  upon 
by  a  native  who  said,  "Are  you  the  quatamasta  ?  I 
come  to  get  a  voucha  for  some  cohn  you  alls'  men 
took  from  me."  "How  much?"  asked  Burdett. 
"Well,  sah,  there  was  a  heap  of  it."  "Well,  how 
many  bushels  ?"  "There  was  a  great  pile  of  it." 
"Was.it  loo  or  500  bushels?"  "Well,  sah,  there 
was  a  right  smart  chance  of  it."  "Well,  I  will 
give  you  a  voucher  for  a  right  smart  chance  of 
corn,"  said  the  quartermaster,  and  that  was  the 
end  of  it.  Another  native  asked  for  some  powder 
and  shot  to  shoot  a  few  squirrels  with,  as  his  boy 
had  the  ager.  I  met  Burdett  in  Washington  a 
few  years  ago,  and  he  was  yet  having  fun  at  the 
thought  of  the  yokels  of  the  Ozarks. 

"When  I  was  a  small  lad  I  stopped  one  night  at 
the  house  of  Colonel  Seeley,  who  was  known  as 
the  'easy  sheriff'  of  Pike  county.  He  earned  the 
title  by  paying  taxes  for  other  men  when  he  was 
sheriff  and  collector,  they  paying  him  when  more 
convenient,  and  'tis  said  he  lost  but  little  by  ad- 
vancing for  them.  A  good  old-time  story  is  told 
of  a  seeker  for  office  meeting  one  of  the  voters, 
telling  his  mission  and  who  he  was.  The  voter 
said,  'I  don't  know  you,  never  heard  of  you.' 
'Why,  you  should  know  me.  I  am  a  son-in-law  of 
Colonel  Seeley.'  The  honest  rustic  said,  'Who 
the  devil  is  Colonel  Seeley?'  But  the  son-in-law 
was  elected  all  the  same. 

"After  Colonel  Barney,  well  known  here  as 
'Uncle  Ben,'  left  Atlas  he  made  his  home  between 
New  Canton  and  Kinderhook.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent and  useful  citizen,  and  a  great  friend  of  the 
Pike  county  soldiers  of  the  Civil  war.  His  son 
John  was  killed  at  Jackson,  Mississippi,  in  1863,  a 
member  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois.  Pike 
county  had  another  'Uncle  Ben,'  B.  D.  Brown,  of 
Barry,  that  will  always  be  remembered  as  one  of 
old  Pike's  grand  old  men." 

"J.  W.  Reed  was  ferninst  us'ns  and  was  with 
Gen.  John  Morgan.  He  told  a  good  story  of  a 
mother's  kindness  to  him  and  three  other  Johnnies 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


127 


that  were  cut  off  from  Morgan's  men  in  Tennes- 
see in  1864.  The  good  old  soul  fed  and  housed 
them,  and  kept  them  an  extra  day  to  rest  up. 
When  they  left  her  cabin  home  in  the  Tennessee 
mountains  she  filled  their  haversacks  with  fried 
chicken,  young  squirrels  and  biscuits  and  butter. 
When  the  boys  wanted  to  pay  her  out  of  what 
little  Confederate  money  they  had,  she  said  no, 
she  was  only  doing  for  them  what  she  hoped 
some  one  would  do  for  her  boy. 

"One  of  the  listeners  asked  Reed  where  the 
good  woman  was.  He  said,  'In  heaven.'  The  in- 
quirer said,  'How  do  you  know?'  'Say,  fellow, 
don't  you  think  I  know?  Of  course  I  do.  All 
women  of  her  kind  are  there,  because  she  fed 
the  hungry  and  did  her  duty  in  a  way  that  in- 
sured her  a  crown  of  glory." 

In  the  days  when  tramps  first  invaded  old 
Pike,  a  weary  walker  canvassed  New  Canton  and 
vicinity  for  all  its  people  would  hand  out,  and 
then  wended  his  way  to  Barry.  There  he  struck 
"Uncle  Gumry  and  Dr.  Baker.  The  first  was 
rich  in  money ;  the  other  was  rich  in  his  jolly 
and  generous  ways,  but  did  not  have  pennies 
where  Uncle  Gumry  had  dollars.  Each  gave 
the  tramp  half  a  dollar  and  Dr.  Baker  said, "My 
good  man,  you  should  be  very  grateful,  as  this 
poor  man  (Uncle  G.)  has  given  you  as  much  as 
I."  Both  are  on  the  other  shore,  but  Barry  and 
New  Canton  will  long  remember  them  for  their 
good  citizenship. 

In  1859,  an  incident  in  regard  to  the  way 
passers  of  counterfeit  money  did,  occurred.  A 
well-dressed  and  fine-looking  man  came  here  on 
horseback,  -stopped  at  the  store  of  Amos  Moore, 
bought  a  25  cent  saddlegirth,  gave  a  $10  bill, 
took  'the  change  and  departed.  Mr.  Morey  dis- 
covered later  that  the  bill  was  a  counterfeit.  Two 
weeks  later  he  was  in  St.  Louis  and  went  down  to 
see  the  morning  boat  come  in,  as  he  expected  to 
meet  a  Barry  man. 

As  he  was  going  on  the  boat  he  saw  the 
counterfeiter,  and  called  his  attention  to  the  fact 
lie  had  a  bad  bill  he  had  passed  on  him  up  in 
Illinois.  The  fellow  said,  "I  will  see  you  in  a 
moment  and  make  it  all  right."  "Now  is  the 
moment."  said  Mr.  Morey,  "and  I  insist  that  it 
be  now  attended  to."  The  fellow  was  profuse 
8 


in  apologies,  said  it  was  not  intended,  and  gave 
him  a  new  State  Bank  of  Missouri  $10  bill,  the 
best  bank  in  existence  in  wildcat  money  times, 
taking  back  his  counterfeit. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  a  grand  Charity 
Ball  was  given  at  New  Canton,  which  netted 
$100  in  cash  for  the  deserving  poor  of  Pleasant 
Vale  township.  A  noted  attorney  from  St.  Louis, 
a  Mr.  Jones,  W.  A.  Grimshaw  and  J.  M.  Bush, 
Sr.,  were  attendants  and  added  to  the  exchequer 
and  everybody  but  Mr.  Grimshaw  tripped  the 
light  fantastic  toe.  It  was  the  talk  of  the  town. 
How  happy  and  generous  all  were  for  sweet 
charity's  sake. 

An  amusing  incident  occurred  when  Tyre  Jen- 
nings, one  of  the  county's  best  old-time  farmers, 
was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly.  Old  Un- 
cle John  Benson,  one  of  the  observant  and  well- 
to-do  farmers,  enquired,  "Who  got  to  -go  to  the 
Legislature  ?"  The  answer  was  "Tyre  Jennings," 
and  the  old  man  in  great  astonishment  said, 
"What!  Send  Jennings?  Why  did  they  not  send 
Gumry  or  Grubb?  They've  got  clothes."  He 
thought  Jennings  as  a  plain  old  farmer  would 
not  make  a  presentable  appearance  in  the  old- 
fashioned  clothes  of  that  date  that  the  farmers 
wore. 

Back  'in  the  old  days  the  seekers  for  office  made 
calls  on  the  older  and  most  prominent  citizens,  and 
one  called  on  William  Turner,  ah  eccentric  and 
blunt  old  citizen,  who  was  justice  of  the  peace 
and  postmaster  at  the  time,  and  was  prominent 
and  well  liked  for  his  many  good  traits.  "My 

name  is and  I  am  a  candidate  for 

and  I  understand  you  are  one  of  the  well  known 
and  highly  connected  citizens."  "Well,  yes,  I 
guess  I  am.  There  was  a  wedding  yesterday 
that  made  me  kin  to  the  d — dest  set  of  hog 
thieves  ever  in  Illinois." 

Another  incident  in  the  old  postmaster's  plain 
'  speech.  He  kept  a  small  stock  of  goods  in  con- 
nection with  the  postoffice.  A  man  who  stam- 
mered came  to  him  and  said,  "Squeer,  I  wa-want 
to  get  a  s-s-eet  of  cu-cups  and  saucers,  and  I  will 
pay  you  Saturday."  As  the  old  postmaster  was 
wrapping  them  up  the  man  said,  "I-I-I  am  honest 
and  will  pay  you."  The  old  postmaster  set  them 
back  on  the  shelf  and  said,  "See  here,  feller,  if  you 


128 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


will  go  out  in  town  and  get  any  one  else  to  say 
that,  I  will  give  you  the  cups  and  saucers." 

Mr.  Turner  was  postmaster  for  many  years, 
and  is  kindly  remembered  for  his  obliging  and  af- 
fable, though  blunt  ways.  In  those  days  the  sal- 
ary was  only  about  $40  a  year,  and  the  mails  were 
few  and  far  between.  Mr.  Turner  had  a  brother 
here  who  boasted  of  the  honor  of  seeing  and 
shaking  hands  with  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  who 
visited  America  in  1825. 

John  Webb  was  an  early  settler,  a  successful 
business  man  for  many  years.  He  had  a  store  in 
New  Canton  from  about  1840  to  1852,  and  left 
here  very  rich. 

Among  the  old  ones  just  after  the  war  we  had 
a  very  positive  and  circumspect  citizen  that  was 
noted  for  his  big  "I."  Once  in  a  discussion  re- 
garding spelling  and  pronouncing,  the  boys  re- 
ferred him  to  Noah  Webster  as  authority.  The 
old  fellow  said,  "That's  all  right,  but  that's  where 
me  and  Mr.  Webster  differ." 

We  had  an  old  minister  once  that  was  very 
plain,  and  would  make  himself  very  agreeable  to 
the  common  sinner  as  well  as  the  plated  one.  Some 
of  the  "better  than  thou"  crowd  said,  "He  is  los- 
ing his  dignity  and  we  fear  impairing  his  influ- 
ence by  being  too  sociable  with  the  common 
crowd."  But  he  did  not.  Many  a  man  has  en- 
deared himself  to  the  populace  by  plain  ways,  and 
mingling  with  the  ordinary  mortals. 

When  Lincoln's  monument  was  dedicated 
shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war,  many  Pike 
county  people  were  in  attendance,  and  were  pro- 
fuse in  praise  of  General  Shermar,  "Old  Tecum- 
seh"  and  "Uncle  Billy,"  as  he  was  called  because 
he  marched  in  the  procession  with  the  boys  from 
the  public  square  to  Oak  Ridge.  It  was  noted, 
and  will  be  forever  remembered  that  Grant,  Sher- 
man, Canby  and  other  noted  generals  that  Pike 
county  boys  were  with,  were  loved  for  their 
plain  and  affable  ways. 

It  pays  in  all  the  walks  of  life  to  be  manly, 
kind,  affable  and  considerate  with  others,  and 
that  is  the  secret,  an  open  one,  why  so  many  Pike 
county  people  and  people  elsewhere  are  so  highly 
esteemed,  past  and  present.  They  knew  others 
had  rights  and  were  willing  to  so  admit.  I  re- 
member vividly  and  gratefully  many  good  men 


and  women  here  and  elsewhere  who,  though  plain 
citizens,  have  left  their  impress  on  the  times,  and 
did  their  duty  well. 

Pike  county  is  now  eighty- four  years  old,  and 
in  the  years  that  have  flown  it  has  had  a  good 
record.  Its  people  have  sized  up  with  other 
counties  and  it  has  had  its  share  of  joys  and 
sorrows.  It  has  kept  up  with  the  march  of  civili- 
zation and  progress,  and  in  the  years  to  come 
its  people  will  be  found  on  the  right  and  onward 
march  for  all  time. 

In  the  old  wildcat  banking  days,  "befo'  the  wah, 
sah,"  when  all  the  village  had  banks  of  issue, 
on  paper  only  but  was  registered  at  the  state  capi- 
tal, there  was  a  Farmer's  Bank  of  New  Canton. 

About  a  year  after  its  establishment,  on  paper 
only,  a  man  came  riding  into  town  with  an  old- 
fashioned  saddlebag  full  of  the  bills,  well  printed 
and  on  fair  paper,  looking  for  the  bank  with  its 
capital  of  $50,000,  to  have  the  bills  redeemed  in 
gold  or  silver  But  as  he  had  no  microscope  or 
search  warrant  he  failed  to  locate  it. 

It  should  be  stated  in  justice  to  our  citizens 
that  no  one  here  knew  anything  of  it,  nor  had  any 
part  in  the  transaction.  But  that  is  the  way 
many  of  the  old-time  banks  of  issue  were  con- 
ducted. The  sharper  that  could  get  a  lot  of  al- 
leged securities  could  deposit  them  in  the  state 
auditor's  office,  and  then  the  bank  was  a  go,  and 
the  man  who  took  the  bills  was  a  goner. 

The  only  paper  money  of  those  days  that  was 
not  at  a  discount  was  the  State  Bank  of  Missouri 
at  St.  Louis.  Those  were  the  times  when  coon 
skins  were  taken  for  taxes.  When  the  first  issue 
of  greenbacks  or  demand  notes  were  in  circu- 
lation they  were  discounted  here  five  per  cent. 
and  soon  afterwards  were  at  a  fine  premium.  In 
the  old  days  every  man  in  business  had  a  bank 
detector,  and  would  refer  to  it  every  time  a  bill 
was  offered  to  ascertain  its  worth,  and  whether 
it  was  genuine  or  a  counterfeit. 

We  had  reformers,  too,  in  the  past.  One  man 
here  went  into  the  only  store  in  town  and  bought 
all  the  light  literature,  or  "yellow  back  novels" 
as  they  were  called,  and  made  light  of  them  by 
burning  to  stop  the  sale  and  use  of  them.  The 
whole  lot  cost  him  $4.00,  but  others  were  printed 
and  sold  "allee  same."  Another  man  wanted  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


129 


apple  and  peach  orchards  cut  down  to  stop  fruit 
distilling.  They  recall  the  fable  of  the  ox  and  the 
fly.  The  latter  said,  "I  beg  your  pardon  for  light- 
ing on  your  horn."  "Don't  mention  it,"  said  the 
ox.  "I  did  not  know  you  were  there." 

The  old  style  harvest  of  half  a  century  ago 
was  a  curiosity  as  compared  with  the  present. 
The  wheat  fields  were  small  and  two  or  three 
stout  men  would  start  out  in  the  morning  with 
the  old-fashioned  grapevine  cradles.  A  boy  fol- 
lowed each  cradler  to  straighten  out  the  wheat 
for  the  binder,  who  tied  it  in  bundles  for  the 
shocker.  The  harvest  began  after  an  early  break- 
fast. At  nine  o'clock  a  lunch  was  brought  to  the 
field,  with  whiskey  for  an  appetizer  and  butter- 
milk, sweet  milk,  coffee  or  water,  as  the  taste 
of  the  man  required.  Then  at  noon  a  heavy  din- 
ner with  another  "jigger"  of  whiskey,  at  three  in 
the  afternoon  another  lunch  and  at  sundown  a 
big  supper  and  more  whiskey.  It  was  rather  re- 
markable with  so  much  whiskey  thai  there  was 
no  drunkenness. 

After  the  harvest  came  the  stacking  and  then 
the  threshing  with  the  flail  or  tramping  out  with 
horses.  The  harvests  were  long  and  tedious,  but 
all  went  well  and  the  people  seemed  happy  in  the 
primitive  ways.  That  sytle  of  wheat  cutting  re- 
quired over  a  dozen  men  and  boys.  Now  the 
work  that  then  took  a  whole  day  can  be  done  by 
a  man  and  boy  in  a  few  hours. 

The  old-time  corn  crops  were  slow  but  sure. 
The  ground  was  usually  plowed  by  oxen  and  the 
old  wooden  moldboard  plows,  the  seed  dropped 
by  hand  and  covered  with  a  hoe.  The  weeds  were 
kept  down  with  a  hoe  and  sometimes  a  small 
plow.  The  crops,  however,  were  generally  good, 
and  the  old-timers  were  very  happy  in  the  pos- 
session of  a  small  piece  of  land  and  an  abun- 
dance of  the  earth's  bounties. 

In  1825  when  Lewis  Turner,  a  resident  of 
New  Canton  for  many  years,  saw  the  Marquis 
de  Lafavette  at  St.  Louis,  he  told  how  great  was 
the  enthusiasm  and  respect  shown  the  noted 
Frenchman,  and  how  primitive  things  were.  Mr. 
Turner  often  spoke  of  the  changes  from  1825  to 
about  1865,  when  he  passed  away.  Could  he  now 


see  the  remarkable  transformation  in  the  forty 
year.s  that  have  come  and  gone,  he  would  be  ask 
ing,  "What  next?  Can  there  be  anything  else 
wonderful  to  happen?"  The  onward  march  has 
been  startling  and  surprising  and  to  the  observer 
who  is  of  an  optimistic  turn  great  changes  will 
yet  occur. 

"Tis  always  morning  somewhere,  and  above 
The  awakening  continents  from  shore  to 
shore, 

Somewhere  the  birds  are  singing  evermore." 

And  'tis  always  morning  with  progressive  people 
here  and  elsewhere. 

My  first  trip  from  Quincy  to  Chicago  was 
made  in  eighteen  hours  over  the  old  Northern 
Cross  Railroad,  now  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  and  my  first 
trip  from  New  Canton  to  New  York  was  made  in 
seventy-two  hours.  Now  it  can  be  made  in  less 
than  thirty  hours  and  the  trip  to  Chicago  in  about 
nine  hours.  When  a  boy  I  stemmed  tobacco  for 
a  German  cigarmaker  .that  was  ten  months  in 
crossing  the  ocean.  Now  it  is  made  in  a  week  and 
often  less.  In  the  old  times  it  took  part  of  a  day 
and  a  night  to  get  to  St.  Louis,  now  the  trip  can 
be  made  in  four  hours.  From  ocean  to  ocean  is 
now  traveled  in  as  many  days  as  it  took  months 
fifty  years  ago. 

Up  ,to  the  year  1860  our  people  kept  up  with 
the  march  of  civilization  and  progress  as  best 
they  could,  and  were  apparently  contented  with 
old-fashioned  ways.  But  about  that  time  the 
Hannibal  &  Naples  Railroad  was  surveyed,  and 
the  prospect  was  fair  enough  for  the  iron  horse 
to  be  soon  crossing  the  country  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Illinois  rivers,  where  for  many  years 
the  stagecoach  had  held  supreme  sway.  Then 
several  of  the  old-time  citizens  engaged  largely 
in  getting  out  ties.  The  right  of  way  was  piled 
high  with  many  thousand  ties  that  were  never 
used,  as  there  was  a  hitch  somewhere  in  the  rosy 
outlook.  The  ties  rotted  and  caused  great  loss 
to  many  men. 

Soon  after  the  war  a  new  start  was  made,  and 
the  road  now  known  as  the  Wabash  was  built. 
In  1871  the  Quincy,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  was  built 


1 3o 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


by  General  Singleton  and  Mr.  Woods,  of  Phila- 
delphia. It  is  known  now  as  the  Louisville 
branch  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  B.  Lewis  was 
the  engineer,  and  Mr.  Lionburger  the  man  who 
secured  the  right  of  way  and  very  generous  dona- 
tions from  the  citizens  and  along  the  route.  New 
Canton  people  were  liberal  givers,  and  for  a 
while  it  was  the  connecting  link  between  St.  Louis 
and  St.  Paul.  The  Keokuk  &  Northwestern  was 
built  later  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  soon 
took  the  through  business  from  this  line,  but  it 
has  been  a  great  convenience  to  the  west  side 
of  the  county  for  its  mail,  passenger  and  freight 
service,  and  we  are  all  glad  that  we  have  it. 

The  first  general  freight  and  passenger  agent 
was  N.  D.  Munson,  of  Quincy,  who  was  after- 
ward secretary  of  the  Illinois  railroad  and  ware- 
house commission.  The  following  gentlemen 
were  Mr.  Munson's  successors:  General  Dana, 
Mr.  Miles,  Mr.  Crampton,  Col.  W.  P.  Moore, 
and  the  present  able  and  courteous  agent,  E.  F. 
Bradford. 

In  the  roseate  days  of  steamboating  Cincinnati 
Landing  had  a  noted  character  for  mischief  and 
goodness.  A  rare  combination,  but  such  was 
"old"  John  Blain.  He  would  care  for  the  sick, 
render  any  favor  possible  for  him,  and  then  lie 
awake  to  think  up  some  harmless  mischief  to  play 
upon  someone,  friend  or  stranger.  In  peach  time 
(and  in  the  old  times  there  were  many  fine  or- 
chards) a  boat  crowded  with  passengers  stopped 
at  the  landing  to  take  on  about  1,500  sacks  of 
wheat.  Old  John  came  around  eating  a  peach, 
with  two  in  his  hand.  A  passenger  asked  him 
where  he  could  buy  some.  The  old  mischief  said, 
"Out  by  the  slough  bridge  there  is  a  big  peach 
orchard,  and  the  owner  will  give  you  all  you  can 
eat." 

The  passenger  said,  "Captain,  how  long  will 
the  boat  be  here?"  "About  an  hour.  I  will 
ring  the  bell  and  you  will  have  time  enough."  At 
that  moment  all  on  board  were  suddenly  peach- 
hungry  and  over  a  hundred  started  on  the  run. 
Then  old  John  wandered  up  the  river,  as  his  joke 
had  caught  with  a  vengeance.  The  passengers 
went  to  the  bridge,  and  up  and  down  the  slough 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Presently  the  bell  rang 


and  then  there  was  a  free-for-all  race  back  to  the 
boat.  There  was  not  a  peach  orchard  within  five 
miles  of  the  Landing.  Old  John  was  conveni- 
ently out  of  sight,  and  did  not  go  to  the  boat  land- 
ing for  weeks,  as  he  was  afraid  someone  would 
catch  him. 

This  township  had  a  worthy  old  citizen,  Moses 
Morey,  who  was  present  at  a  meeting  of  com- 
missioners in  1828  or  1829,  on  the  bluffs  along 
the  Mississippi  river  when  a  county  and  town 
were  to  be  named.  After  considerable  deliber- 
ation one  man  said :  "John  Quincy  Adams  is  our 
President,  and  I  propose  that  the  new  county 
(then  a  part  of  old  Pike)  be  named  Adams  and 
the  town  (that  was  then  partly  platted)  be 
called  Quincy."  It  was  so  ordered  and  Pike  has 
always  been  proud  of  the  Gem  City  and  Adams 
county. 

Shortly  after,  it  was  said  by  an  old  citizen, 
Col.  William  Ross,  'that  Quincy  would  not  make 
much  of  a  town  as  it  was  too  close  to  Atlas.  But, 
alas,  "the  plans  of  mice  and  men  gang  aft  aglee." 
Atlas  is  still  here  and  has  about  held  its  own, 
while  Quincy  has  got  to  be  "a  right  peart  town." 
with  40,000  people. 

In  1865  Amos  Morey  and  Eli  Lyons  visited 
Quincy  to  purchase  a  boiler  for  the  mill  then 
being  built  here,  and  they  asked  the  boiler  maker 
to  put  it  on  the  levee  and  close  up  the  flues.  The 
man  said,  "What  boat  will  take  it?"  "We  will 
float  it  down."  Nearly  all  said  it  would  sink  and 
be  lost,  and  the  word  was  passed  around  that  a 
couple  of  suckers  from  Pike  county  were  going 
to  roll  a  twenty-foot  boiler  in  the  river  and  float 
it  down  to  Cincinnati  Landing.  So  a  crowd  of 
five  or  six  hundred  gathered  to  see  the  boiler 
go  to  the  bottom.  It  cost  $850  and  a  number  were 
sorry  to  see  the  owner  lose  so  much  money. 
But  at  the  word  "Let  her  go,"  it  was  soon  in  the 
water  and  floated  like  a  duck.  It  was  brought 
into  the  cut-off  and  down  the  Sny,  and  hauled 
from  there  to  the  mill,  where  it  did  service  for 
over  twenty  years. 

Before  the  Sny  levee  was  built  the  bottom 
lands  were  a  free  grazing  place  for  great  herds 
of  cattle  and  many  acquired  riches  in  that  way. 
The  levee  project  soon  had  that  class  up  in  arms 
Against  it,  but  the  onward  march  of  civilization 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  progress  soon  changed  the  wild  into  bounti- 
ful harvest  fields.  About  that  time  the  vicinity 
had  a  number  of  rich  and  enterprising  men  who 
assisted  in  nearly  all  worthy  enterprises  for  the 
general  good,  and  their  impress  on  the  country 
and  the  welfare  will  last  through  succeeding  gen- 
erations. 

Forty  years  ago  the  federal  troops  under  Gen- 
eral Canby  were  investing  Spanish  Fort  and 
Blakely  in  Alabama.  Mat  McKinney,  an  Iowa 
boy,  who  was  orderly  for  the  Pike  county  brigade, 
told  one  evening  while  sitting  around  the  bivouac 
fire  a  story  that  was  fully  illustrative  of  the  mod- 
esty of  the  greatest  soldier  of  modern  times. 
"General  Carr  gave  me  an  order  to  take  to  Gen- 
eral Grant's  headquarters  near  Vicksburg.  When 
I  was  about  half  way  there  I  saw  a  man  sitting 
on  his  horse  and  I  knew  from  his  clothes  he  was 
one  of  our  boys.  So  I  saluted  and  said,  'Can  you 
tell  me  the  way  to  General  Grant's  camp?'  'I  am 
going  there,  you  can  ride  with  me.'  He  was  going 
on  a  quick-stepping  horse  and  I  had  to  thump  my 
old  plug  to  keep  up.  But  I  kept  alongside  of  him 
and  presently  he  asked,  'Do  you  want  to  see  Grant 
or  his  adjutant?'  I  said,  'I  have  papers  for  Gen- 
eral Rawlins.'  'That  is  his  tent,'  and  just  then  a 
darky  took  the  man's  horse  and  I  found  I  had 
been  riding  with  General  Grant.  I  almost  fell 
off  my  horse  in  surprise,  as  he  was  the  first  gen- 
eral I  ever  rode  beside.  With  all  the  others  I 
had  to  keep  in  the  rear." 

Following  the  list  of  steamboats  and  their 
captains,  the  names  of  a  few  of  their  patrons  of 
"aid  lang  syne"  may  be  interesting.  At  Barry 
was  Shields  &  Lillis.  Angle,  Brown  &  Crandall, 
Montgomery  Blair,  Hammond  &  Green.  Thomas 
Gray,  Gorton  &  Dutton,  White  Brothers.  C.  &  S. 
Davis,  Elisha  Hurt,  Sweet  &  Mallory  and  E.  W. 
Blades. 

Kinderhook :  Hull  &  Orr,  Alex.  Anderson,  J. 
W.  Mellon,  David  Devoe,  S.  B.  Gaines  and  Hull 
&  Colvin.  Eldara  :  Alex.  Dubois,  Smith  &  Hacl- 
sell,  Dr.  Landrum,  Burke  &  Davis,  Freeman  & 
Lippincott  and  Jones  &  Easley. 

New  Canton :  John  Webb,  S.  Gay,  Shipman  & 
Freeman,  William  P.  Freeman,  P.  H.  Davis. 
Amos  Morev,  Warriner  &  Blain,  Dobbins  &  Min- 


ton  and  Massie  &  Gray.  In  those  times  all 
named  were  large  shippers  of  produce  and  re- 
ceivers of  goods. 

The  pork  packing  industry  was  well  repre- 
sented in  the  three  towns,  and  in  1865  when 
Amos  Morey  and  Bradford  Uppinghouse  started 
the  flour  mill  here  they  often  had  orders  for  flour 
to  go  west,  as  at  that  time  there  were  no  flour 
mills  in  what  is  now  the  Central  West.  At  a  time 
when  wheat  was  scarce  they  had  orders  for  flour 
at  $20  a  barrel  at  the  mill.  Frequently  corn  was 
shippped  from  here  at  seventy-five  cents  to  a  dol- 
lar a  bushel.  That  was  usually  in  the  spring, 
when  the  southern  planters  most  needed  corn, 
and  also  before  they  knew  that  corn  could  be 
raised  in  the  South.  The  highest  price  for  corn 
ever  known  here  was  $1.29  per  bushel.  Wheat 
was  $2.50  to  $3.00  per  bushel,  pork  $25  per  bar- 
rel, lard  $50  per  tierce,  hogs  12  1-2  cents  per 
pound  net. 

A  recent  number  of  Everybody's  Magazine 
has  an  article  in  which  the  wrecking  by  cannon 
and  musket  balls  of  the  steamer  Empress  on  the 
lower  river  in  war  time  recalls  the  trip  before 
that  of  the  Empress.  Col.  Dan  Bush  of  the  Sec- 
ond Illinois  Cavalry,  and  now  of  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, and  the  writer,  made  a  trip  from  St.  Louis 
to  New  Orleans  when  Capt.  Sam  Rider,  of  Pike 
county,  and  his  brother  Jason,  who  was  afterward 
circuit  clerk  of  Pike  county,  were  in  command  of 
the  Empress,  and  we  with  the  other  passengers 
enjoyed  the  trip,  and  felt  gratified  that  we  es- 
caped the  bushwhackers.  On  her  next  trip  she 
was  shot  nearly  to  pieces  and  partially  wrecked. 
Capt.  Sam  Rider  and  Captain  Abrams  were  Illi- 
nois river  captains,  and  were  highly  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  them. 

Near  New  Canton  is  a  wonderful  spring  that 
is  known  as  Salt  Spring,  and  its  healing  bene- 
ficial waters  will  rank  with  any  others  in  curing 
many  of  the  ills  mankind  is  afflicted  with.  An 
analysis  of  the  water  made  several  years  ago 
showed  salt,  sulphur,  magnesia  and  carbonate  of 
iron.  The  water  never  freezes,  and  when  a  heavy 
snow  is  on  the  ground  there  is  an  open  space  of 


132 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


fifty  feet  in  diameter  that  the  snow  stands  as 
though  an  artist  had  smoothed  its  walls. 

It  is  a  great  laxative,  and  a  most  excellent 
anti-scorbutic.  Some  day  it  will  be  better  known 
and  its  healing  qualities  sought.  About  twenty 
years  ago  the  owner,  the  late  James  D.  Rupert, 
put  some  pipes  in  the  spring  and  had  a  tin  cir- 
cus put  on  top,  and  the  heavy  flow  of  the  water 
upward  kept  the  objects  constantly  in  motion, 
greatly  to  the  delight  of  old  and  young. 

One  beautiful  balmy  day  in  October,  the  sunny 
golden  month  of  the  year,  there  was  said  by  care- 
ful estimate  to  have  been  fully  2,000  visitors, 
coming  from  Pittsfield  and  many  of  the  nearby 
towns.  A  man  once  ran  a  fifteen-foot  pole  down 
in  the  center  of  the  spring,  and  as  soon  as  he 
let  go  of  it  it  was  shot  out  in  the  air  its  full 
length. 

It  may  be  given  as  a  reason  for  its  not  being 
fitted  up  and  utilized  as  a  health  resort,  that  it  is 
on  very  low  land,  and  as  the  bottom  is  slowly  fill- 
ing up  from  the  floods  of  Kizer  creek  it  may  in 
the  near  future  come  into  greater  prominence. 
It  is  known  to  be  a  sure  cure  for  eczema  and  el- 
cosis.  Louisiana's  spring  is  of  the  same  charac- 
ter. Rails  county,  Mo.,  also  has  a  like  one. 

In  the  old  whig  days  of  1840,  Harrison  and 
Tyler  were  the  candidates,  and  the  cry  was,  "Tip- 
pecanoe  and  Tyler,  too,"  log  cabins  and  hard 
cider.  Charles  T.  Brewster,  Hiram  Smith  and 
others  went  from  here  to  Springfield  with  ox 
teams,  a  miniature  log  cabin  and  several  barrels  of 
hard  cider  to  attend  a  great  whig  gathering  of 
that  time.  The  trip  took  about  two  weeks.  Now 
it  could  be  made  by  rail  in  a  few  hours. 

C.  T.  Brewster,  Hiram  Smith  and  Jesse  Titts- 
worth  were  the  men  who  laid  out  New  Canton 
in  1835  and  at  the  sale  af  town  lots  the  prices 
were  from  $7  to  $75.  David  Dutton,  who  died  in 
1854,  had  the  first  apple  orchard  in  this  town- 
ship about  1825,  and  the  fruit  was  very  good, 
people  came  long  distances  to  buy.  Old-time 
citizens,  like  Hazen  Pressy,  Mr.  Nesmith  and  D. 
A.  Shaw,  who  resided  on  the  old  mail  route  from 
Quincy  to  Pittsfield,  came  every  season  to  buy, 
till  they  raised  orchards  of  their  own. 

When  John  Wood,  afterward  Governor  of  Il- 


linois, and  Mr.  Keyes  were  on  their  way  to  what 
is  now  Quincy,  they  camped  here  on  the  creek, 
which  was  afterward  named  Keyes  creek,  now 
called  Kizer. 

Answering  the  query,  "Did  slavery  ever  exist 
in  Pike  county  or  Illinois  ?"  No,  but  there  was  a 
mighty  effort  to  make  the  state  slave  territory.  At 
an  election  in  1822,  when  Edward  Coles  was 
elected  governor,  there  then  was  an  incidental 
test  vote  that  showed  about  2,000  in  favor  of  mak- 
ing Illinois  a  slave  state,  but  as  the  new  governor 
was  a  strong  opponent  of  the  traffic  in  human 
chattels  the  great  curse  for  Illinois  was  averted. 

At  an  old-time  public  dinner  were  given  the 
following  toasts:  "The  means  of  introducing 
and  spreading  the  African  family."  (Three 
cheers. )  "The  enemies  of  the  convention ;  may 
they  ride  a  porcupine  saddle  on  a  hard  trotting 
horse  a  long  journey,  without  money  or  friends." 
"The  state  of  Illinois.  The  ground  is  good,  prai- 
ries in  abundance;  give  us  plenty  of  negroes,  a 
little  industry  and  she  will  distribute  her  treasure." 

Thus  many  of  the  old-timers  felt,  and  it  lasted 
for  nearly  forty  years.  It  received  its  first  quietus, 
however,  during  the  great  debate  of  Lincoln  and 
Douglas  in  1858,  when  Douglas  said,  "It  matters 
not  to  me  whether  slavery  is  voted  up  or  down," 
and  the  great  Lincoln  answered,  "It  does  matter 
to  me.  I  hope  to  live  so  long  that  under  God  I 
may  see  every  man  a  freeman."  And  by  the  bless- 
ing of  the  great  Father  and  the  Union  army  his 
hope  was  realized. 

The  writer  has  seen  the  auction  block  in  the 
old  slave  states,  and  witnessed  a  few  sales  of 
mothers  from  their  children.  Pleasant  Vale  has 
to-day  a  worthy  colored  citizen  whose  mother  was 
sold  away  from  him  when  he  was  about  six 
months  old. 

Pike  county  had  a  few  stations  on  what  was 
known  as  the  underground  railroad  in  slavery 
times.  Many  honored  old  citizens  were  often 
very  severely  censured  because  they  sheltered  and 
fed  the  runaway  negroes.  Oftentimes  a  negro 
would  be  captured  and  returned  and  the  captor 
receive  $50  or  $100,  and  be  looked  upon  as  a  great 
hero  by  many  for  his  bravery  in  capturing  a  poor 
fugitive  from  slavery. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


133 


Old  Pike  is  perhaps  as  well  known  as  any 
county  in  any  of  the  states.  About  thirty-five 
years  ago  I  was  in  a  city  in  Indiana  and  was  pre- 
sented to  an  old  gentleman  as  from  Illinois. 
"What  part?"  "Pike  county."  'Well,  that's  my 
old  home.  I  resided  there  thirty-five  years  ago, 
and  knew  Ross,  Scott,  Barney,  Grimshaw,  Blair, 
Horton  and  the  Burnetts.  I  never  shall  forget 
that  good  old  county.  It  was  a  veritable  garden 
spot  then,  and  I  presume  it  has  made  great  strides 
forward  since  I  was  there."  Well,  if  he  could 
come  from  the  echoless  shore  he  would  see  the 
best  county  in  the  state,  where  all  are  happy  and 
contented,  if  they  so  will  it,  and  where  we  have 
no  famines,  but  an  abundance  and  to  spare. 

Some  one,  unidentified,  at  a  gathering  where 
they  had  a  feast,  when  the  toasts  were  on  tap,  re- 
sponded to  the  sentiment,  "Man :" 

"Here's  to  the  man  that  has  nothing  to  wear; 
Nothing  to  live  for  but  trouble  and  care. 
He  dies ;  he  goes — we  know  not  where. 
If  he's  all  right  here,  boys,  he's  all  right  there." 

That  expresses  a  very  broad  kind  of  Pike 
county  religion  and  will  fit  many  other  counties 
and  states.  The  old  county  has  its  share;  good, 
bad  and  indifferent,  but  the  good  predominates. 

In  the  past  titles  were  few.  It  was  plain  Mr., 
or  Uncle  Dick,  Uncle  Jack  or  Grandpa  Smith. 
Now  all  are  judges,  colonels  or  generals.  This 
recalls  the  remark  of  a  new  arrival  in  this  country 
who  said,  "Phat  a  great  war  they  had;  all  the 
privates  killed  entirely,  only  colonels  and  gen- 
erals left." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  army  of  the  Tennessee 
in  Chicago,  when  General  Grant  returned  from 
his  tour  around  the  world,  a  lot  of  big  guns  were 
at  the  Palmer  House.  There  was  a  sort  of  love 
feast  there  and  all  the  old  boys  were  taken  in  and 
introduced  to  the  notables.  An  old  doctor  from 
Indianapolis  was  among  them,  and  when  the  Pike 
county  boy  was  introduced  as  captain  the  old 
doctor  said,  "Why,  bless  you,  Captain,  shake 
again.  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  I  have  been  here 
three  days  and  you  are  the  only  ordinary  mortal 
I  have  met.  I  feel  at  home  now.  Shake." 

Recently  an  incident  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  in  1863, 
was  recalled.  During  the  afternoon,  when  the 


sharpshooters  of  both  armies  were  lying  in  wait 
for  a  shot  at  each  other,  the  Johnnies  were  making 
it  hot  for  our  boys.  In  one  squad  was  a  very 
talkative  soldier  that  annoyed  his  captain  with 
many  useless  questions.  At  last  the  officer  said  to 
him,  "Keep  still,  you  will  draw  the  Yanks'  fire." 
After  a  short  silence  he  said,  "Say,  Cap,  don't 
you  think  South  Carolina  was  jist  a  leetle  bit 
hasty  in  fetching  on  this  yer  wah  ?" 

One  night  at  Vicksburg  a  few  99th  boys  were 
on  guard  near  the  chevau  de  frieze,  or  sharpened 
sticks  as  the  boys  called  them.  While  the  lonely 
hours  wore  away,  and  both  sides  were  watching 
for  the  gray  dawn,  one  of  the  99th  said,  "Say, 
Johnnie,  don't  you  want  some  paper  for  some  flat 
tobacco?"  The  exchange  was  made  and  our  boy 
inquired,  "What  regiment  is  yours?"  "The  I4th 
Georgia,  sah,  what  regiment  is  you  all's  ?"  "The 
99th  Illinois."  "Gee  whiz!  How  many  regiments 
has  that  state  got?"  England  remembers  York- 
town,  the  world  remembers  Appomattox  and  Pike 
county  will  never  forget  Vicksburg.  There  in 
the  national  cemetery  of  16,000  federals  old  Pike 
has  many  a  gallant  boy. 

Rev.  Father  Newman,  the  good  old-time  Meth- 
odist who  said  to  a  fashionable  and  as  he  intimated 
a  rather  cold  congregation,  "If  you  hear  that  Mr. 
A,  the  rich  man,  is  sick,  you  need  not  go  to  see 
him  as  he  has  all  the  attention  needed.  But  if -you 
hear  that  Mr.  B,  the  poor  man,  is  sick,  go.  He 
will  need  you.  Take  supplies  and  minister  unto 
him,  for  as  you  do  unto  him  you  do  unto  me." 

The  blunt  old  brother  knew  the  weakness  of 
the  human  family,  and  how  much  they  were 
blinded  by  gold  and  position. 

In  1822,  when  Rock  Island  was  in  Pike  county, 
an  election  for  county  commissioners  was  held. 
The  county  was  divided  into  three  precincts,  and 
as  this  section  or  precinct  was  the  largest,  David 
Dutton,  of  this  town,  J.  M.  Seeley  and  O.  M.  Ross 
of  Atlas  were  elected.  Their  election  was  con- 
tested, and  it  took  Judge  Reynolds  some  time 
after  dispossessing  them  to  reinstate  them,  which 
was  done  in  September,  1822.  Dutton  and  See- 
ley  I  knew  personally,  and  in  a  social  and  busi- 
ness way  have  known  many  of  their  descendants 
in  the  past  sixty  years. 


134 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


The  first  courthouse  at  Pittsfield  cost  about 
$1,100.  The  second,  which  was  completed  in 
1839,  cost  about  $15,000.  In  1843  I  was  with  my 
mother  in  Hodgen's  store  which  stood  about 
where  Clayton's  hardware  store  is  now,  and  some 
tinners  were  repairing  the  cupola.  Seeing  a  fire 
break  out  on  the  roof  I  called  mother's  attention 
to  it,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  men  about  the 
square  extinguished  it.  • 

The  new  courthouse  stood  until  1895,  when 
the  present  large  and  beautiful  one  was  erected 
to  taKe  the  place  of  the  old  Pike  county  tem- 
ple of  justice.  A  very  appropriate  and  fitting  se- 
lection was  made  at  the  dedication  of  the  new 
courthouse  in  November,  1895,  when  Hon.  J. 
M.  Bush,  who  was  at  the  first  term  of  court  in 
the  old  house  in  1839,  was  made  chairman.  The 
exercises  were  very  impressive  and  interesting. 
It  is  sad  to  think  of  how  many  who  participated 
in  the  dedication  of  Pike's  new  court  temple  only 
a  decade  ago  have  ended  life's  journey.  But  so 
it  is.  Time  and  tide  wait  for  none,  and  the  great 
reaper  is  constantly  at  work. 

The  old  courthouse  had  as  attorneys  within 
its  walls  many  men  that  were  noted  among  the 
great  and  able  men  of  America.  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, "the  greatest  man  that  ever  came  in  the  tide 
of  time ;"  Gens.  E.  D.  Baker  and  John  J.  Hardin ; 
Senators  Douglas,  McDougal,  Richardson  and 
Browning;  and  eminent  lawyers  like  Bushnell, 
Blackwell.  Hay,  Higbee,  Skinner  and  Wike. 

In  1848,  when  Cincinnati  Landing  was  the  big 
town  of  the  county,  there  was  an  old  pioneer 
named  Mitchell,  of  great  physical  powers  but 
quiet  and  unobtrusive,  who  was  a  resident  there. 
Near  Barry  was  a  good  old  citizen,  P.  McDaniel, 
who  was  of  a  fiery  temper,  and  he  concluded 
that  Mitchell  should  be  given  a  "licking"  for 
some  alleged  affront.  So  he  went  to  Cincinnati 
and  told  the  men  he  came  to  give  Mitchell  a 
thrashing,  and  asked  where  to  find  him.  The  by- 
standers told  him  he  would  find  Mitchell  in  his 
field  near  town.  McDaniel  started  up  to  meet 
Mitchell,  but  when  he  came  in  sight  of  him  he 
found  hiin  grubbing  and  pulling  up  by  hand  the 
small  saplings  and  doing  it  with  such  ease  he 
did  not  let  his  mission  be  known,  but  came  back 


and  told  the  boys  that  Mitchell  was  a  steam  stump 
puller,  and  that  the  fight  was  postponed  without 
date. 

It  was  quite  lucky  those  times  that  the  Samsons 
were  quiet  and  harmless  unless  aroused,  and  then 
they  were  a  terror  to  the  intruders.  In  1853  a 
boat  was  loading  flour  made  at  the  Israel  mill  near 
Barry  and  the  captain  asked  for  idle  men  to  as- 
sist in  loading  the  boat.  Two  Pike  county  giants 
engaged  with  him.  They  would  take  a  barrel  of 
flour  under  each  arm  and  carry  them  on  board  as 
easily  as  an  ordinary  man  could  carry  a  sack  of 
wheat.  The  boat  was  soon  loaded  and  the  extra 
help  paid  off.  The  captain  said  he  would  not  dare 
to  carry  such  men  as,  if  they  should  become  an- 
gered, they  would  take  the  boat. 

At  another  time  a  powerful  colored  man  was 
freight  handler  on  one  of  the  Keokuk  packets 
and  the  mate  abused  him  and  ended  by  striking 
him  with  a  light  barrel  stave.  The  darkey  said, 
"Look  out,  boss,  don't  do  dat  any  more."  The 
mate  attempted  to  strike  again,  and  was  caught 
and  held  so  tightly  that  he  could  not  move.  Then 
quiet  and  cool  the  darkey  said,  "Boss,  I  don't 
want  to  hurt  you,  but  if  you  do  dat  again  I  will 
crunch  de  life  out  of  you."  The  mate  desisted, 
and  said  he  was  the  best  man  in  strength  and 
temper  ever  on  the  boat. 

The  county  has  had  a  few  cyclones,  the  first 
nearly  sixty  years  ago,  that  destroyed  the  brick 
dwelling  of  AJfred  Grubb,  the  "Little  bay  horse 
of  Pike,"  as  he  was  best  known.  It%  was  equidis- 
tant between  New  Canton  and  Kinderhook.  In 
1855  a  disastrous  and  perhaps  the  heaviest  ever 
in  the  county,  passed  over  this  town  and  struck 
on  the  hills  between  sections  13  and  14,  and  23 
and  24.  At  the  time  the  lands  were  covered  with 
great  oak,  hickory,  ash  and  hackberry  trees,  and 
were  monarchs  of  the  forest;  some  two  or  three 
feet  in  diameter.  The  cyclone  mowed  them  down 
on  the  east  of  the  hill  for  nearly  a  mile,  and  per- 
haps two  hundred  feet  in  width.  The  fine  timber 
then  destroyed  would  make  a  comfortable  fortune 
now.  Lighter  storms  have  done  considerable 
damage  in  Pittsfield,  Derry  and  a  few  other  town- 
ships. Happily  no  loss  of  life  occurred  in  any  of 
them. 

The  following  towns  have  had  disastrous  fires, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


I3S 


entailing  great  loss  to  the  property  owners  and  in 
cases  of  insurance  there  was  some  remuneration. 
Pittsfield,  Griggsville.  Barry,  Rockport,  New 
Canton,  Eldara,  Kinderhook,  Milton  and  Baylis. 
Perhaps  the  greatest  fire  was  when  Barry  was 
nearly  wiped  out  of  existence  in  its  business  por- 
tion. The  others  were  great  sufferers  also,  but 
with  a  spirit  of  pluck  and  enterprise  they  were  all 
rebuilt  and  better  than  before. 

From  1876  to  1889,  when  the  Sny  levee  broke, 
the  owners  and  tenants  had  trying  times  and 
great  losses.  A  careful  estimate  of  the  losses  in 
the  district  for  the  years  1876,  80,  81  and  88  was 
nearly  one  and  a  half  million  dollars.  Our  citi- 
zens were  not  dismayed,  but  made  necessary  re- 
pairs and  soon  had  the  lands  teeming  with  good 
crops,  and  our  people  with  their  adversity  were 
soon  putting  it  away  and  striving  for  better 
things. 

"  'Tis  easy  enough  to  be  pleasant 
When  life  flows  by,  like  a  song. 
But  the  man  worth  while,  is  the  man  with  a 

smile 
When  everything  goes  dead  wrong." 

This  captured  verse  is  a  fair  index  to  many  of 
our  Pike  county  people,  and  may  they  ever  con- 
tinue to  laugh  at  adversity. 

Pike  county  was  laid  out  January  31,  1821, 
was  named  and  its  boundaries  defined.  It  then 
contained  all  the  territory  between  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Illinois  rivers,  extending  east  in  one 
portion  of  the  line  of  what  is  now  Indiana,  and 
north  to  Wisconsin.  The  large  and  populous 
counties  of  Cook,  Peoria,  Adams,  La  Salle,  with 
about  fifty  other  counties,  were  once  in  old  Pike. 
Now  the  original  Pike  county  has  a  population 
of  nearly  3,000,000  people. 

Coles  Grove  was  its  first  capital,  and  at  the  first 
election  only  thirty-five  votes  were  cast.  The 
great  county  then  had  but  about  750  people.  Now 
in  the  original  old  Pike  Illinois  is  proud  of  one 
city  that  is  second  in  the  nation,  and  has  nearly 
2.000.000  inhabitants. 

John  Kinzcr  was  Pike  county's  first  justice 
of  the  peace  and  resided  near  where  Chicago  now 
is.  Belus  Jones  was  the  first  constable,  and  Na- 


thaniel Shaw,  a  great  uncle  of  the  writer,  was 
Pike's  first  treasurer.  "My  Lord  Coke,"  James 
W.  Whitney,  was  its  first  clerk.  All  these  in 
1821. 

In  that  year  the  county  commissioners  issued 
a  tavern  license  to  a  Mr.  Hinksley,  and  here  are 
the  prices  he  was  permitted  to  charge : 

Victuals,  for  meal 2$c 

Horsekeeping,  night    37//2c 

Lodging  i2*/2c 

Whiskey,  per  half  pint I2l/2c 

Rum  and  gin 25c 

French  brandy SGC 

Wine    '. tfy2c 

The  county  seat  was  moved  from  Coles  Grove 
to  Atlas  in  1823,  and  from  Atlas  to  Pittsfield  in 
1833.  •  Of  the  pioneers  of  the  grand  old  county 
the  writer  in  his  boyhood  knew  Cols.  Ross  and 
Barney,  Nathaniel  Shaw  and  "My  Lord  Coke," 
and  later  Col.  Seeley,  David  Dutton  and  James 
Gay.  The  latter  is  now  living  at  the  age  of 
ninety-one  in  Atlas  township. 

James  W.  Whitney.  "My  I^ird  Coke,"  was  an 
eccentric  character  and  dressed  oddly  and  rather 
carelessly.  He  always  had  his  hair  tied  up  with 
a  shoestring,  or  something  else  that  came  handy, 
in  the  style  of  the  old-fashioned  cue  of  colonial 
times.  He  was  a  great  show  for  our  folks  the 
time  he  was  in  New  Canton  half  a  century  ago. 
He  often  visited  the  state  capital,  and  would  or- 
ganize the  lobbyists  and  call  it  the  third  house. 
He  was  always  a  speaker,  self-elected,  and  mon- 
arch of  all  he  surveyed.  He  died  in  1860,  over 
eighty. 

His  last  session  of  the  "third  house"  was  in 
1857.  when  Bissell  was  governor.  The  writer 
saw  him  there  in  his  cue  and  quaint  dress,  the 
observed  of  all.  He  was  quite  a  scholar,  but 
lacked  a  balance  wheel  to  apply  his  knowledge 
in  a  practical  way. 

Marcellus  Ross,  now  of  California,  was  said 
to  be  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  county. 
He  was  the  first  adjutant  of  the  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  regiment  in  1862. 

In  1821  Pike  county  organized  the  Regiment 
of  Pike.  It  was  formed  in  two  battalions  and 


1 36 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


was  to  be  in  readiness  for  Indian  attacks,  which 
were  common  and  much  feared.  From  that  came 
the  old-fashioned  training  or  muster  days.  The 
custom  passed  out  of  observance  in  my  boyhood 
days,  but  the  musters  are  remembered,  and  now 
come  up  in  a  panoramic  way,  showing  the  motley 
crowd  that  participated  therein,  with  their  march- 
ing and  counter-marching,  their  sweating,  swear- 
ing and  awkwardness,  as  they  only  met  once  or 
twice  a  year.  Then  the  hucksters  with  their  slabs 
of  gingerbread,  cider  and  whiskey. 

Occasionally  there  was  considerable  drunken- 
ness, but  there  was  one  good  feature  observed.  It 
was  an  unwritten  law  that  no  boys  should  be  al- 
lowed to  have  whiskey  or  hard  cider,  but  ginger- 
bread and  apples  galore  for  the  boys. 

When  the  muster  was  over  it  was  a  nine  days' 
wonder,  and  then  apparently  forgotten  till  the 
next  meeting.  The  officers  with  their  swords, 
uniforms  and  prancing  horses,  the  fife  and  drum, 
recall  the  old  verse : 

"Oh,  were  you  never  a  soldier, 

And  did  you  never  train 
And  feel  that  swelling  of  the  heart 

You  never  can  feel  again  ?" 

I  remember  about  a  dozen  lads  at  school  in 
the  old  days  that  had  their  regular  floggings  for 
failing  to  memorize  that  and  other  verses. 

Here   is   Pike   county  treasurer's   first   report, 
March  5,  1822 : 
Amount   of   money    received    during  the 

current    year $765.00 

Paid  out 703.13 

Treasurer's  salary 38.25 

Balance  on  hand 23.62 

Was  everybody  happy  those  days  and  were 
there  any  resentments?  Perhaps  the  majority 
were  happy  and  there  were  but  few  resentments. 
An  incident  in  the  life  of  "old  Bullion"  Thomas 
H.  Benton,  the  great  Missouri  senator,  may  fit  in 
here,  and  also  apply  to  the  present  generation. 
Senator  Foote,  of  Mississippi,  said  to  Benton  one 
day:  "Senator  Benton,  I  shall  write  a  book  some 
day,  in  which  you  will  figure  very  small."  Ben- 
ton  replied  quickly:  "I  shall  write  a  book  some 
day  in  which  you  shall  not  figure  at  all." 


Senator  Benton  was  near  here  not  many  years 
ago,  and  was  to  make  a  speech  in  an  adjoining 
town,  across  the  river.  There  were  people  from 
the  two  Pikes  there,  as  well  as  nearly  all  of 
Marion  county,  Mo.  The  ordinary  mortals  were 
following  everywhere  he  went,  till  he  became  dis- 
gusted and  turning  to  them  said:  "Keep  away 
from  me.  I  am  only  a  common  man." 

Our  old  Pike,  in  its  eighty-four  years  of  his- 
tory making,  has  had  a  great  host  of  useful  and 
noted  men,  pioneers  and  others  that  in  their  mod- 
esty felt  that  they  were  only  "common  men,"  but 
as  nearly  all  have  answered  the  dread  summons, 
those  who  are  left  hold  them  in  veneration  for 
what  they  did  for  God,  for  home  and  country. 
May  coming  generations  learn  the  story  and  keep 
their  memories  green  for  what  they  did  for  the 
development  of  old  Pike,  and  the  part  they  played 
in  the  march  of  civilization. 

The  early  pioneers  were  not  idle.  Gradually 
they  subdued  nature.  Cabins  were  erected,  land 
cleared  and  the  virgin  soil  broken.  The  new  set- 
tlement was  a  happy  one.  All  were  on  an  equality, 
and  sociability,  generosity  and  neighborly  kind- 
ness reigned  supreme. 

The  first  settlements  were  invariably  made  near 
the  edge  of  a  piece  of  timber  and  within  easy 
reach  of  a  spring,  many  of  which  were  found  in 
the  townships.  Some  fields  were,  cleared  and 
plowed,  generally  with  yoke  of  oxen,  and  occa- 
sionally with  teams  of  horses.  This  work  was 
hard  as  the  soil  was  tough  or  the  ground  stumpy. 
No  extensive  farming  was  attempted.  Corn  and 
wheat  in  small  quantities  were  raised,  some  flax, 
oats,  etc.,  and  occasionally  some  settler  who  had 
come  from  a  southern  state,  would  undertake  to 
raise  cotton,  but  it  was  not  considered  a  success 
and  was  soon  abandoned.  Sheep  were  raised  for 
the  wool,  which  was  found  a  necessary  article. 
Farming  was  not  as  easily  done  in  those  days  as 
now.  Instead  of  the  riding  plow  of  to-day,  the 
early  settler  was  content  to  use  the  old  "bar- 
share"  plow  of  rude  structure  and  deficient 
mechanism,  with  its  wooden  mold-board  as  nature 
had  fashioned  it.  Seed  was  sown  or  rather 
brushed  in  by  dragging  a  sapling  with  a  bushy 
top  over  the  ground.  Grain  was  harvested  with 
the  sickle  or  cradle,  and  threshing  was  done  with 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


137 


a  flail,  or  the  grain  was  trodden  out  by  horses 
or  oxen  instead  of  with  the  modern  appliances. 

The  resources  of  the  early  settler  were  very 
limited.  They  were  all  poor  and  in  debt  and 
everything  was  bought  on  credit.  When  money 
was  borrowed  it  was  at  an  exorbitant  rate  of  in- 
terest. Corn  sold  at  10  cents  a  bushel  and  wheat 
at  yjl/2  to  40  cents  for  the  best  grade,  and  it  was 
sold  on  credit.  All  kinds  of  merchandise  was 
high,  calico  selling  at  50  cents  a  yard  and  com- 
mon domestics  at  25  cents. 

Parched  corn,  ground  hickory  nuts  and  wal- 
nuts were  used  in  place  of  coffee.  Taxes  were 
paid  in  coon  skins,  or  anything  the  farmer  or 
trapper  could  spare.  The  mode  of  travel  in  those 
days  was  principally  on  horseback,  except  short 
distances  of  a  few  miles,  which  were  made  on 
foot.  Teaming  was  done  with  oxen  and  wooden 
wagons.  Horse  wagons  and  buggies  were  few. 
Wearing  apparel  was  of  home  manufacture.  Men 
wore  buckskin  pantaloons  and  coats,  coonskin 
caps- and  moccasins  or  rudely  made  shoes  for  the 
feet,  itinerant  shoemakers  visiting  the  homes  of 
the  settlers  to  supply  the  footwear.  The  women 
wove  and  made  up  the  material  for  their  wear. 

The  living  consisted  principally  of  wild  game, 
pork  meat  and  corn  dodgers.  Wild  honey  was 
plentiful,  also  wild  fruits,  but  vegetables  were  a 
rarity.  The  habitations  were  log  cabins.  They 
were  built  of  rough  logs,  with  mud  plastered  be- 
tween the  cracks  to  keep  out  the  winter's  cold. 
The  cabin  consisted  of  one  room,  in  which  was 
combined  the  sitting-room,  parlor,  bed-room  and 
kitchen.  There  was  one  door,  but  no  windows. 
The  floor  was  of  puncheon  and  on  one  side  was  a 
large  fire-place  with  a  blackened  crane  for  cook- 
ing purposes.  Overhead  from  the  rude  rafters 
hung  rows  of  well  cured  hams  and  around  the 
chimney  were  long  strings  of  red  pepper  pods 
and  dried  pumpkins.  The  furniture  consisted  of 
a  puncheon  table,  a  clumsy  cupboard,  a  couple  of 
bedsteads  made  by  driving  stakes  in  the  floor, 
in  which  were  placed  the  uprights  to  support 
clapboards  on  which  the  beds  rested,  the  wall 
furnishing  the  other  support;  some  blocks  for 
seats,  a  spinning  wheel,  a  well-kept  gun  and  the 
family  dog.  The  cooking  was  done  in  iron  ves- 
sels on  and  around  the  log  fire.  If  the  weather 


was  cold,  the  family  large  or  company  present, 
which  frequently  happened,  the  wood  was  piled 
on  so  as  to  raise  the  heat  and  cause  "all  hands 
to  set  back  and  give  the  cooks  a  chance." 

The  earliest  settlers,  those  who  came  prior  to 
1830,  were  subjected  to  considerable  trouble  in 
obtaining  legal  title  to  their  farms.  Before  that 
year  the  general  government  did  not  offer  the 
land  for  sale,  and  all  the  titles  they  held  were 
"claims."  By  agreement  among  themselves  each 
man  was  permitted  to  "claim"  as  much  timber 
land  as  he  might  need,  generally  not  over  a  quar- 
ter section,  upon  which  he  might  build  his  cabin 
and  make  other  improvements,  and  woe  unto  the 
speculator  or  new  comer  who  attempted  to  jump 
a  "claim"  occupied  by  a  bonafide  settler. 

Pike  county  had  a  regiment  of  volunteers  in 
August,  1861,  formed  in  one  day  and  night,  and 
it  was  in  service  only  about  two  weeks.  Its  brief 
but  useful  existence  will  be  a  bit  of  news  to  our 
citizens,  but  more  especially  will  it  be  historical 
reminiscence  to  those  that  were  members  of  the 
regiment  that  never  was  numbered  or  mustered  in. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  1861,  word  came 
to  Pittsfield,  Barry,  Rockport  and  New  Canton 
that  a  body  of  "secesh"  as  they  were  called  were 
marching  upon  Louisiana,  Mo.,  and  as  their  Pike 
was  the  other  Pike  that  made  the  kingdom  of 
Pike,  and  was  also  known  as  the  state  of  Pike 
and  the  home  of  Joe  Bowers,  what  could  they  do 
but  call  on  their  other  Pike  for  assistance,  as 
they  all  knew  their  call  would  be  answered.  So  in 
a  day  and  a  night  about  enough  of  our  Pikers 
from  the  towns  named  and  other  parts  of  the 
county  to  make  a  good  regiment  were  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river. 

The  next  morning  they  were  in  camp  out  at  the 
old  Fritz  house,  armed  and  equipped.  Their 
arms  were  rifles,  shotguns  and  revolvers,  all  very 
old  style.  Soon  they  were  divided  up  into  com- 
panies. Pittsfield  had  Captain  Rockwell's,  Barry 
Capt.  Richards',  New  Canton  Capt.  Jackson's,  and 
the  other  commanders  I  do  not  recall. 

Louisiana  did  the  best  she  could  to  feed  them, 
but  about  the  time  the  boys  first  felt  hungry 
there  was  some  scolding  done.  Their  wrath, 
however,  was  soon  turned  to  joy,  for  the  noble 
women  of  cur  old  Pike  sent  the  next  day  several 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


wagonloads  of  good  eatables.  The  first  load  was 
from  Pittsfield,  and  the  next  from  Barry  and  New 
Canton,  and  soon  all  had  a  plenty  and  to  spare. 
We  all  felt  that  if  we  were  to  be  so  well  fed  that 
war  was  not  such  a  terrible  thing.  We  remained 
two  weeks  and  if  the  "secesh"  had  started  they 
must  have  changed  their  minds  and  counter- 
marched, so  the  Louisiana  war  was  over. 

There  were  ten  companies  with  Dr.  A.  E.  Mc- 
Neal  in  command.  George  W.  K.  Bailey,  A.  C. 
Matthews  and  two  companies  of  scouts  made  a 
tour  of  the  country  west  of  Louisiana,  and  found 
all  quiet  and  peaceable.  Nearly  all  who  were  in 
the  "Louisiana  war"  went  out  to  the  real  thing  a 
year  later  in  the  Ninety-ninth  and  other  regi- 
ments, and  soon  we  wished  for  the  good  things 
our  mothers,  wives  and  sweethearts  sent  us  at 
Louisiana.  But  we  fell  into  line  and  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  poor  fare  Uncle  Sam's  big 
boarding  house  put  up.  Nearly  forty-four  years 
have  flown  since  that  time,  and  but  few  of  Pike 
county's  un-named  and  un-numbered  regiment  of 
two  weeks'  service  are  left. 

The  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  was  organized  at 
Pittsfield  by  volume  from  all  the  townships  in  Pike 
county.  August  21,  1862,  they  left  the  county 
seat  and  were  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice August  23,  at  Florence,  on  the  Illinois  river. 
by  Major  J.  P.  Rathbonc.  They  embarked  that 
night  on  the  steamer  Post  Boy,  arrived  in  St. 
Louis  the  24th,  and  went  to  Benton  barracks, 
where  the  regiment  was  armed  and  equipped. 

It  left  St.  Louis  September  8  and  went  to  Rolla. 
in  Phelps  county.  Mo.  Left  Rolla  September  17 
and  went  into  camp  at  Salem,  Dent  county,  Mo., 
left  Salem  November  20,  and  remained  at  Hous- 
ton. Texas  county.  Mo.,  till  January  27,  1863. 
Moved  to  West  Plains,  Mo.,  and  Pilot  Knob 
March  3.  Thence  to  St.  Genevieve,  Mo.,  and  on 
the  1 5th  embarked  for  Milliken's  Bend,  La. 
Stopped  for  a  short  time  at  Cairo,  Memphis  and 
Helena,  Ark. 

Left  Milliken's  Bend  April  n,  1863,  New  Car- 
thage the  I2th,  was  a  short  time  at  Perkins'  plan- 
tation, at  Grand  Gulf,  Miss..  April  29,  at  Bruins- 
burg,  Miss.,  April  30,  and  at  Magnolia  Hills  May 
i.  At  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills.  Mis- 
sissippi Springs  and  P.lack  River  Bridge;  May 


19  at  the  defense  of  Vicksburg  and  left  Vicks- 
burg  July  5  for  Jackson,  Miss. 

Left  Jackson,  July  20  and  Vicksburg,  August 
21.  Went  to  New  Orleans  and  Brashear  City, 
and  October  3  left  Berwick  for  a  scouting  tour  up 
the  Teshe  country.  Was  at  New  Iberia,  Franklin, 
Opelousas  and  Grand  Coteau,  La.  Left  New  Or- 
leans and  crossed  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Was  at 
Point  Isabel  and  Aranzos  Pass  in  November,  and 
at  Fort  Esperanza,  Texas,  at  Indianola  and  La- 
vacca,  Texas,  and  on  Matagorda  Island. 

Left  Texas  June  15,  1864.  Returned  to  New 
Orleans.  Was  at  Greenville,  Kennerville,  Don- 
aldsonville  and  Algiers.  Left  New  Orleans  July 
29,  was  at  the  mouth  of  the  White  river,  St. 
Charles  and  Duvall's  Bluff,  Ark.,  Memphis,  Mos- 
cow and  Wolf  River,  Tenn. 

Left  Memphis  January  i,  1865.  Went  to  New 
Orleans  and  thence  out  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  to  Dauphin  Island,  Ala.  Was  at  Span- 
ish Fort,  Blakely,  Mobile  and  Spring  Hill,  Ala., 
till  June  2,  1865.  At  Shreveport,  La.,  till  about 
July  17,  sent  to  Baton  Rouge,  Ala.,  and  mustered 
out  July  21,  1865,  sent  to  Springfield,  111.,  August, 
1865.  for  pay  and  final  discharge. 

The  Ninety-ninth  was  in  battle  at  Beaver 
Creek  and  Hartsville,  Mo.,  Grand  Gulf,  Miss., 
Port  Gibson,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Black  River 
Bridge,  Vicksburg,  and  under  fire  daily  from 
May  19  to  July  3.  Was  at  Spanish  Fort  and 
Blakely.  Ala.  A  detachment  of  the  regiment  was 
in  a  battle  at  Grand  Coteau,  La.  The  losses  of 
the  Ninety-ninth  in  the  various  battles  during  its 
three  years  of  active  service  were  nearly  306 
killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

In  November.  1864,  the  regiment  was  so  re- 
duced in  numbers  that  by  order  of  General  Reyn- 
olds it  was  consolidated  into  a  battalion  of  five 
companies.  During  its  service  the  old  Pike  coun- 
ty regiment  had  all  told  nearly  1,100  men.  Now, 
after  the  war  has  closed  nearly  forty  years,  there 
are  only  about  225  left.  Of  the  officers  who  took 
the  regiment  to  the  field  there  are  left  only  Col. 
Bailey,  Capt,  now  Col.,  Matthews.  Capt.  Tray 
Edwards,  Capt.  J.  G.  Johnson  and  Adjutant  Mar- 
cellns  Ross. 

Old  Pike,  the  infant  of  1821,  in  its  history- 
making  of  three-fourths  of  a  century  has  been  a 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


139 


strong  factor  in  the  march  of  progress  and  de- 
velopment, and  has  buds  from  the  old  vine  in  all 
the  coast  states  west,  and  scattered  over  what  was 
once  the  great  American  desert.  Go  where  you 
may  the  Piker  is  to  be  found. 

In  quasi  prohibition  times,  thirty-five  years  ago, 
a  Pike  county  town  was  known  as  a  good  one  to 
"keep  the  lid  on."  An  old-timer  from  St.  Louis 
came  and  his  friends  knew  that  he  needed  a 
"drop,"  so  one  called  to  him  and  said,  "Joe,  I 
have  a  little  for  sickness.  Try  it.  It  is  all  there 
is  in  town."  Joe  tried  it,  and  the  next  place  he 
called  the  same  story  was  told  and  another  drink 
taken.  The  third  call  was  a  repetition,  his  friend 
saying  with  a  wink,  "What  a  good  one  I  am !" 
The  St.  Louis  man  called  about  ten  places,  meet- 
ing the  same  reception  at  each.  Joe  told  it  on  the 
prohib.  boys  and  had  a  dozen  drinks  out  of  the 
"only  bottle  in  town."  The  entire  crowd  has 
passed  away,  and  the  story  is  all  that  is  left. 

A  candidate  for  a  county  office  was  once  intro- 
duced to  a  blunt  old  German  voter.  The  old  man 
heard  his  tale  of  woe,  how  the  other  fellow  was 
not  so  well  fitted  to  hold  the  office,  how  much  he 
had  done  for  the  party,  etc.  The  old  voter  said, 
"Veil,  if  you  bin  on  my  dicket  I  vote  for  you.  if 
you  don't,  I  vont.  Goot  py."  So  it  has  been 
since  the  first  election  and  will  still  continue,  but 
there  is  a  fine  change  now,  the  old-time  scurrility 
and  abuse  is  eliminated  and  the  old  cry  is  not  so 
savage. 

Pike  county's  first  probate  court  was  at  Coles 
Grove,  May  23,  1821,  the  judge  being  A.  Beck. 
The  first  circuit  court  was  held  at  the  same  place 
October  I,  1821.  Judge  John  Reynolds  presiding. 
Among  the  first  grand  jurors  were  David  Duttpn, 
who  died  in  New  Canton  in  1854,  Comfort  Shaw, 
of  Hadley,  who  died  near  Barry  about  1864, 
Nathaniel  Shaw.  John  Shaw  and  J.  M.  Seeley. 
These  I  knew  in  my  boyhood  days. 

Atlas  was  laid  out  in  1823.  Chambersburg  and 
Pittsfield  1833,  Griggsville  1834.  Milton.  Xew 
Canton.  Florence,  1835;  Perry,  Eldara,  Kinder- 
hook,  Rockport.  Barry.  New  Hartford,  Martins- 
burg,  Pleasant  Hill  1836;  Detroit,  1837,  Summer 
Hill  1845.  New  Salem  1847.  Pearl  1855,  Time 
1857,  Baylis  1869,  Nebo  1870.  Hull  1871. 


In  the  olden  times  the  stage  coach  was  the 
means  of  transportation.  After  the  close  of  the 
civil  war  the  county  was  fortunate  in  getting  the 
present  system  of  railroads,  and  now  it  is  con- 
servative to  say  no  county  has  any  better  or 
cheaper  means  of  transporting  freight  and  pas- 
sengers. The  county  has  telegraph  and  telephone 
connection  with  all  the  civilized  world.  What 
would  the  old  pioneers  say  could  they  return  for 
a  brief  visit!  They  would  be  lost  in  wonder- 
ment to  see  the  strides  the  good  old  county  has 
made. 

Forty-three  years  ago  Pike  county'  had  in  the 
trenches  at  Vicksburg  what  was  left  of  the  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illi.iois  regiment,  and  it  will  not  be  un- 
interesting in  another  forty-three  years  for  those 
who  will  be  here  to  read  of  and  know  how  the 
Pike  county  soldiers  reached  there  and  what  they 
did. 

In  August,  1862,  nearly  1,000  men  were  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  at  Florence 
and  were  called  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Volun- 
teers. After  service  in  Missouri  they  had  gone 
down  the  Mississippi  river  to  Milliken's  Bend  in 
Louisiana,  and  thence  began  the  movement  on 
Vicksburg.  the  Gibraltar  of  the  great  river,  that 
was  strongly  fortified  and  in  possession  of  the 
confederates.  It  was  freely  asserted,  and  too 
often  in  our  own  homes,  that  they  could  never  be 
dislodged  or  driven  out.  The  federals  under 
General  Grant  were  certain,  however,  that  the  ob- 
struction could  and  would  be  removed,  and  the 
river  flow  "unvexed  to  the  sea." 

Our  march  began  from  Milliken's  Bend,  April 
IT,  1863.  After  marching  down  Roundaway 
bayou  in  the  state  of  Louisiana  we  reached  New 
Carthage,  La.,  on  April  22,  1863.  There  we  re- 
mained a  brief  period  till  the  gunboats  and  trans- 
ports of  our  own  navy  ran  the  batteries  at  Vicks- 
burg' and  brought  supplies  and  medical  stores  to 
the  armr.  then  below  Vicksburg. 

One  of  our  transports,  the  Henry  Clay,  was  dis- 
abled and  burned..  On  board  were  James  Worth- 
ington  and  Capt.  L.  Hull,  of  the  Ninety-ninth. 
The  former  was  our  hospital  steward  and  had 
charge  of  the  medical  stores.  They  quickly  re- 
moved the  most  valuable  drugs  and  anesthetics 


140 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


to  a  barge  and  got  away  from  the  burning 
steamer,  and  the  next  morning  they  were  safely 
delivered  to  our  medical  directors. 

The  ninety-ninth  left  Perkins'  plantation,  April 
27,  and  embarked  on  steamers  and  flats  for  Grand 
Gulf,  a  strongly  fortified  place,  which  was  soon 
evacuated.  April  30  we  crossed  the  river  at 
Bruinsburg,  Miss.,  and  after  marching  all  night 
met  General  Bowen's  army  near  Port  Gibson  on 
Magnolia  Hills,  at  midnight.  The  Ninety-ninth 
unslung  their  knapsacks  and  started  into  the 
fight,  and  from  that  day  to  this  they  have  never 
seen  their  knapsacks  or  the  few  valuables  therein. 

The  battle  lasted  all  day.  At  night  the  boys 
slept  on  their  arms,  and  when  morning  came  not  a 
"Johnnie"  was  seen,  except  their  dead  and 
wounded  left  on  the  field.  James  Allen  Lee,  of 
Company  F,  was  the  first  one  of  our  boys  that 
fell.  He  was  shot  through  the  head  and  killed 
instantly.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
thirty-seven  of  the  Ninety-ninth  boys. 

Our  brigade  at  that  time  was  composed  of  the 
Eighth  and  Eighteenth  Indiana,  Thirty-third  and 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois,  with  General  Benton  in 
command,  Carr's  division  and  McClernand's 
Thirteenth  army  corps.  We  were  short  of  rations, 
but  General  Grant  said,  "I  will  have  supplies," 
and  sent  men  to  carry  hard  tack,  coffee  and  meat 
up  to  the  regiment.  We  had  no  baggage  or  for- 
age wagons  across  the  river  at  that  time. 

While  the  pioneer  corps  were  building  a  bridge 
over  the  bayou  near  Port  Gibson  my  company 
was  sent  to  guard  and  run  a  steam  corn  mill.  We 
kept  it  running  night  and  day  while  the  corn  held 
out,  and  General  Sherman's  corps  and  our  own 
had  corn  bread  for  a  luxury.  If  not  a  luxury  it 
was  a  change  from  very  old  and  poor  hard  tack. 
When  the  call  was  made  on  the  boys  for  a  miller 
and  engineers,  there  were  three  or  four  who  were 
experts.  Not  only  millers  and  engineers,  but  the 
Ninety-ninth  had  all  vocations  and  professions, 
preachers,  lawyers,  doctors  and  farmers.  In  fact, 
the  federal  army  was  not  small  in  useful  men  of 
all  kinds. 

May  14,  1863,  the  army  was  near  the  capital  of 
Mississippi,  and  on  the  i6th  was  held  in  reserve 
till  nearly  night  at  the  battle  of  Champion  Hill, 
one  of  the  most  desperate  one-day  battles  fought 
in  the  west.  The  Ninety-ninth  was  marched  in 


line  of  battle  till  late  in  the  night,  when  we 
bivouacked  at  Edwards  Station,  where  we  cap- 
tured a  train  load  of  meat,  meal,  sugar  and  mo- 
lasses, and  had  a  midnight  supper. 

We  went  into  the  fight  at  Black  river  at  7  a.  m. 
After  four  hours'  fighting  and  a  charge  led  by 
the  Twenty-third  Iowa  on  our  right,  the  confed- 
erates were  driven  out  of  their  works  and  the 
battle  was  over.  Capt.  Cooper,  of  Company  K, 
lost  an  arm,  and  two  New  Canton  boys  were 
slightly  wounded. 

An  occurrence  just  as  we  started  on  the  charge 
fully  illustrates  how  little  some  officials  at  a  dis- 
tance knew  about  an  army  in  the  field.  While 
the  fight  was  at  its  height.  General  Grant  was 
given  an  order  from  the  secretary  of  war  to  fall 
back  to  Grand  Bluff  and  make  that  his  head- 
quarters and  base  of  supplies.  Just  then  the 
colonel  of  the  Twenty-third  Iowa  led  his  regiment 
into  the  charge,  losing  his  own  life.  The  charge 
was  general  all  along  the  line  and  victory  was 
oiirs.  General  Grant  didn't  disobey  orders,  but 
the  staff  officer  got  lost  in  the  excitement,  or  as 
the  boys  said,  "in  the  shuffle,"  and  that  was  the 
last  ever  heard  of  Grand  Gulf  headquarters. 

On  the  i8th  day  of  May  we  crossed  Black  river 
on  specially  constructed  pontoon  bridges.  The 
igth  we  started  at  4:15  a.  m.,  and  were  in  the 
fight  at  10  a.  m.,  also  the  2Oth  and  2ist,  gaining 
position  with  light  losses.  May  22cl  the  troops 
were  ordered  to  charge  the  works  at  10  a.  m. 
While  the  boys  were  waiting  for  the  hour  many 
were  reading  their  testaments,  given  them  by  the 
United  States  Christian  Commission,  and  all  that 
had  playing  cards  threw  them  away.  Many 
generals  and  colonels  were  making  short  ad- 
dresses to  the  boys,  as  all  realized  the  frightful 
and  dangerous  move. 

The  Ninety-ninth  led  the  charge  for  our 
brigade,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  old  regiment 
had  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  over 
200  men.  Col.  Bailey  and  Maj.  Crandall  were 
wounded,  and  Capt.  A.  C.  Matthews  rallied  the 
men  and  held  the  confederates  in  check.  Colonel 
Boomer,  of  a  Missouri  regiment,  was  killed  about 
the  same  time  the  Ninety-ninth  drove  the  John- 
nies back. 

The  writer  was  stunned  by  the  explosion  of  a 
shell,  and  lay  for  about  four  hours  in  the  hot  sun, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


141 


with  Joseph  James  and  two  other  Ninety-ninth 
boys  lying  dead  near  him.  When  night  fell  the 
weary  sank  down  to  rest  and  the  wounded  to 
die.  Morning  found  the  survivors  in  line,  set- 
tling down  to  the  siege  that  lasted  till  the  4th  of 
July,  when  30,000  hungry  and  weary  confederates 
marched  out,  stacked  their  arms,  ate  hard  tack 
and  fat  meat  and  drank  black  coffee  with  our 
boys.  Quite  a  change  for  them  from  mule  meat 
and  Mississippi  river  water. 

One  tall  Georgian  said  to  the  boys  of  our  mess, 
"Yes,  sah,  I  am  gwine  home,  and  thar's  three 
things  I  never  want  to  hear  again.  That  word  'at- 
tention,' 'fall  in,'  and  that  old  kettle  drum  I  never 
want  to  hear  any  more."  Vicksburg  and  Gettys- 
burg, both  on  Old  Glory's  day,  did  more  to  inspire 
the  north  and  hasten  the  close  of  the  war  than  any 
other  two  events. 

After  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  the  Ninety-ninth 
went  to  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  was  under  fire  there 
for  a  day  or  so,  with  small  losses.  Then  went  to 
Bryan  Station  and  was  engaged  in  tearing  up  the 
Jackson  &  New  Orleans  Railroad.  A  lot  of  Pikers 
went  to  Pearl  river  near  by  for  a  bath.  There 
they  saw  a  soft  place  in  the  bank,  and  as  our  boys 
had  curiosity  in  common  with  all  other  mortals, 
they  investigated  the  river  bank  and  found  about 
thirty  barrels  of  Louisiana  rum.  Of  course  they 
sampled  it,  and  appearing  satisfactory  they  took 
the  whole  lot.  The  Ninety-ninth  boys  as  well  as 
the  boys  of  other  regiments  were  very  rummy 
and  rich  for  the  balance  of  the  day. 

The  regiment  returned  to  Vicksburg  July  24, 
and  August  21  went  to  New  Orleans.  In  October 
went  into  the  Tesche  country,  the  Italy  of 
America.  November  16  embarked  and  crossed 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Remained  in  Texas  till 
June,  1864,  when  it  reported  to  General  Reynolds 
at  Algiers,  La.,  and  was  brigaded  with  Twenty- 
first  Iowa,  Twenty-sixth  Wisconsin  and  Forty- 
seventh  Indiana. 

At  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  November,  1864,  the 
regiment  was  made  a  battalion  of  five  companies 
under  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Matthews.  Feb- 
ruary i,  1865.  moved  to  Dauphin  Island,  Ala- 
bama. Was  in  the  last  battles  of  the  war  at 
Spanish  Fort  and  Blakely,  entered  Mobile  April 
I2th,  in  June  went  up  the  Red  river,  thence  to 


Baton  Rouge,  La.,  where  it  was  mustered  out, 
and  reached  home  in  August,  1865,  after  three 
years'  absence. 

In  the  more  prosperous  days  of  old  Pike  the  fol- 
lowing towns  had  tobacco  factories:  Pittsfield, 
Eldara,  Rockport  and  Pleasant  Hill,  and  first- 
class  woolen  mills  were  at  Pittsfield,  Barry  and 
Perry ;  a  plow  factory  at  Stebbinsville,  pork  and 
beef  packing  plants  at  Cincinnati,  Barry,  New 
Canton,  Pittsfield,  Florence,  Kinderhook,  Rock- 
port,  Griggsville,  Perry  and  Milton.  Flour  mills : 
Two  at  Pittsfield,  three  at  Barry,  two  at  Griggs- 
ville, and  one  each  at  Rockport,  New  Canton, 
Time,  Summer  Hill,  Pleasant  Hill,  Milton,  Perry, 
New  Salem,  Eldara  and  Kinderhook.  With 
about  three  exceptions  the  mills  are  abandoned, 
"and  a  quiet  that  crawls  round  the  walls  as  you 
gaze  has  followed  the  olden  din." 

The  tobacco  made  in  Pike  was  prepared  by 
skilled  workmen  and  had  good  sales.  The 
woolens,  blankets,  yarns,  cassimeres  and  satinettes 
were  all  wool  and  gave  excellent  satisfaction. 
The  mills  had  to  close  up  because  the  public  pre- 
ferred shoddy  and  cheap  stuff,  and  with  the  clos- 
ing of  the  tobacco  factories  and  woolen  mills  all 
the  expert  labor  went  elsewhere,  and  those  alone 
are  said  to  have  cut  the  population  fully  300. 

The  packing  establishments  had  to  close  be- 
cause of  too  sharp  competition,  and  the  hog  and 
cattle  men  seemed  to  prefer  selling  at  five  and  six 
cents  and  buying  back  from  Chicago,  St.  Louis 
and  elsewhere  at  ten  to  fifteen  cents  for  the  cured 
product.  In  the  old  times  the  public  had  pure 
kettle  rendered  lard;  now  they  have  cottolene 
and  other  adulterations  that  are  called  lard. 

The  flour  mills  gave  up  the  race  because  the 
big  concerns  could  make  a  barrel  of  flour  for 
from  two  to  four  cents,  while  to  the  others  it 
would  cost  perhaps  20  cents  or  even  more. 

But  the  worst  feature  in  Pike  as  well  as  else- 
where out  of  the  big  cities,  is  the  lack  of  a  re- 
ciprocal feeling  toward  home  enterprises.  In  the 
old  times  the  farms  were  smaller  and  had  many 
tenant  houses.  Now,  some  men  who  were  hap- 
py in  the  possession  of  a  hundred  acres  are  un- 
happy with  2,000  or  3,000  acres,  and  the  good 
tenants  have  nearly  all  moved  away. 

It  is  strongly  asserted  by  many  that  greed  and 


142 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


selfishness  now  are  holding  the  trump  cards  and 
it  seems  that  the  old  postmaster's  story  will  fit  in 
here.  A  man  said  to  another,  "Would  you  let 
me  have  fifteen  cents?"  "What  do  you  want  of 
fifteen  cents  ?"  "I  wish  to  cross  the  river."  Have 
you  no  money?"  "No."  "Well,  just  stay  where 
you  are.  If  you  have  no  money  it  doesn't  make 
any  difference  which  side  of  the  river  you  are  on." 

With  the  changes  noted  it  seems  as  if  the  old- 
fashioned  hospitality  and  "a  man's  a  man  for 
a'  that"  has  become  obsolete.  Too  many  are  in- 
terested in  you  for  the  dollar  that  can  be  gained 
from  you.  This  state  of  affairs  is  no  worse  in 
old  Pike  than  elsewhere,  and  the  old  county  has 
a  host  of  good  citizens  that  generally  endorse  the 
words  of  a  noted  man  who  said,  "We  Care  not 
what  you  believe  politically  or  religiously,  or 
where  you  were  born,  or  how  much  money  you 
have,  but  we  do  care  as  to  how  good  a  citizen  you 
are."  With  all  the  name  "good  citizen"  has  a 
potent  power  and  is  recognized  as  the  great  de- 
sideratum. 

A  recent  magazine  article  mentioned  the  de- 
struction of  the  City  of  Madison,  a  large  river 
steamer,  at  Vicksbtirg  in  1863,  by  the  explosion  of 
fixed  shells  that  were  being  loaded  on  the  boat. 
The  boat  was  torn  all  to  shreds,  and  only  a  few 
pieces  were  seen  after  the  terrific  blast.  The 
second  vessel  from  the  one  destroyed  was  a  hos- 
pital boat.  Frank  Thomas,  a  Ninety-ninth  boy 
from  New  Canton,  had  been  sick  there  and  his 
death  was  reported  to  his  captain,  H.  D.  Hull, 
who  invited  me  to  go  with  him  and  take  care  of 
Frank's  effects,  a  small  book  and  a  few  dollars. 

We  were  in  the  hospital  boat  when  the  City  of 
Madison  was  blown  up,  and  our  boat  came  nearly 
breaking  in  two.  I  sent  the  soldier's  money  and 
book  to  his  father,  and  reported  his  death  as  given 
to  us  by  the  boat's  surgeon.  About  three  month's 
latter  the  company  was  surprised  to  see  the  sup- 
posed dead  soldier  return  in  recovered  health.  A 
year  later  he  was  captured  by  guerrillas  near 
Memphis,  Tenn..  with  two  others  of  the  Ninety- 
ninth  and  put  to  death. 

The  only  solution  of  his  reported  death  on 
the  hospital  book  was :  The  cots  were  numerous 
and  the  occupant's  name  and  number  was  in  the 


surgeon's  and  hospital  steward's  books.  Possi- 
bly in  the  absence  of'  nurses  Frank  Thomas  had 
changed  cots  with  someone.  The  new  occupant 
had  died,  and  the  number  being  that  of  Thomas, 
it  was  reported  the  Ninety-ninth  boy  was  dead. 

The  day  of  the  explosion  a  large  number  of 
soldiers  and  contrabands  were  killed,  but  only  a 
few  were  known.  The  old  hotel  known  as  the 
Prentiss,  was  stripped  of  all  the  glass  in  the  west 
and  north  sides,  and  many  other  buildings  were 
more  or  less  injured. 

In  1862,  when  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  was 
in  the  Ozark  mountains  of  Missouri,  the  writer 
with  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent  to  guard 
a  wagon  train  to  Beaver  Creek.  When  night 
came  the  pickets  were  put  out  and  instructions 
given.  Morning  came  and  we  moved  on  without 
accident  or  incident. 

The  trip  was  about  forgotten  till  in  1866  Gen. 
Jack  Burbridge,  of  the  C.  S.  A.,  came  to  New 
Canton  on  business.  He  was  well  known  by 
many  in  the  two  Pikes  as  his  home  had  been  at 
Louisiana.  He  called  my  attention  to  the  Beaver 
Creek  pickets  and  said :  "I  was  there  with  about 
500  men,  heard  your  instructions  to  the  picket 
guard  and  could  have  captured  you  and  your  en- 
tire force.  I  knew  you  and  many  of  your  boys, 
but  we  did  not  want  you.  We  were  after  a  loaded 
train,  and  as  your  wagons  were  empty  we  did  not 
care  for  them.  But  two  nights  later  we  took  your 
wagons  that  were  loaded  and  took  all  your  boys 
prisoners  but  one.  and  if  he  had  not  said  too 
much  we  would  not  have  shot  him.  The  others 
we  paroled  when  morning  came." 

The  boy  that  was  killed  was  a  New  Canton 
boy.  Blackburn  Jiy  name.  A  few  weeks  later  the 
soldiers  of  the  two  Pikes  met  at  Hartsville.  Mo., 
and  had  a  short  but  bloody  struggle,  with  many 
killed  and  wounded  on  both  sides.  The  federals 
were  victorious,  but  it  is  true  that  if  the  confed- 
erates had  not  overestimated  the  federal  force  the 
victory  could  have  been  theirs.  Tames  Montieth. 
of  New  Canton,  and  Phil  Donohoe.  of  Rockport. 
\vere  both  wounded  at  Hartsville. 

There  were  two  General  Burbridges  that  the 
Ninety-ninth  boys  knew.  The  V.  S.  A.  was  a 
Kentuckian.  while  the  C.  S.  A.  was  from  Pike 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


143 


county,  Mo.  Both  are  on  the  other  shore,  but 
they  will  be  long  remembered  for  their  dare-devil 
ways,  and  for  being  good  officers. 

The  past  with  its  flood  of  memories  recalls 
many  changes  from  the  old  to  the  new.  Those 
of  you  in  the  old  days  who  went  fishing  and  got 
a  fish  hook  in  your  hand  or  fingers  remember  it 
took  a  small  surgical  operation  to  remove  it.  The 
old  method  was  observed  until  about  six  years 
ago,  when  a  young  and  progressive  doctor  de- 
veloped sense  enough  to  take  a  file,  cut  off  the 
end  of  the  hook  and  pull  it  out  without  cutting 
the  hand. 

The  old-timers  always  bled  the  sick  person  for 
any  or  all  ailments.  Now  that  has  passed  away 
and  we  have  more  improved  ways  in  caring  for 
the  sick.  In  old  times  a  sea-going  vessel  had  to 
take  in  sand  or  stone  for  ballast,  and  carry  a  sup- 
ply of  fresh  water.  Now  they  pump  water  out  of 
the  sea  for  ballast,  and  supply  their  vessels  with 
fresh  water  by  condensing  sea  water,  also  making 
ice  on  shipboard.  As  the  old  darkey  said,  "De 
world  do  move,"  and  the  people  are  keeping  up 
with  the  procession. 

In  the  happy  past  divorces  and  alimony  were 
almost  unknown.  Now  the  majority  of  cases  in 
the  courts  are  for  divorce.  Pike  county  had  one 
case  in  1821,  and  that  was  for  desertion.  My 
old  friend,  J.  M.  Bush,  an  1838  man,  told  a  good 
joke  on  himself.  He  said  he  was  elected  justice 
of  the  peace  in  an  early  day,  and  stated  that  his 
first  marriage  ceremony  would  be  free.  A  young 
Piker  came  to  him  one  wet  and  stormy  night  to 
go  about  five  miles  out  of  town  to  marry  a  couple. 
He  went  and  the  evening  was  so  inclement  he 
could  not  get  back  to  town  so  remained  over  night. 
The  couple  came  down  to  breakfast,  looking  a 
little  sheepish,  and  after  the  meal  the  young  man 
said,  "How  much  do  I  owe  you,  Squeer?"  He 
told  the  youngster  that  what  he  had. stated  when 
elected  and  the  new  benedict  said,  "Well,  Squeer, 
I'm  much  obleeged  to  you.  We  wouldn't  a  had 
you  if  we  could  a  got  Squeer  Scanland." 

The  old-style  camp  meeting  was  another  cus- 
tom that  now  is  about  obsolete,  but  in  those  days 
was  a  week  or  two  in  duration  and  was  greatly 
enjoyed.  The  old-time  preachers  and  singers 
made  the  woods  resound  with  their  music  and 
9 


earnest  appeals  to  the  congregation  to  abandon 
the  broad  road  and  to  travel  in  the  narrow  way 
that  leads  to  life  beyond  this  vale. 

Pike  county  had  an  eminent  and  distinguished 
citizen  in  the  person  of  Judge  Chauncey  L.  Hig- 
bee.  In  the  trying  times  of  the  Civil  war  he  was 
noted  for  one  act  that  endeared  him  to  the  citi- 
zens of  that  period.  That  was  when  he  visited 
an  alleged  disloyal  camp  on  the  northwest  side  of 
the  county  and  by  a  brief  but  able  address  caused 
the  misguided  and  almost  disloyal  ones  to  break 
camp  and  go  home  to  pursue  their  vocations  and 
not  endanger  the  best  interests  of  the  county. 
He  also  by  word  and  act  was  a  power  in  getting 
the  Hannibal  &  Naples  Railroad,  now  the  Wa- 
bash,  through  our  county.  He  was  so  able  and 
noted  that  he  was  mentioned  as  candidate  for 
the  vice-presidency  of  the  United  States. 

Pike  county  now  has  two  banks  at  Pittsfield,  at 
Griggsville  two,  Barry  two,  Perry  one,  Milton 
one,  Nebo  one,  New  Canton  one,  Baylis  one,  Hull 
one,  Pleasant  Hill  one.  It  is  commendable  to  the 
thrift  and  economy  of  our  citizens  to  say  that 
more  people  now  have  bank  accounts  than  were 
ever  dreamed  of  a  few  years  ago.  The  county 
should  have  all  optimistic  people  and  none  of  the 
other  order,  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  is 
an  opportunity  for  all  to  do  well  if  they  so  will 
it.  Look  on  the  bright  side,  and  think  of  the  jolly 
»on  of  Erin's  song,  "Trust  to  luck,  stare  fate  in 
the  face.  Sure  your  heart  will  be  aisy  if  it's  in  the 
right  place." 

In  answer  to  the  query,  "Why  are  we  called 
suckers,"  there  are  two  versions.  About  1777 
Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark  applied  to  the  Gover- 
nor of  Virginia  for  permission  to  take  a  small 
army  and  conquer  the  Northwest  Territory.  The 
Governor  consenting,  he  marched  from  where 
Shawneetown  now  is  to  Kaskaskia,  where  the 
French  had  a  settlement.  He  moved  on  the  little 
town,  and  it  being  "in  the  good  old  summer 
time,"  and  very  hot,  the  French  were  discovered 
sitting  on  their  verandas,  quietly  sucking  their 
juleps  through  straws.  He  charged  upon  them 
and  shouted,  "Surrender,  you  suckers,"  which 
they  did,  and  from  that  day  to  this  Illinoisians 
have  been  known  as  "suckers." 

Once  Senator  Stephen  A.  Douglas  said  in  a 


144 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY 


speech  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  "We  honor  you  for  a 
Washington,  a  Jefferson,  a  Marshall,  and  many 
other  distinguished  sages  and  patriots.  We  yield 
that  you  gave  us  territory  for  a  great  and  sov- 
ereign state,  but  when  you  claim  the  glory  of  the 
mint  julep  we  say,  'hands  off.'  Illinois  claims 
that." 

'Tis  said  a  traveler  once  taught  an  old  Virgin- 
ian how  to  make  a  mint  julep.  Going  back  a 
year  later  he  asked  a  darkey,  "Where  is  your 
master?"  "Dar  he."  No,  your  old  master."  "O, 
he  bin  dead  for  six  months.  A  man  from  de  norf 
showed  him  how  to  drink  grass  in  his  whiskey 
and  it  done  killed  him." 

The  other  version  is  that  in  1826,  at  the  Ga- 
lena lead  mines,  a  lot  of  Illinois  boys  were  start- 
ing home  in  the  fall.  A  Missourian  said,  "Boys, 
where  are  you  going?"  "Home."  "Well,  you 
put  me  in  mind  of  suckers.  Up  in  the  spring, 
spawn,  and  all  return  in  the  fall." 

Take  your  choice  of  the  two  versions,  but  keep 
in  mind  that  the  Suckers  are  a  mighty  people. 
The  Sucker  State  is  the  third  in  the  nation,  and 
the  world  is  proud  of  Illinois,  which  gave  a  Lin- 
coln, a  Grant,  and  nearly  300,000  others  that  as- 
sisted in  keeping  the  old  flag  flying  in  the  free 
air  of  America. 

In  the  days  when  Illinois  was  a  county  of  Vir- 
ginia and  before  the  Ross's  came  to  Atlas,  a  very 
old  Indian  trapper  told  Daniel  Barney  that  when 
he  was  a  boy  he  saw  the  river  washing  the  bare 
rocks  that  now  show  along  the  bluffs.  All  the 
creek  valleys  between  the  bluffs  that  led  up  to 
what  is  called  the  watershed  of  the  county  were 
great  inland  seas.  A  fair  evidence  of  the  truth 
of  the  statement  is  that  all  the  highest  points  on 
the  bluffs  were  the  burial  places  of  the  Indians, 
and  'tis  many  moons  since  this  was  their  hunting 
grounds. 

While  Pike  county  has  held  its  own  in  its  mod- 
est way,  her  citizens  past  and  present  have  been 
alert  in  aiding  to  advance  civilization,  educating 
old  and  young  pupils  in  the  great  study  of  every- 
day life  and  how  to  make  good  citizenship  and  to 
leave  behind  something  to  show  that  their  lives 
were  not  all  vain.  Longfellow  says : 

"A  millstone  and  the  human  heart 
Are  driven  ever  round, 


If  they  have  nothing  else  to  grind 
They  must  themselves   be  ground." 

The  old  citizens  that  Pike  county  knew  have 
answered  the  inevitable  summons.  Many  hearts 
have  ground  out  good  and  some  evil,  but  the 
good  they  did  will  live  on  and  the  evil  will  be  for- 
gotten and  forgiven. 

In  the  past  when  the  pioneers  were  converting 
the  virgin  fields  into  homes,  farms  and  orchards, 
they  led  happy  lives  and  did  not  know  much  of 
luxuries.  Rich  old  mother  earth  furnished  an 
abundance  of  the  plain  necessities,  a  few  stores 
with  supplies  ran  accounts  with  the  farmers  for 
a  year  and  often  longer.  When  settlements  were 
made  and  the  crop  was  not  enough  to  pay  the 
bill,  notes  were  given  drawing  thirty-seven  and 
one-half  per  cent  annual  interest.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  large  interest  they  were  paid.  Later, 
when  interest  was  down  to  18,  15  and  10  per 
cent  they  still  kept  their  credit  good. 

Many  that  left  large  estates  paid  their  notes 
and  made  money  by  the  advance  in  the  price  of 
land,  and  in  those  days  almost  never  failing  crops. 
There  was  no  cry  then  for  cheap  and  shoddy 
stuff.  All  had  the  best,  and  it  was  a  glory  of  the 
times  that  adulteration  in  food  products  and  sup- 
plies was  unknown.  A  host  of  good  fellows  sized 
up  the  old  German's  remark,  "I  yonst  as  veil 
haf  his  vord  as  his  note."  But  now,  alas,  a  few 
are  at  large  whose  word  or  note  is  not  as  good  as 
it  should  be. 

The  good  old  county  has  been  very  fortunate 
in  having  a  majority  of  its  officials  that  were 
ever  alert,  and  sought  earnestly  to  advance  pub- 
lic interests.  Edwin  Markham's  finely  expressed 
thought  is  here  given,  not  that  it  applies  to  Pike 
county,  but  that  future  officials  may  be  impressed 
by  it  for  their  own  and  our  citizens'  glory: 
"What  de  we  need  to  prop  the  State?  We  need 
the  fine  audacities  of  honest  deed,  the  homely  old 
integrities  of  soul,  the  swift  temerities  that  take 
the  part  of  outcast  right,  the  wisdom  of  the 
heart,  brave  hopes  that  Mammon  never  can  de- 
tain or  sully  with  his  gainless  clutch  for  gain." 

The  county  for  many  years  had  fairs  at  Pitts- 
field  and  Barry  that  were  always  well  attended 
and  enjoyed  by  all.  But  time  with  its  rapid 
changes  soon  crowded  them  out.  Griggsville 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


14, 


still  conducts  a  good  fair,  but  the  larger  ones 
have  taken  much  of  its  patronage.  It  seems  the 
public  is  too  exacting,  and  want  a  world's  fair 
lor  a  quarter. 

I  remember  very  pleasantly  many  of  the  man- 
agers of  the  Pittsfield  and  Barry  fairs,  and  the 
fine  entertainment  they  put  up  for  the  people. 
Whither  are  we  drifting !  Unless  we  turn  about 
and  sustain  home  enterprises  our  good  old 
county  will  be  as  dry  and  uninteresting  as  an 
Egyptian  mummy.  The  public  should  plead 
guilty  to  this  charge.  We  have  done  too  much  for 
the  cities  and  larger  counties,  greatly  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  home  towns.  Don't  forget  that  the 
great  cities  are  only  interested  in  you  for  the 
money  they  get  from  you. 

In  1851  the  great  flood  in  the  Mississippi  river 
did  great  damage.  The  river  was  from  six  to 
eight  miles  wide,  the  backwater  coming  out  to 
the  farm  of  Joel  Morey  and  within  half  a  mile 
of  New  Canton.  The  Louisiana  ferryboat,  then 
run  by  Frank  and  Wash  Burnett,  made  trips 
from  Louisiana  to  Atlas.  The  water  was  from 
six  to  ten  feet  deep  all  over  the  Sny  bottom.  The 
cordwood  industry  was  quite  extensive  at  Cin- 
cinnati Landing  and  there  were  over  5,000  cords 
of  choice  wood  on  the  banks,  as  in  those  days  the 
steamboats  used  wood  exclusively.  The  flood 
took  all  the  wood  and  completely  ruined  a  few 
men  who  had  their  all  in  cordwood.  The  Sny 
bottoms  were  a  wreck  and  a  ruin  till  they  were 
reclaimed  by  the  great  Sny  levee,  fift.v-two  miles 
in  length.  There  were  floods  before  and  after, 
but  that  of  1851  was  the  greatest  in  the  memory 
of  our  citizens. 

Pike  county  people  will  be  long  remembered 
for  many  deeds  of  charity.  There  never  has  been 
a  call  in  vain.  Once  they  sent  money  and  sup- 
plies to  sufferers  in  Europe,  and  several  times 
to  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  when  their  crops  failed 
and  gaunt  famine  was  staring  them  in  the  face. 
Our  grand  old  county  did  not  stop  to  ask  who, 
what  color  or  what  society  they  belonged  to,  but 
it  was  sufficient  to  us  to  know  they  were  our 
brothers  and  that  they  were  in  distress.  Our  peo- 
ple were  thankful  and  now  remember  very  grate- 


fully the  generous  people  who  contributed  s< 
freely  to  the  Sny  bottom  sufferers  of  1888,  whei 
the  levee  broke  and  so  many  lost  all  they  had 
The  donation  of  money  and  food  for  man  am 
animal  came  from  as  far  east  as  Boston,  am 
many  other  cities  of  the  East  and  North. 

The  old  time  school  passes  in  review,  and  whil 
the  present  system  with  all  its  advantages  an< 
the  able  and  earnest  instructors  claim  our  prais 
and  encouragement,  yet  the  old-fashioned  schoc 
with  its  "reaclin,  ritin  and  rithmetic,"  the  ol< 
time  "spellin'  skules"  and  the  log  school  house 
with  but  few  conveniences  and  less  comforts  stil 
hold  the  palm  for  the  good  they  accomplished 
Methods  now  are  different,  and  it  is  an  unsettlei 
question  if  there  are  as  many  useful  and  prac 
tical  products,  numbers  considered,  as  in  the  ol 
time  schools.  The  great  army  of  illerates  is  nc 
far  different  from  the  past,  and  who  is  to  blame 
Perhaps  it  is  safe  to  say  lack  of  interest  in  th 
pupils  is  the  cause.  Too  many  alleged  studies 
too  much  hurrying  through  the  books  and  to 
little  actual  practical  knowledge  gained. 

This  is  not  a  pleasant  truth,  and  is  not  a  re 
flection  on  the  schools  of  today,  but  all  wish  tha 
the  youth  could  properly  see  and  apprepricat 
the  great  feast  of  knowledge  daily  set  befor 
them..  There  are  many  youngsters  that  can  i 
they  will  be  a  Clay,  a  Webster,  a  Lincoln  or 
Garfield,  and  we  must  have  them  as  the  time 
still  need  useful  men.  Did  those  named  wast 
their  time  on  football,  baseball,  club  regattas  an 
athletic  sports?  Did  they  draw  on  the  "govei 
nor"  for  more  money  ?  Did  they  come  home  a 
the  latest  fashion  plates  and  society  darlings 
These  thoughts  are  given  to  warn  the  rising  ger 
eration  that  it  takes  work  and  hard  unremittin 
study  to  fit  yourself  for  the  race  of  life.  Be 
hero,  be  a  close  student,  gather  useful  know] 
edge,  make  yourself  a  great  and  useful  citizen. 

"Love  theyself  last,  cherish  those  hearts  tha 
hate  thee. 

Still  in  thy  right  hand  carry  gentle  peace. 

To  silence  envious  tongues." 

And  if  you  fail,  you  have  the  pleasant  assui 
ance  that  you  made  the  effort  and  did  your  bes 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 

Of  U.UN01S. 


/T 
C 


Biographical 


HON.  CHAUNCEY  L.  HIGBEE. 

Hon.  Chauncey  L.  Higbee,  legislator  and  jur- 
ist, carved  his  name  high  on  the  keystone  of  the 
legal  arch  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  representative 
of  that  rare  element  in  modern  life  which,  al- 
though an  invaluable  part  of  it,  yet  rests  upon  a 
basis  of  something  ideal  and  philosophical.  In 
a  worldly  sense  he  certainly  made  his  mark,  serv- 
ing most  creditably  in  Illinois  as  one  of  the  ap- 
pellate judges,  being  recognized  as  an  astute  law- 
yer, politician  and  statesman.  Whenever  he  came 
in  contact  with  men  of  note  not  only  was  he  val- 
ued as  an  equal  of  practical  strength  and  re- 
sources but  also  as  one  whose  integrity  was  be- 
yond question.  Judge  Higbee  was  not  only 
practical,  drawing  to  himself  the  strongest  minds 
of  his  profession,  but  was  imbued  with  the  best 
scientific  and  philosophical  thought  of  the  day 
and  his  mind  reached  out  with  a  statesman's 
grasp  of  affairs  to  the  mastery  of  the  important 
questions  involving  the  welfare  of  the  common- 
wealth. 

A  native  of  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  Judge  Hig- 
bee was  born  September  7,  1821,  and  died  on  the 
7th  of  December,  1884.  In  1844,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years,  having  in  the  meantime  ac- 
quired only  a  comparatively  limited  education, 
but  nevertheless  ambitious  and  energetic,  he  took 
up  the  study  of  law  with  his  uncle,  Judge  James 
Ward,  of  Griggsville,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and 
after  two  or  three  years  preliminary  reading  was 


admitted  to  the  bar  and  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  Within  a  few  years  he 
had  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  posi- 
tion in  the  front  ranks  of  the  legal  fraternity  of 
this  section  of  the  state  and  had  a  large  practice 
in  his  own  county  and  throughout  the  military 
tract.  He  continued  successfully  as  counsellor 
and  advocate  before  the  bar  until  1861,  when  he 
was  elected  to  the  circuit  bench  for  a  term  of  six 
years,  and  no  higher  testimonial  of  his  capability 
can  be  given  than  the  fact  that  he  was  three  times 
re-elected  to  this  office,  making  nearly  twenty- 
four  consecutive  years  of  service  therein.  In 
1877,  when  .the  system  of  appellate  courts  was  es- 
tablished, the  supreme  court  selected  Judge  Hig- 
bee as  one  of  the  three  circuit  judges  from  the 
third  appellate  district  and  upon  his  re-election 
in  June,  1879,  he  was  again  assigned  to  the  high 
position  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  presid- 
ing justice  of  that  body.  He  took  to  the  bench 
the  highest  qualities  necessary  for  the  impartial 
hearing  of  litigated  interests.  He  had  the  faculty 
of  freeing  his  mind  from  personal  prejudices  and 
peculiarities  and  giving  unremitting  attention  to 
the  cause  in  argument  and  the  application  of 
legal  principles  thereto,  and  his  decisions  were 
regarded  as  models  of  judicial  soundness  by 
many  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  and 
jurists,  representing  the  judiciary  of  Illinois. 

In  his  political  views  Judge  Higbee  was  a  dem- 
ocrat and  took  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  party  up  to  the  time  of  his  elevation  to  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


bench.  Afterward  he  allowed  nothing  to  inter- 
fere with  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties, 
standing  as  he  did  as  a  conservator  of  justice  and 
right.  In  1854  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature and  in  1858  was  chosen  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  state  senate,  where  he  served  until 
his  elevation  to  the  bench.  He  took  a  conspicu- 
ous part  as  one  of  the  four  delegates  at  large  to 
the  democratic  national  convention  held  in  St. 
Louis  in  1876.  As  a  citizen  as  well  as  a  politi- 
cian, judge  and  statesman  he  was  conspicuous 
by  reason  of  his  worth  and  activity  and  his  city 
profited  largely  by  his  efforts  in  its  behalf.  The 
large  school  building  at  Pittsfield  is  a  monument 
to  the  activity  of  Judge  Higbee  and  others,  for 
he  took  a  most  helpful  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education  and  his  labors  were  an  effective  agency 
for  its  advancement.  That  the  Methodist  people 
of  Pittsfield  worship  in  so  handsome  and  commo- 
dious a  building  is  largely  due  to  his  efforts.  He 
was  an  earnest  promoter  of  the  Pittsfield  House, 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  the  city,  and  for  years  acted  as  its 
president. 

In  1854  Judge  Higbee  was  married  to  Miss 
Julia  M.  White,  a  niece  of  the  Hon.  I.  N.  Mor- 
ris, deceased,  and  a  native  of  Clermont  county, 
Ohio.  They  had  a  son  and  daughter,  Harry  and 
Sue,  the  former  now  circuit  judge. 

Judge  Higbee  was  the  contemporary  and 
friend  of  many  'of  the  distinguished  lawyers  of 
Illinois.  His  intellectual  energy,  professional  in- 
tegrity and  keen  insight  combined  to  make  him 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  state.  He  was 
by  nature  endowed  with  the  greatest  of  human 
qualities — integrity — which  wealth  can  not  pur- 
chase, power  can  not  imitate  or  dying  men  decree. 
Upon  the  bench  he  was  the  soul  of  judicial  honor 
and  his  career  was  distinguished  by  a  masterful 
grasp  of  every  question  that  was  presented  for 
solution.  In  his  social  life  he  had  the  quality  of 
winning  warm,  personal  regard  and  strong 
friendships.  It  may  be  said  of  him  that  he  has 
left  to  his  children  and  to  his  country  the  record 
of  a  life 

"Rich  in  the  world's  opinion  and  men's  praise 
And  full  of  all  he  could  desire  but  praise." 


EDWARD  PENSTONE. 

Edward  Penstone,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war, 
is  now  living  in  Pittsfield  but  for  many  years  was 
closely  associated  with  farming  interests,  belong- 
ing to  a  family  that  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in 
the  development  and  progress  of  the  county  in 
agricultural  lines.  A  native  of  England,  his 
birth  occurred  in  the  city  of  London  in  1842,  his 
parents  being  Giles  and  Sarah  (Stratton)  Pen- 
stone,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Berkshire, 
England.  When  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  the 
father  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  dry-goods 
trade  and  was  connected  with  commercial  pursuits 
in  his  native  country  until  1849,  when,  attracted 
by  the  possibilities  of  the  new  world  he  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  family  and  at  once 
made  his  way  into  the  interior  of  the  country, 
settling  in  Newburg  township,  Pike  county.  His 
capital  was  invested  in  eighty  acres  of  land  which 
he  at  once  began  to  cultivate  and  improve,  and  in 
later  years,  associated  with  his  sons,  he  invested 
in  property  until  their  realty  holdings  covered 
seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  very  valua- 
ble land  in  Newburg  township.  To  the  develop- 
ment of  the  property  he  gave  his  energies  with  the 
result  that  in  due  course  of  time  he  was  the  owner 
of  a  very  valuable  farm  which  had  been  brought 
to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  1867  however, 
he  put  aside  business  cares  and  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  remaining  days  in  Griggsville.  Their 
family  numbered  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom  three  sons  and  the  daughters  are  yet  living, 
as  follows :  Giles  H.,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work ;  Edward,  of  this  review ;  Stratton, 
who  is  living  in  Newburg  township;  Sarah,  the 
wife  of  David  Dolbow;  and  Ellen  R.,  the  wife  of 
W.  E.  Kneeland,  of  Griggsville. 

Edward  Penstone  spent  the  first  seven  years  of 
his  life  in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and  was  then 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Pike  county,  where  he 
pursued  his  education  as  a  public-school  student 
and  in  the  periods  of  vacation  aided  in  the  farm 
work.  When  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years  he 
donned  the  blue  uniform  of  the  nation  and  went  to 
the  front  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Seventy- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for 
three  years.  Being  captured  he  was  held  as  a 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


prisoner  of  war  in  Libby  prison  for  three  months. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Perryville  and  of 
Stone  River  and  in  the  latter  was  wounded  by  a 
shell.  He  was  also  shot  in  the  left  arm  and  side 
in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  and  was  there  cap- 
tured, after  which  he  was  sent  to  Atlanta  and  later 
to  Libby  prison.  After  three  months  he  was  re- 
leased, paroled  and  exchanged,  and  he  then  re- 
turned to  the  army  in  April,  1864.  He  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain,  the  siege  of 
Atlanta  and  the  engagements  at  Jonesboro,  Frank- 
linville  and  Nashville.  While  at  Libby  prison  he 
was  reported  dead.  He  held  rank  of  corporal  and 
proved  a  loyal  soldier,  never  faltering  in  any 
duty  that  was  assigned  to  him. 

When. the  war  was  over  Mr.  Penstone  returned 
to  his  home  and  the  following  year  was  married  to 
Miss  Maria  Glenn,  a  native  of  Flint  township, 
Pike  county,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Glenn,  of 
Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Penstone  began  their  do- 
mestic life  upon  a  farm  and  in  1872  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Newburg 
township  which  he  still  owns.  He  afterward 
bought  eighty  acres  more  and  he  now  owns  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  constituting  a  valuable 
property,  on  which  he  raises  hogs  and  sheep.  He 
retired  from  the  active  work  of  the  farm  in  1895 
and  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where  he  purchased  a 
fine  residence  and  now  makes  his  home,  while 
his  son  operates  his  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Penstone  have  been  born 
two  children:  William  E.,  who  married  Alice 
Turnbull,  and  lives  upon  the  home  place ;  and 
Mabel  G.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Pence,  and 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Salem  township.  His  son 
has  two  children — Lena  M.  and  Frank  E.  The 
daughter,  Mrs.  Pence,  has  five  children,  Edward 
W.,  Orville  E.,  Louise  M.,  Thomas  H.  and 
Glenn  P. 

Politically  Mr.  Penstone  is  a  republican  and 
lias  served  as  township  school  trustee  and  school 
director.  He  belongs  to  W.  W.  Lawton  post, 
No.  38,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Griggsville,  and  also  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  to  the  Masonic 
lodge,  while  both  he  and  his  wife  are  affiliated  with 
the  Eastern  Star.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Penstone  are 
Congregationalists  in  religious  faith  and  for 
twenty  years  he  has  been  a  church  trustee,  acting 


in  that  capacity  for  nine  years  in  Pittsfield.  He 
made  a  creditable  record  as  a  soldier  and  an 
equally  creditable  one  as  an  agriculturist,  and  he 
owes  his  success  largely  to  his  own  efforts,  for 
with  little  financial  assistance  he  started  out  in  life 
and  has  worked  his  way  upward  through  deter- 
mined purpose,  close  application  and  unremitting 
diligence.  He  is  to-day  the  owner  of  valuable 
farming  property  which  is  the  visible  evidence 
of  his  life  of  well  directed  effort  and  persever- 
ance. 


W.    H.    HASKINS. 

W.  H.  Haskins,  living  on  section  3,  Hardin 
township,  is  one  of  the  large  landowners  and  suc- 
cessful stock  feeders  of  Hardin  township.  His 
realty  holdings  embrace  one  thousand  acres,  with 
two  hundred  acres  in  the  home  farm,  constituting 
a  well  improved  and  valuable  property  equipped 
with  all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories. 
Born  in  Newburg  township  on  the  5th  of  January, 
1845,  ne  was  a  son  °f  Otis  A.  Haskins.  His 
father  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  in  November, 
1817,  and  was  there  reared  to  manhood,  coming  in 
1838  to  Illinois.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner 
by  trade  and  his  first  location  was  at  Alton, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1844.  He  was 
married  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Nancy 
Thomas,  whose  birth  occurred  in  that  county.  In 
the  year  1844  he  removed  to  Pike  county  and  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Newburg  township.  He  resided  upon  that  farm 
and  later  on  another  farm  in  Newburg  township 
for  several  years.  He  then  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  where  his  son  S.  T.  Has- 
kins now  resides.  He  was  an  active  and  pros- 
perous farmer  and  a  man  of  good  business  ability, 
making  careful  investments  of  his  capital  until  he 
owned  over  two  thousand  acres  of  land.  He  dis- 
played keen  discernment,  executive  force  and  in- 
defatigable energy  as  he  gave  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  also  fed 
stock  for  a  number  of  years.  Eventually  he  pur- 
chased property  in  Pittsfield,  where  he  erected  a 
large,  neat  and  substantial  residence  and  there  he 
located,  spending  his  remaining  years  in  honora- 


'52 


.'PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ble  retirement  from  further  labor  save  the  super- 
vision of  his  invested  interests.  He  died  January 
28,  1897.  His  wife  passed  away  February  16, 
1885.  and  both  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  West  ceme- 
tery in  Pittsfield. 

William  H.  Haskins  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  He  was  reared  upon  the  old 
home  farm  in  Hardin  township  and  although  he 
received  ample  training  in  farm  labor  his  educa- 
tional privileges  were  somewhat  meager,  so  that 
he  is  largely  a  self-educated  man  and  although 
now  well  informed  his  knowledge  has  been  ac- 
quired greatly  through  reading,  observation  and 
experience  since  attaining  man's  estate.  He  re- 
mained upon  the  old  homestead  with  his  father 
until  twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  assisted  him  in 
the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for  the 
stock  and  crops. 

Starting  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  Mr. 
Haskins  was  united  in  marriage  in  Atlas  town- 
ship, on  the  ist  of  September,  1873,  to  Miss 
Emily  Yokem,  a  native  of  Pike  county,  reared  and 
educated  here,  a  daughter  of  William  Yokem,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  who  came  to  Illinois  from 
Kentucky.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haskins  located  upon 
a  farm  in  Hardin  township  where  they  lived  for 
two  years  and  then  removed  to  what  is  now  the 
home  farm  on  section  3  of  the  same  township.  Mr. 
Haskins  began  to  further  improve  and  cultivate 
this  property  and  success  resulted  from  his  ear- 
nest, well  directed  and  practical  efforts.  As  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  bought  other  lands 
from  time  to  time  and  he  now  owns  six  good 
farms  comprising  more  than  one  thousand  acres. 
He  also  owns  the  Haskins  home  in  Pittsfield,  the 
former  residence  of  his  father.  In  connection 
with  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  best  adapted  to 
the  soil  and  climate  he  has  for  a  number  of 
years  made  a  business  of  raising,  feeding  and 
dealing  in  cattle  and  hogs,  selling  each  year 
quite  a  large  herd  of  well  fattened  cattle  and  also 
a  goodly  number  of  hogs.  He  is  accounted  one 
of  the  far-sighted,  enterprising  and  successful 
agriculturists  and  stockmen  of  the  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haskins  have  eight  children: 
Mary;  William  O. ;  Kate,  the  wife  of  Selden 
Formen,  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois ;  Nellie ;  Nancy ; 


Nettie;  Verd  I.;  and  Wallace.  They  also  lost  a 
son,  Herbert,  who  died  at  the  age  of  about  three 
years.  The  children  have  been  students  in  the 
Pittsfield  high  school  and  Mr.  Haskins  has  pro- 
vided his  sons  and  daughters '  with  good  educa- 
tional privileges,  thus  equipping  them  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties.  In  1868  he 
proudly  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  General 
U.  S.  Grant  and  he  has  supported  every  presi- 
dential nominee  on  the  republican  ticket  since 
that  time  but  is  without  aspiration  for  office. 
Rather  than  to  enter  into  public  life  as  an  office 
holder  he  has  preferred  to  do  his  public  service 
as  a  private  citizen  and  give  the  greater  part 
of  his  attention  to  his  business  interests.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he 
has  taken  the  Master's  degree  in  the  lodge  at 
Time.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  have  been 
life-long  residents  of  Pike  county  and  are  familiar 
with  much  of  its  history  as  the  work  of  develop- 
ment and  growth  has  been  carried  forward.  They 
have  also  been  identified  with  the  improvement 
and  progress  of  their  community  and  genuine 
worth  insures  for  them  warm  friendship  and 
kindly  regard. 


HON.  JEFFERSON  ORR. 

Hon.  Jefferson  Orr,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Pittsfield  bar,  who  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession has  made  consecutive  advancement  until 
he  occupies  a  position  in  the  foremost  rank  among 
the  leading  lawyers  of  western  Illinois,  was  born 
in  the  vicinity  of  Deersville,  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  2Oth  day  of  July,  1842,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Ary  (Moore)  Orr,  the  latter  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  Moore,  a  resident  of  Ohio. 
John  Orr  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  year 
1810  and  was  of  Scotch  descent,  his  father,  John 
Orr,  Sr.,  being  a  native  of  Scotland  although 
reared  in  Ireland.  The  father  of  our  subject  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Ohio  when  he  was  a 
small  lad  and  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  parents'  home,  early  becoming  famil- 
iar with  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married 
in  the  Buckeye  state  to  Miss  Ary  Moore,  and. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


155 


turning  his  attention  to  farming,  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  1852,  when  he  came  with  his  family 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  in  Fairmount 
township,  where  he  made  his  home  for  twenty- 
two  years.  Subsequently  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Mount  Sterling,  where  his  death  occurred  on 
the  3d  of  June,  1890.  His  wife  had  died  in  Oc- 
tober, 1860,  and  thus  he  survived  her  for  almost 
a  third  of  a  century.  They  reared  a  family  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  review  is 
the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  One  son,  Albert, 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Jackson.  Mississippi, 
while  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Forty-first  Illi- 
nois Infantry  in  defense  of  the  Union.  Most  of 
the  other  members  of  the  family  are  still  resi- 
dents of  Illinois. 

Jefferson  Orr  was  a  youth  of  ten  summers 
when  his  parents  came  to  this  state  and  his  edu- 
cation, begun  in  the  district  schools  of  Ohio,  was 
continued  in  the  public  schools  of  this  county, 
and  afterward  at  Mount  Sterling,  Illinois,  prior 
to  his  matriculation  in  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville.  He  later  spent  three  years  in  the 
Chicago  University,  the  last  two  years  of  that 
period  being  passed  in  the  law  department,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  honors  in  the  class 
of  1864.  Soon  afterward  he  went  to  Atchison, 
Kansas,  where  he  practiced  for  about  nine 
months  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  Pittstield.  He  has  since  been  an  able 
member  of  the  bar  of  this  city  and  in  1872  was 
elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  Pike  county,  to 
which  position  he  was  elected  until  he  had  served 
for  eight  consecutive  years.  He  has  since  given 
his  attention  to  the  private  practice  of  law  and 
in  1877  formed  a  partnership  with  Edward 
Yates,  which  was  continued  until  1880.  In  the 
following  year  he  became  a  partner  of  A.  G. 
Crawford  under  the  firm  style  of  Orr  &  Craw- 
ford, and  they  enjoyed  an  extensive  clientage. 
For  the  past  few  years,  however,  Mr.  Orr  has 
been  alone  and  has  controlled  a  legal  business 
which  in  volume  and  importance  indicates  his 
high  standing  at  the  bar. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1878,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Jefferson  Orr  and  Miss  Ella  M. 
Yates,  a  daughter 'of  George  and  Maria  (Hin- 
-man)  Yates,  and  a  graduate  of  the  Methodist 


College  of  Jacksonville.  She  is  a  lady  of  super- 
ior culture  and  refinement  and  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which 
Mr.  Orr  also  belongs.  Mr.  Orr  stands  high  as 
a  citizen  and  in  every  department  of  jurispru- 
dence, and  is  particularly  noted  for  his  success- 
ful practice  in  the  department  of  criminal  law. 
Moreover  he  is  financially  successful.  In  1891 
he  was  elected  circuit  judge  and  for  six  years 
served  upon  the  bench.  Mr.  Orr  has  always 
been  identified  with  the  anti-license  party  of 
Pittsfield,  has  served  as  trustee  and  president  of 
the  board,  also  alderman,  and  for  the  past  six 
years  as  mayor  of  the  city,  holding  that  office  at 
the  present  time.  His  life  has  been  one  of  untir- 
ing activity  and  he  has  so  directed  his  ability  and 
efforts  as  to  gain  recognition  as  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Pike  county.  Realizing  the 
necessity  for  thorough  preparation  he  industri- 
ously prepares  his  cases  and  in  the  court-room 
his  manner  is  characterized  by  a  calmness  and 
dignity  that  indicate  reserve  strength. 


JAMES  M.  NORTON. 

James  M.  Norton,  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  now  living  retired  in  Milton,  is  a 
native  son  of  Indiana,  born  in  Warren  county  on 
the  loth  of  January,  1844.  His  parents,  Ichabod 
S.  and  Elizabeth  (French)  Norton,  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Warren  county  and  contrib- 
uted to  its  pioneer  development  and  progress. 
In  later  years  they  removed  to  Rossville,  Ver- 
milion county,  Illinois,  where  their  last  days  were 
spent.  In  their  family  were  fifteen  children,  of 
whom  James  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth. 
The  record  is  as  follows :  Minerva,  now  de- 
ceased ;  Mary  A. ;  Adeline  A. ;  William,  who  died 
in  Columbus,  Kentucky,  from  illness  contracted 
while  serving  his  country  as  a  soldier  of  the 
Union  army;  John,  deceased;  Harvey,  who 
served  in  Company  K,  Thirty-third  Indiana  Regi- 
ment and  was  honorably  discharged  July  21, 
1865,  near  Louisville,  Kentucky;  James  M. ; 
Thomas  Jefferson  ;  Jane  and  Laura,  both  deceased ; 
Sarah  M. ;  Zeruah ;  Rebecca;  Lizzie;  and  one 


156 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


child  who  died  unnamed.  Minerva  was  the 
daughter  of  the  father's  first  marriage,  the 
mother  bearing  the  maiden  name  of  Polly  Fore- 
man. 

James  M.  Norton  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  •  farm  and  acquired  his  education  in 
the  country  schools.  He  assisted  in  the  work  of 
field  and  meadow  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when,  in  response  to  his  country's  call,  he  enlisted 
in  defense  of  the  Union  cause  on  the  I2th  of 
September,  1861,  for  three  years'  service  with 
Company  K,  Thirty-third  Indiana  Infantry.  He 
re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  in  the  same  regiment  on 
the  23d  of  January,  1864,  and  continued  with  the 
army  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  His  first  en- 
gagement with  the  enemy  was  at  Wild  Cat,  Ken- 
tucky, and  he  afterward  participated  in  several 
skirmishes  in  the  vicinity  of  Cumberland  Gap. 
Later  he  was  at  Thompson  Station,  Tennessee, 
and  there  -the  entire  regiment  was  captured  and 
sent  to  Libby  prison,  where  Mr.  Norton  re- 
mained for  thirty  days,  when  he  was  released  and 
exchanged.  With  his  regiment  he  then  returned 
to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  and  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Resaca,  after  which  the  command  was 
under  fire  constantly  for  sixty-five  days,  or  until 
the  fall  of  Atlanta,  Georgia.  During  this  time 
the  battles  of  Dallas  Wood,  Kenesaw  Mountain 
and  Peach  Tree  Creek  were  fought.  Following 
the  capitulation  of  Atlanta  the  Thirty-third  In- 
diana joined  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea 
and  afterward  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Salisbury  and  Goldsboro,  North  Carolina,  fol- 
lowing which  the  regiment  went  to  Washington, 
D.  C.,  and  took  part  in  the  grand  review  there, 
the  most  celebrated  military  pageant  ever  seen 
on  the  western  hemisphere.  The  regiment  then 
proceeded  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  the  men 
were  honorably  discharged  on  the  2ist  of  July, 
1865. 

Mr.  Norton  returned  home  with  a  most  cred- 
itable military  record,  having  ever  been  faithful 
and  loyal  to  his  duty  no  matter  where  it  called 
him.  He  was  often  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight 
and  he  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  old 
flag  and  the  cause  it  represented.  Again  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  he  con- 
tinued farming  there  until  1866,  when  he  came  to 


Pike  county,  where  he  afterward  devoted  his 
energies  to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  but 
now  he  is  practically  living  a  retired  life. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  1869,  Mr.  Norton  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellerslie  Foreman,  a  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Cloe  Foreman,  who  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Pike  county.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Norton  have  been  born  five  children,  of 
whom  four  are  living:  James  W.,  Winfield  C.,. 
Guy  W.,  William  H.  and  Clyde  A.,  but  the  last 
named  died  October  18,  1901.  Mr.  Norton  is  one 
of  Milton's  representative  citizens,  a  man  who  in 
business  relations  has  been  found  honorable  and 
in  social  circles  reliable.  He  is  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  his  family,  for  whom  he  has  provided 
a  comfortable  competence  and  in  citizenship  he  is- 
to-day  as  loyal  to  his  country  as  when  he  followed 
the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  battle-fields  of 
the  south. 


MARCELLUS  MAYS. 

Marcellus  Mays,  an  enterprising  farmer  resid- 
ing on  section  31,  Pittsfield  township,  was  born 
in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  November  17,  1849,  and 
is  a  son  of  A.  and  Rebecca  J.  (Davis)  Mays. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ohio  and  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  following  that  pursuit  in  the  Buck- 
eye state  until  1864,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Pittsfield  township.  He  bought  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  resided  there- 
on until  1884,  when  he  went  to  California,  estab- 
lishing his  home  near  Ventura,  where  he  now  re- 
sides at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 
His  wife  also  survives  and  is  now  seventy- 
seven  years  of  age.  He  has  retired  from  active 
farm  life,  but  is  still  the  owner  of  a  large  fruit 
farm  in  California,  which  is  well  situated  and  re- 
turns to  him  an  excellent  annual  income.  His 
political  allegiance  has  long  been  given  to  the 
democracy  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  church.  In  the  family  were- 
three  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living :  Mar- 
•cellus,  of  this  review,  and  William  Mays,  who  is 
a  resident  of  California. 

Marcellus  Mays  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Ohio  and  Illinois,  and  after  putting  aside  his- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


157 


text-books  began  farming.  He  remained  at  home 
until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  after  which  he 
purchased  ninety  acres  of  land  on  section  31, 
Pittsfield  township,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  hogs  and  cattle.  He  keeps  thor- 
oughbred Poland  China  hogs  and  also  raises  a 
high  grade  of  cattle.  In  all  of  his  work  he  has 
displayed  close  application  and  unremitting  dili- 
gence as  well  as  good  business  discernment. 

In  1877  Mr.  Mays  was  married  to  Miss  Cenith 
Townsend,  who  was  formerly  a  school  teacher. 
She  was  born  in  Pike  county  and  is  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Nancy  R.  Townsend,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mays 
have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  have  reared 
an  adopted  daughter,  Esther  McClintock  Mays, 
who  has  received  from  them  the  care,  love  and 
attention  which  would  have  been  given  .to  an  own 
child.  She  became  a  member  of  their  household 
in  1895,  when  seven  years  of  age.  She  is  a  great 
lover  of  music,  possessing  much  natural  talent 
in  that  direction,  and  she  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Pike  county  schools.  Mr.  Mays  was  formerly  a 
democrat,  but  is  now  independent  in  his  political 
affiliation.  He  belongs  to  lodge  No.  453,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  of  New  Hartford,  and  to  Summer  Hill 
camp,  No.  1053,  M.  W.  A.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  is  now 
faking  life  in  a  somewhat  easy  manner,  having 
acquired  a  competence  that  relieves  him  from 
the  more  arduous  cares  of  farm  work.  His  excel- 
lent qualities  of  manhood  endear  him  to  those 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  and  he  is  one 
of  the  representative  citizens  of  his  community. 
He  has  read  extensively,  keeping  well  informed 
on  questions  of  the  day,  political  and  otherwise, 
and  is  a  pleasant  companion  and  gentleman  of 
genial  and  social  disposition,  who  has  gained 
many  friends. 


WILLIAM  H.  DUNHAM. 

William  H.  Dunham  has  since  1891  resided 
upon  his  present  farm  in  New  Salem  township 
and  in  connection  with  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  is  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  hogs 


and  cattle.  Numbered  among  the  native  sons 
of  the  county,  his  birth  occurred  near  Maysville, 
on  the  gth  of  July,  1859,  his  parents  being 
Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Kiser)  Dunham.  The 
father  came  from  Ohio  to  Pike  county  about  1844. 
His  birth  had  occurred  in  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
on  the  1 4th  of  February,  1834,  and  he  was  there- 
fore a  youth  of  ten  years  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  this  state.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Lewis  Dunham,  was  born 
September  12,  1802,  and  was  a  cooper  by  trade, 
but  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  after  removing 
to  the  west.  He  died  September  14,  1866.  As. 
a  pioneer  resident  he  was  well  known  in  the 
county  and  he  aided  in  the  early  development  and 
substantial  improvement  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
Nathaniel  Dunham  was  here  reared  and  edu- 
cated. He  bore  the  usual  hardships  and  pri- 
vations of  pioneer  life  and  shared  with  the  family 
in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  a  new  farm. 
On  the  26th  of  October,  1854,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Kiser,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Kiser,  who  settled  in  Pike  county  in  1844. 
Mrs.  Dunham  was  born  in  Warren  county,  In- 
diana, on  the  3d  of  May,  1838,  and  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  she  went  to  her 
husband's  home.  She  has  been  to  him  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey.  Mr. 
Dunham  for  many  years  -engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  owned  about  four 
hundred  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  and 
for  many  years  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Mays- 
ville, while  at  the  present  time  he  and  his  wife 
make  their  home  in  that  town,  where  he  is  now 
retired  from  active  business  cares.  He  votes  with 
the  democracy  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  in  which 
Mr.  Dunham  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  They  take 
an  active  and  helpful  part  in  the  work  of  the 
church  and  are  interested  in  all  that  tends  to  the 
moral  development  as  well  as  the  material  prog- 
ress of  the  community.  Mr.  Dunham  has  reach- 
ed the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  while  his  wife 
has  passed  the  sixty-ninth  milestone  on  life's 
journey.  In  their  family  were  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  yet  living :  Daniel,  who  resides 
in  New  Salem  township ;  William  H. ;  Louis  O.,. 


158 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


who  resides  in  Griggsvill'e;  Nicholas  and  David, 
both  deceased;  Charles  E.,  who  is  living  on  the 
old  homestead  near  Maysville;  and  Orpha  J., 
who  is  the  wife  of  Stanton  Kennedy,  a  resident 
of  Griggsville  township. 

William  H.  Dunham  was  educated  in  Mays- 
ville, acquiring  a  good  English  education.  As 
the  father  was  crippled  the  children  early  had  to 
start  out  in  life  on  their  own  account  and  William 
H.  Dunham  followed  the  plow  when  only  eight 
years  of  age.  His  youth  was  largely  a  period 
of  earnest  and  unremittng  toil  but  he  developed 
thereby  a  self-reliance  and  force  of  character 
which  have  made  him  a  strong  man  in  later 
years — strong  in  his  honor  and  'good  name,  strong 
in  his  purposes  and  in  what  he  has  accomplished. 
When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was  married, 
but  remained  upon  the  home  farm  for  two  years 
longer  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  he 
began  the  operation  of  rented  land,  giving  his 
time  and  energies  to  farm  labor  for  ten  years 
longer.  He  then  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  where  he  now  resides,  taking  up  his  abode 
thereon  in  1891.  He  has  a  splendid  property 
here,  the  land  being  arable  and  responding  readily 
to  the  care  and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  it. 
The  fields  are  now  well  tilled  and  he  has  good 
buildings  upon  the  place,  including  a  fine  two 
story  residence.  He  also  buys  and  sells  hogs  and 
cattle  and  everything  about  his  farm  is  kept  in 
excellent  condition,  its  neatness  and  thrift  indi- 
cating his  careful  supervision. 

Mr.  Dunham  was  married  in  1880  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Aber,  a  native  of  Detroit  township, 
Pike  county,  born  on  the  28th  of  October,  1862, 
;and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Ann  Eliza  (Sloan) 
Aber.  The  father  was  an  early  settler  here,  hav- 
ing come  to  Pike  county  when  a  young  man  with 
his  parents.  By  trade  he  is  a  blacksmith  and  for 
many  years  led  a  very  busy  life.  He  still  survives 
but  his  wife  has  been  called  to  her  final  rest. 
Mrs.  Dunham  is  one  of  six  children.  Her  father 
married  again  and  had  five  children  by  his  second 
wife.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham  have  been 
born  ten  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy. 
Nellie  May,  who  pursued  her  education  in  Mays- 
ville, Griggsville  and  in  the  State  Normal  School, 
is  now  teaching  for  the  fifth  term.  Mary  Alta 


married  Newton  Moon,  resides  in  Griggsville 
township  and  has  two  children,  Amy  May  and 
Charles  Winfred.  Nannie  A.,  Orpha  L.,  Bessie 
D.,  Nathaniel  Clay,  Daniel  Truman,  Willa  Fern, 
and  Sadie  Esther  are  all  at  home.  Lucinda 
died  in  infancy.  The  home  farm  is  pleas- 
antly located  about  two  and  a  half  miles  south- 
east of  New  Salem.  Mr.  Dunham  votes  with  the 
democracy  and  for  fifteen  years  served  as  school 
director.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp,  No.  1 1 10,  of  New  Salem  and  his  wife 
and  eldest  daughter  are  members  of  the  Royal 
Neighbors.  He  and  his  family  hold  membership 
in  the  United  Brethren  church,  in  which  he  is 
serving  as  a  trustee  and  president  of  the  board. 
His  life  has  been  honorable  and  upright,  his 
actions  manly  and  sincere  and  he  is  a  gentleman 
whom  to  know  is  to  respect.  He  has  made  all 
of  his  property  by  hard  and  persistent  work  and 
his  name  stands  as  a  synonym  for  business  integ- 
rity and  unfaltering  perseverance. 


J.  T.  KIBLER. 

J.  T.  Kibler,  living  on  section  n,  Martinsburg 
township,  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike 
county,  dating  his  residence  here  from  1851,  while 
since  1866  he  has  lived  upon  his  present  farm. 
He  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  is  a  prosperous  agriculturist. 
A  native  son  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Highland 
county,  on  the  r/th  of  July,  1824.  His  father  was 
Frederick  Kibler,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  his 
grandfather  was  William  Kibler,  one  of  the  early 
residents  of  the  Shenandoah  valley  in  the  Old 
Dominion.  He  was  of  German  birth.  Frederick 
Kibler  was  reared  and  educated  in  Virginia  and 
there  married  Leah  Wilkin,  who  was  born  in  that 
state  and  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Wilkin,  who 
was  likewise  a  native  of  Virginia  but  became  an 
early  settler  of  Ohio.  Both  the  Kibler  and  Wilkin 
families  went  to  the  Buckeye  state,  settling  near 
Hillsboro,  in  Highland  county,  where  Frederick 
Kibler  engaged  in  clerking  and  also  developed  a 
farm.  In  his  family  were  ten  children,  all  of 
whom  reached  years  of  maturity,  J.  T.  Kibler 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


159 


being  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  Three  of  the 
number  are  now  living,  the  sixth  being  William, 
who  resides  in  Marjpil  county,  Kansas,  while 
Henry  is  living  in  Highland  county,  Ohio. 

J.  T.  Kibler  was  reared  in  the  Buckeye  state 
and  supplemented  his  early  education  by  study 
in  the  South  Salem  Academy.  Subsequently  he 
became  a  teacher  of  Highland  county,  where  he 
followed  his  profession  for  several  years.  On  the 
2ist  of  February,  1851,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  A.  Ruble,  of  the  same  county,  and  daughter 
of  John  Ruble,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that 
locality,  to  which  place  he  removed  from  Ten- 
nessee. 

Not  long  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Kibler  came 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  arriving  here  on  the  i8th 
of  March,  1851.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  New- 
burg  township,  where  he  rented  land  and  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  year.  He 
also  taught  school  during  the  winter  months  for 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  being  one  of  the  pioneer 
educators  of  this  locality,  his  labors  contributing 
in  substantial  measure  to  the  intellectual  develop- 
ment of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  also  bought 
a  farm  near  the  village  of  Time.  This  was  an 
improved  place,  which  he  further  cultivated,  and 
in  1869  he  bought  his  present  property,  compris- 
ing one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  1 1 , 
Martinsburg  township.  There  was  an  old  log 
cabin  upon  the  place,  in  which  he  lived  for  two 
years,  when  he  built  a  more  modern  and  com- 
modious residence.  He  has  continued  the  work 
of  improvement  and  cultivation  until  the  farm 
bears  little  resemblance  to  the  place  which  came 
into  his  possession  more  than  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury ago.  In  fact,  it  is  a  splendidly  improved 
property  and  in  the  year  1905  he  gathered  there- 
from four  thousand  bushels  of  corn,  together  with 
other  grain.  He  keeps  a  high  grade  of  stock, 
including  cattle,  horses  and  swine,  and  is  one  of 
the  enterprising  and  energetic  agriculturists  of 
his  community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kibler  have  been  born 
seven  children :  Wiliam  W.,  who  is  a  druggist 
in  Visalia,  California;  Albert  M.,  who  is  living 
in  Montgomery  county,  Missouri ;  Ben  F.,  a  civil 
engineer  and  rancher,  also  of  Visalia  ;  W.  A.,  who 
resides  in  old  Mexico,  where  he  is  a  railroad- 


bridge  contractor  ;  Joseph  B.,  who  is  farming  with 
his  father ;  Kathie  B.,  the  wife  of  N.  E.  Unsell, 
of  Pike  county,  Missouri ;  and  Rebecca  V.,  the 
wife  of  George  Peters,  who  is  deputy  postmaster 
at  Pittsfield. 

Politically  Mr.  Kibler  has  long  been  a  repub- 
lican. He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  whig 
party  and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Henry  Clay.  He  supported  Fremont  in  1856 
and  has  voted  for  each  presidential  nominee  to 
the  present  time.  He  served  as  township  clerk 
for  several  years  and  was  also  school  treasurer 
for  eight  or  nine  years.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company 
since  its  organization,  has  been  a  director  for  a 
long  period  and  during  the  last  four  years  has 
been  its  president.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Christian  church,  with  which  they  have 
been  identified  from  youth  to  the  present  time, 
and  now  he  is  serving  as  an  elder  in  the  Martins- 
burg  church.  This  worthy  couple  have  long 
traveled  life's  journey  together,  celebrating  their 
golden  wedding  in  1901,  and  they  are  esteemed 
as  most  worthy  and  respected  people,  whose  lives 
of  uprightness  and  honor  well  entitle  them  to  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  them. 


ISAAC  BARTON. 

There  is  perhaps  no  resident  of  Pike  county 
more  deserving  of  mention  among  its  represent- 
atives and  respected  citizens  than  Isaac  Barton, 
a  retired  farmer  now  living  in  Pittsfield.  He  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  June  7,  1825,  a  son  of  William 
'and  Mary(  Brewer)  Barton,  the  former  of  Eng- 
lish descent.  The  family,  however,  was  founded 
in  America  at  an  early  day,  the  paternal  grand- 
father having  been  a  native  of  Virginia,  where 
he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  At  the 
time  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the 
colonies  and  the  mother  country,  he  espoused  the 
cause  of  liberty  and  laid  down  his  life  on  its  altar 
in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  His  wife  lived  to 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years  and  reared 
their  family  of  five  children,  filling  the  place  of 
both  father  and  mother  after  the  death  of  her 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


husband.  During  the  greater  part  of  her  life  she 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

William  Barton,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  in  early  manhood 
went  to  Tennessee,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Brewer,  a  native  of  that  state  and  a  woman 
of  high  Christian  character,  belonging  to  the 
Baptist  church.  They  afterward  removed  to  Knox 
county,  Kentucky,  settling  on  the  Cumberland 
river,  and  were  among  the  early  residents  of  that 
locality.  Mr.  Barton  acquired  a  large  tract  of 
land  and  met  success  in  his  business  affairs.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church 
and  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work. 
His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  whig 
party.  He  was  killed  in  a  runaway  accident 
when  about  sixty  years  of  age  and  his  wife  died 
when  more  than  fifty  years  of  age.  In  their 
family  were  thirteen  children,  eight  sons  and  five 
daughters,  of  whom  three  are  now  living.  Those 
deceased  are :  Susan ;  Henry ;  James  ;  John  ;  Solo- 
man  ;  William ;  Lewis ;  Elizabeth ;  Sarah ;  and 
Nancy.  Those  who  still  survive  are :  Isaac ;  Mary 
Jane  Barton,  living  in  Kentucky ;  and  Daniel,  also 
of  that  state. 

Isaac  Barton  was  only  eleven  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death  and  he  afterward 
provided  for  his  education  by  working  for  his 
board  and  the  privilege  of  attending  school.  He 
remaining  in  his  native  state  until  twelve  years  of 
age,  pursuing  his  studies  in  one  of  the  old-time  log 
schoolhouses,  with  its  open  fireplace,  slab  writing 
desk  beneath  the  window  and  other  primitive 
furnishings.  He  then  accompanied  his  brother  to 
Parke  county,  Indiana,  which  was  a  pioneer  dis- 
trict with  few  evidences  or  promises  of  rapid  de- 
velopment, and  there  he  secured  employment  as 
a  farm  hand,  his  wage  being  seven  dollars  per 
month  for  the  first  years.  He  continued  in  simi- 
lar service  for  eight  years  and  then  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  four  or 
five  years,  after  which  he  operated  a  carding 
machine  for  two  years  and  also  spent  some  time 
in  sawmills.  He  was  likewise  employed  as  a 
clerk  in  a  store  before  leaving  Indiana,  but  think- 
ing to  find  still  better  business  opportunities  in 
Illinois,  he  came  to  Pike  county  in  December, 
1847,  making  the  journey  on  horseback,  at  which 


time  his  possessions  consisted  of  his  horse,  saddle 
and  about  fifteen  dollars  in  money.  For  two  years 
he  was  employed  in  sawmills  at  Rockport,  Pike 
county,  after  which  he  invested  his  savings  in 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  8,  Martinsburg 
township,  of  which  only  ten  acres  had  been 
cleared.  A  log  house  had  also  been  built  into 
which  he  moved  but  after  making  some  improve- 
ments on  that  property  he  sold  the  place  and 
bought  seventy-nine  acres  in  Pleasant  Hill  town- 
ship, the  purchase  price  being  six  hundred  dollars. 
A  year  later  he  sold  out  for  twelve  hundred  dol- 
lars, thus  realizing  a  good  profit  on  his  invest- 
ment. He  next  became  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  farther  north,  but  soon  disposed  of 
this  at  an  advance  of  three  hundred  dollars  and 
invested  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber 
land  north  of  Rockport,  where  he  took  up  his 
abode  and  there  operated  a  sawmill  for  ten  years. 
As  his  financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his 
landed  holding  from  time  to  time  until  he  owned 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  carried  on 
farming  on  an  extensive  scale  and  also  raised 
stock,  while  to  his  farm  he  added  excellent  mod- 
ern equipments  and  accessories.  He  carried  on 
his  farm  work  in  a  most  systematic  and  approved 
manner  and  the  place  showed  his  careful  super- 
vision in  its  attractive  appearance.  He  was 
careful  in  expenditures  but  always  in  touch  with 
the  spirit  of  progress  in  farm  work  and  so  directed 
his  labors  that  success  resulted.  He  still  owns 
forty  acres  of  valuable  farming  land  together  with 
one  of  the  finest  homes  in  Pittsfield,  standing 
in  the  midst  of  seven  acres  of  ground.  The 
dwelling,  a  beautiful  brick  residence,  sets  well 
back  from  the  street  and  the  lawn  is  adorned  with 
fine  evergreen  trees,  shrubs  and  flowering  plants. 
On  the  1 5th  of  February,  1848,  Mr.  Barton 
was  married  to  Miss  Rachel  M.  Owsley,  who  was 
born  in  eastern  Tennessee,  December  27,  1830, 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Charity  (Butcher) 
Owsley.  The  father  was  a  most  far-sighted  busi- 
ness man.  He  followed  farming  and  he  was  also 
the  first  in  the  country  to  deal  in  ready-made  cof- 
fins. He  came  to  Pike  county  in  1847  and  was 
the  owner  of  eleven  hundred  acres  of  bottom  land 
all  in  one  body  and  a  large  farm  on  the  upland. 
He  had  three  children  but  Mrs.  Barton  is  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


161 


only  one  living.  She  is  an  intelligent  lady  and 
earnest  Christian  woman  who  has  indeed  been  a 
faithful  companion  and  helpmate  to  her  husband. 
They  became  the  parents  of  eight  children :  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Richard  Wells  and  a  resident  of 
Arkansas ;  William  Thomas,  deceased ;  John  A., 
who  married  Allie  Hayes  and  lives  in  Missouri ; 
Frank,  who  married  Elizabeth  Wells  and  resides 
in  Arkansas ;  Delia  R.,  at  home ;  Fred,  who  mar- 
ried Annie  Huffman  and  is  located  in  Missouri ; 
Anna,  deceased;  and  Clyde  E.,  a  graduate  of 
Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  and 
now  practicing  his  profession  in  Germantown. 

Politically  Mr.  Barton  is  a  stalwart  democrat 
and  has  been  called  to  various  offices  by  his 
fellow  townsmen  who  recognize  his.  trustworthi- 
ness and  ability.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace, 
constable,  assessor  and  collector  while  living  in 
Atlas  township.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
lodge  of  Hartford  and  both  he  and  his  wife  have 
been  members  of  the  Methodist  church  since 
1855,  taking  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  its 
work.  Mr.  Barton  has  served  as  steward,  class 
leader,  trustee  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  his  labors  have  been  most  beneficial. 
He  has  always  kept  well  informed  on  topics  of 
general  interest  and  has  lived  an  upright  life, 
crowned  with  successful  accomplishment  and  the 
respect  and  honor  of  his  fellowmen  throughout 
the  county  in  which  he  has  now  lived  for  almost 
six  decades,  witnessing  almost  its  entire  growth 
and  development. 


GILES  H.  PENSTONE. 

Among  the  residents  of  Pittsfield  formerly 
identified  with  agricultural  interests  but  now  liv- 
ing retired,  is  numbered  Giles  H.  Penstone,  who 
took  up  his  abode  in  this  city  in  November,  1900. 
He  was  born  in  London,  England,  February  22, 
1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Giles  and  Sarah  (Stratton) 
Penstone,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Berk- 
shire, England.  The  father  was  engaged  in  the 
dry-goods  business  in  that  country,  having  been 
apprenticed  to  the  trade  when  fifteen  years  of  age. 
In  1849  ne  came  with  his  family  to  America, 


settling  first  in  Newburg  township,  Pike  county. 
He  there  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  and  for 
about  eighteen  years  carried  on  the  work  of  the 
farm,  developing  his  place  into  a  well  improved 
property.  He  then  retired  from  active  farm  life 
and  removed  to  Griggsville,  where  he  and  his 
wife  spent  their  remaining  days.  In  the  mean- 
time he  added  to  his  original  possessions  and 
in  connection  with  his  sons  had  become  the  owner 
of  seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  land  in 
Newburg  township.  In  their  family  were  six 
children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  with 
the  exception  of  one  son  all  are  yet  living,  namely : 
Giles  H. ;  Edward,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield ;  Strat- 
ton, who  is  living  in  Newburg;  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
David  Dolbow;  and  Ellen  R.,  the  wife  of  Will 
Kneeland  of  Griggsville. 

Giles  H.  Penstone  began  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  England  and  continued  his  studies 
after  coming  to  America  with  his  parents.  He 
was  reared  to  farm  life,  early  becoming  familiar 
with  the  duties  and  labors  of  the  fields  as  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm.  He  did  not  leave  home  on  attaining  his 
majority,  but,  like  the  other  brothers,  continued 
their  business  associations  with  their  father  and 
invested  in  land  until,  as  before  stated,  they 
became  the  owners  of  valuable  property.  Through- 
out his  entire  business  career  Mr.  Penstone  of  this 
review  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
and  lived  upon  the  homestead  in  Newburg  town- 
ship until  his  retirement  from  business  life.  In 
all  that  he  did  he  was  methodical  and  systematic, 
and  his  labors  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a 
handsome  competence  so  that  he  is  now  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  his  former  toil  in  a  well  earned  rest. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  responding  to 
his  country's  call  for  aid,  he  enlisted  in  1862, 
as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Seventy-third  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Volunteers  under  Captain  James 
R.  Davidson,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister  of 
Griggsville,  and  at  the  close  of  his  services  he 
was  under  command  of  Captain  Joseph  L.  Mor- 
gan, of  Quincy,  Illinois.  The  regiment  was  at- 
tached to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  he 
was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Perryville  and 
Stone  River  in  1862  and  afterward  in  the  en- 
gagements at  Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge, 


1 62 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  Atlanta  campaign,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Jones- 
boro,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Franklinyille,  Nashville 
and  many  skirmishes.  He  was  wounded  three 
times  at  Perryville  in  the  arm,  at  Chickamauga 
in  the  leg  and  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  in  the  left 
hip.  After  sustaining  his  last  wound  and  while 
at  Springfield  he  acted  as  head  nurse  in  the  hos- 
pital for  six  months. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Penstone  returned 
home  and  resumed  farm  work.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of 
valuable  land  in  Newburg  township  and  has 
placed  all  of  the  improvements  upon  the  property, 
which  is  now  a  splendidly  equipped  farm  with 
fine  buildings  and  modern  accessories  to  facil- 
itate the  work  of  the  fields  and  add  to  the  at- 
tractive appearance  of  the  place.  He  has  erected 
a  beautiful  home  and  his  land  is  as  rich  as  any 
that  can  be  found  in  the  county.  When  he  had 
acquired  a  handsome  competence  Mr.  Penstone 
retired  and  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where  he  now 
has  a  comfortable  residence. 

In  1867  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Giles 
H.  Penstone  and  Miss  Julia  E.  Edom,  a  native 
of  Lucas  county,  Ohio,  born  in  1840,  and  a 
daughter  of  Edward  Edom,  who  came  to  Pike 
county  in  1856.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  after  devoting  some  years  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  removed  to  Barry,  where 
he  conducted  a  hotel  for  twenty  years,  his  death 
there  occurring.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Penstone 
have  been  born  two  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Charles  H.  and  Edward  G.,  who  are  living  on 
their  father's  farm;  May  E.,  the  wife  of  George 
Sanderson,  a  resident  of  Rock  Island ;  Nettie,  the 
wife  of  D.  B.  Welty,  living  in  Oklahoma;  Nellie, 
at  home;  and  Clara  M.,  who  is  a  teacher  in 
Griggsville. 

Mr.  Penstone  is  a  republican  and  has  been 
honored  with  some  local  offices,  having  served 
as  township  commissioner  for  twelve  years  and 
as  justice  of  the  peace  for  four  years.  He  has 
likewise  been  school  director  for  a  number  of  years 
and  his  interest  in  the  general  welfare  is  that  of  a 
public-spirited  citizen  who  puts  forth  effective 
personal  effort  for  the  good  of  the  community. 
He  belongs  to  W.  W.  Lawton  post,  No.  338,  G. 
A.  R.,  of  Griggsville  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 


Masonic  fraternity.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  served  as  deacon  and  trus- 
tee of  the  church  at  Griggsville  for  a  long  period. 
Residing  in  Pike  county  from  the  age  of  eleven 
years  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance  here  and  his 
business  activity  and  integrity  have  stood  as  un- 
questioned facts  in  his  career,  bringing  him  suc- 
cess and  an  honored  name  simultaneously. 


ABBIE  A.  HATCH. 

Abbie  A.  Hatch,  whose  efforts  have  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  intellectual  development 
of  Pike  county,  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
honored  and  prominent  pioneer  families  of  this 
part  of  the  state,  her  parents  being  Isaac  A.  and 
Lydia  (Baxter)  Hatch.  Her  father  was  well 
known  in  Pike  county,  where  his  labors  proved 
of  the  utmost  value  in  the  promotion  of  business 
and  social  progress.  He  was  born  in  Hillsboro, 
Hillsboro  county,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  I3th 
of  September,  1812,  and  was  of  Welsh  and  Irish 
descent,  although  the  family  has  been  repre- 
sented in  America  through  many  generations. 
More  than  two  and  a  half  centuries  ago  the 
Hatch  family  was  established  in  Connecticut  and 
the  descendants  of  the  original  settlers  remained 
in  the  old  Charter  Oak  state  until  Reuben  Hatch, 
Sr.,  removed  to  New  Hampshire.  One  of  his 
brothers,  also  leaving  the  ancestral  state,  settled 
in  Vermont  and  a  third  in  Maine. 

Reuben  Hatch,  Jr.,  father  of  Isaac  Hatch,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire,  prepared  for  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  and  became  a  dis- 
tinguished physician.  He  married  Miss  Lucy 
Andrews  and  they  became  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  Isaac  Hatch  was  the  second 
in  order  of  birth,  his  elder  brother  being  Seth  C. 
Hatch,  who  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  surgery  and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  of- 
fered his  services  to  the  government,  becoming 
surgeon  in  the  Sixty-second  Illinois  Infantry.  His 
last  days  were  spent  in  Barry,  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois. O.  M.  Hatch  became  a  distinguished  citi- 
zen of  the  state,  prominent  in  republican  circles. 


ISAAC  A  HATCH 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY 


165 


He  served  as  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  of  Pike 
county  for  eight  years,  and  for  a  similar  period 
was  the  secretary  of  state  in  Illinois.  He 
was  thus  the  associate  and  contemporary 
of  many  of  the  distinguished  residents  of 
Illinois,  who  regarded  him  in  matters  of  states- 
craft  as  every  way  their  peer.  Retiring  from  of- 
fice he  took  up  his  abode  in  Springfield,  where 
he  resided  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1893.  He  was,  however,  connected 
with  business  interests  in  Pike  county,  having 
extensive  investments  in  a  bank  here.  Sylvanus 
Hatch,  now  deceased,  was  a  farmer  of  Pike 
county.  Reuben,  who  has  also  passed  away,  was 
a  merchant  of  Griggsville  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  served  as  quartermaster  in  an  Illinois 
regiment,  his  death  being  occasioned  by  disease 
contracted  in  the  service.  Rebecca  was  the  wife 
of  Alexander  Starr,  a  merchant  and  politician 
in  Griggsville.  John  has  now  passed  away. 
Franklin,  who  was  a  farmer  of  Griggsville  town- 
ship, is  also  deceased.  Lucinda  became  the  wife 
of  D.  B.  Bush,  of  Portland,  Oregon. 

In  the  maternal  line  Miss  Hatch  of  this  review 
is  descended  from  Major  Isaac  Andrews,  who 
was  an  officer  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Reuben  Hatch,  who  died  in  New 
Hampshire.  Her  husband  afterward  came  to 
this  state  in  January,  1836,  settling  at  Griggsville, 
where  he  died  when  more  than  four  score  years 
of  age. 

Isaac  Hatch,  well  known  as  a  prominent  and 
honored  pioneer  resident  of  Pike  county,  spent 
the  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  in  Hillsboro, 
New  Hampshire,  and  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  the  public  schools  there  but  he  was  ambitious 
to  acquire  a  still  broader  education  and  with  this 
end  in  view  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  with 
a  drover,  thinking  that  in  such  an  educational 
center  he  would  have  opportunity  to  continue 
his  studies,  but  he  found  that  a  poor  boy  had  lit- 
tle chance  there  and  he  had  to  turn  his  attention 
to  something  that  would  yield  him  a  living.  He 
therefore  entered  the  employ  of  a  gentleman  who 
was  engaged  in  dealing  in  West  India  goods, 
largely  carrying  on  a  wholesale  trade.  Mr.  Hatch 
remained  in  Boston  until  1832,  when  he  returned 
to  his  native  town  and  became  a  clerk  in  a  gen- 


eral mercantile  store,  retaining  his  residence  in 
Hillsboro  until  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1835.  From 
that  time  until  after  the  inauguration  of  the 
Civil  war  his  attention  was  largely  given  to  trade. 

as  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  county.  His 
ness  he  closed  up  his  accounts  on  account  of  slow- 
ness in  collection  and  not  long  afterward  he  re- 
ceived and  accepted  the  appointment  of  revenue 
collector,  being  the  first  incumbent  in  this  posi- 
tion in  Pike  and  Brown  counties.  He  served  for 
several  years,  discharging  his  duties  with  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity  and  giving  general  satisfaction 
to  his  superior  officers,  although  he.  met  with 
considerable  opposition  in  the  enforcement  of  the 
law,  for  this  section  of  the  state  was  rather  a 
hotbed  of  discontent  during  the  period  of  the 
Civil  war,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  were 
many  southern  as  well  as  northern  families  liv- 
ing in  Pike  county. 

Mr.  Hatch  continued  to  fill  the  position  of  col- 
lector until  1864,  after  which  he  was  variously 
employed  until  1870,  when  he  was  urged  by  his 
friends  to  establish  a  banking  business  and  in 
company  with  his  brother,  Hon.  O.  M.  Hatch, 
formerly  secretary  of  state,  he  opened  a  private 
bank.  In  1873  the  brother  withdrew  and  in  July 
of  that  year  the  bank  was  re-organized  as  a  na- 
tional bank  with  Isaac  Hatch  as  one  of  its  large 
stockholders  and  most  active  managers.  He 
placed  the  bank  upon  a  safe  conservative  basis 
that  awakened  uniform  confidence  and  secured  a 
liberal  patronage.  His  business  methods  were 
such  as  neither  required  nor  sought  disguise  and 
lie  had  the  full  trust  of  the  general  public.  In 
business  matters  he  possessed  sound  judgment, 
which  was  rarely,  if  ever,  at  fault  and  each  step 
was  carefully  and  thoughtfully  made,  so  that  he 
ultimately  reached  the  goal  of  success.  As  he 
prospered  in  his  undertakings  he  made  judicious 
investment  in  property  and  was  the  owner  of 
several  farms  in  this  vicinity,  being  recognized 
as  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  county.  His 
life  was  indeed  a  very  busy  and  useful  one  and 
he  carried  forward  to  sviccessful  completion 
whatever  he  undertook,  so  that  his  example  is 
well  worthy  of  emulation,  showing  the  force  and 
value  of  industry  and  integrity  as  active  and  es- 
sential factors  in  a  prosperous  business  career. 


i66 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Mr.  Hatch  never  sought  nor  desired  public 
office,  nor  did  he  ever  belong  to  any  secret  soci- 
ety. He  preferred  to  give  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  his  business  affairs,  regarding  such  in- 
terests as  abundantly  worthy  of  his  best  efforts, 
yet  he  was  never  remiss  in  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship and  co-operated  in  many  measures  for  the 
general  good,  but  preferred  to  do  his  public  serv- 
ice as  a  private  citizen. 

In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Miss  Lydia  Bax- 
ter, a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  in  which  state 
their  marriage  took  place  in  1840.  Her  father 
was  Jonathan  Baxter  and  further  mention  is 
made  of  the  family  in  connection  with  the  his- 
tory of  John  F.  Hatch  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  Mrs.  Hatch  is  an  estimable  lady  of  su- 
perior culture  and  refinement.  By  her  marriage 
she  had  two  children  who  reached  adult  age, 
Abbie  A.  and  John  F.,  while  George  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  parents  were  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  Griggsville  and  took  a 
most  active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work.  Mr.  Hatch 
was  ever  a  student  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  noted 
the  trend  of  events  and  held  firm  opinions  con- 
cerning the  expediency  and  value  of  any  meas- 
ure which  was  introduced  for  the  public  good. 
He  never  faltered  to  uphold  a  course  which  he 
believed  to  be  right  nor  condemn  one  which  he 
believed  to  be  wrong  and  his  labors  proved  an 
important  element  in  the  substantial  progress 
and  upbuilding  of  Pike  county.  He  left  the  im- 
press of  his  individuality  for  good  upon  the  pub- 
lic welfare  and  did  much  toward  molding  public 
thought  and  opinion. 

Miss  Abbie  A.  Hatch,  his  only  daughter,  ac- 
quired her  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  when  a  young  lady  of  seventeen  entered  the 
State  Normal  School  at  Normal,  Illinois.  After 
finishing  her  studies  at  this  place  she  returned 
home  and  began  teaching  in  Pike  county.  Soon 
after,  however,  she  went  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  where 
she  engaged  in  teaching  for  four  years  and  then 
returned  to  Griggsville,  where  she  taught  school 
for  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  having  the  ability  to 
impart  clearly  and  readily  to  others  the  knowl- 
edge that  she  had  acquired.  She  did  much 
toward  elevating  the  standard  of  public  instruc- 
tion in  this  county  and  her  efforts  were  of  value 


in  the  promotion  of  the  school  interests  of 
Griggsville.  She  added  to  her  own  knowledge 
through  travel,  making  many  trips  with  her  par- 
ents through  the  east  and  on  various  occasions 
visiting  their  old  home  in  New  Hampshire.  She 
has  also  attended  the  Chautauqua  assemblies  at 
Chautauqua  Lake,  New  York,  on  different  occa- 
sions and  the  Bay  View  assemblies  near  Petoskey, 
Michigan.  She  has  twice  gone  to  California,  vis- 
iting the  various  points  of  historic  and  scenic  in- 
terest in  the  valleys  and  through  the  mountain  dis- 
tricts of  the  far  west,  has  also  made  three  trips  to 
Colorado,  has  visited  Salt  Lake  and  also  traveled 
northward  through  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin.  She 
has  likewise  gone  to  the  northwestern  portion  of 
the  country,  journeying  as  far  as  Tacoma  and, 
suiting  her  pleasure  and  convenience,  has  stopped 
off  at  various  places  en  route  to  the  west  or  upon 
the  eastern  trip.  She  is  eligible  to  membership 
in  the  society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution 
both  in  the  paternal  and  maternal  line.  Deeply 
interested  in  educational  work,  she  has  ever  been 
zealous  and  conscientious  in  her  efforts  as  a 
teacher  and  the  efficiency  and  value  of  her  labors 
is  acknowldged  by  many  who  have  come  under 
her  instruction. 


CAPTAIN  GEORGE  BARBER. 

Captain  George  Barber,  the  owner  of  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  and  well  improved  land  in 
Pike  county,  and  a  resident  of  Pittsfield,  was  born 
in  this  county  in  1844,  his  parents  being  Austin 
and  Caroline  (Johnson)  B-nber.  The  father  was 
born  in  Ohio  in  1809,  while  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Missouri,  but  both  are  now  deceased. 
They  came  to  Pike  county  in  1833,  and  Austin 
Barber  conducted  a  general  mercantile  business 
in  Pittsfield,  being  one  of  the  first  representatives 
of  commercial  interests  in  the  town.  Later  he 
sold  out  and  invested  in  land,  entering  his  first 
farm  from  the  government,  but  to  this  he  added 
from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased until  he  owned  more  than  one  thousand 
acres,  five  hundred  acres  of  which  lay  in  Pike 
county,  while  the  remainder  was  in  adjoining 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


167 


counties.  He  retained  possession  of  this  exten- 
sive property  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  although 
he  largely  resided  in  Pittsfield.  His  business  ca- 
reer was  characterized  by  integrity,  honor  and 
industry  and  was  well  worthy  of  emulation.  In 
community  affairs  he  was  actively  and  helpfully 
interested  and  served  for  four  years  as  county 
clerk.  He. was  a  stanch  republican,  prominent 
in  the  local  ranks  of  the  party  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the  Christian 
church.  In  his  family  were  three  sons,  all  of 
whom  are  living:  Levi,  who  resides  in  Mc- 
Donough  county,  Illinois ;  George,  of  this  review, 
and  Austin  D.,  who  is  living  in  Hancock  county 
and  is  president  of  the  state  board  of  agriculture. 
He  is  likewise  very  prominent  in  political  circles. 

Captain  Barber  pursued  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Pittsfield  and  when  eighteen 
years  of  age  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army 
as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Ninety-ninth  Regi- 
ment, Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  a  non- 
commissioned officer  and  served  for  three  years, 
campaigning  in  Missouri,  after  which  he  went  to 
Vicksburg,  subsequently  to  Texas  and  later  to 
Mobile.  Alabama.  He  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Magnolia  Hill,  Black  River  Bridge,  Champion 
Hill,  Jackson  and  the  siege  at  Vicksburg  from 
the  28th  of  April  until  the  4th  of  July,  1863.  His 
regiment  .led  the  charge  of  Vicksburg,  where  one- 
third  of  its  number  were  killed  and  wounded.  The 
last  engagements  in  which  he  participated  were 
at  Mobile,  Fort  Blakely  and  Spanish  Fort. 

After  being  mustered  out  Captain  Barber  re- 
turned home  and  for  twelve  years  was  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  one  of  the  farms  owned  by 
his  father.  He  then  came  to  Pittsfield,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  ten  years, 
and  during  most  of  the  time  since  he  has  acted 
as  deputy  postmaster,  which  office  he  is  still  fill- 
ing. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  National 
Guard  for  seventeen  years,  and  when  the  Spanish- 
American  war  was  inaugurated  he  once  more 
offered  his  aid  to  his  country,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany A,  Fifth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  was  first  lieutenant  and  was  trans- 
ferred to  Company  B,  after  which  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  captaincy.  He  enlisted  in  Spring- 
field, was  sent  to  Chickamauga  Park  and  thence 


to  Newport  News,  where  the  regiment  took  pas- 
sage on  the  transport,  but  just  about  that  time 
peace  was  declared  and  they  returned  to  Lex- 
ington, where  they  were  mustered  out. 

Captain  Barber  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss 
Mary  Frances  Hicks,  a  native  of  New  York,  now 
deceased.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children : 
Charles,  who  is  a  bookkeeper  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  in  Pittsfield,  and  T.  H.,  who  is  con- 
nected with  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute  at  Jack- 
•sonville.  For  his  second  wife  Captain  Barber 
chose  Leona  Binns,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county 
and  is  a  daughter  of  E.  F.  Binns,  now  deceased. 
He  was  prominent  in  political  circles  here  and 
served  as  county  clerk  for  one  term. 

Captain  and  Mrs.  Barber  occupy  a  fine  home 
in  Pittsfield  one  block  south  of  the  courthouse 
square,  and  in  addition  to  this  property  he  owns 
five  hundred  acres  of  valuable  and  productive 
farm  land,  well  improved,  and  is  associated  with 
his  son  in  the  superintendency  of  this  farm,  where- 
on they  are  engaged  in  the  raising  of  fine  Here- 
ford cattle.  In  his  political  views  Captain  Barber 
is  a  stalwart  republican  and  for  several  terms  has 
served  as  supervisor  of  Pittsfield  township.  He 
belongs  to  Dick  Gilmore  post,  No.  515,  G.  A.  R., 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  Pike  county  and  he  has  therefore  been  a  wit- 
ness of  its  growth  and  development  through  more 
than  six  decades.  His  acquaintance  is  wide  and 
tavorable  for  his  strong  and  salient  characterist- 
ics in  financial,  political,  official  and  social  circles 
have  b^en  such  as  to  gain  for  him  the  warm  re- 
gard and  friendship  of  those  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact. 


JOHN  WEBER. 

John  Weber,  receiver  for  the  Exchange  Bank 
of  Barry,  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Meis)  Weber, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany.  They 
emigrated  to  America  in  1841,  settling  in  Pitts- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,  whence  they  afterward  went 
to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  their  son  John  'was 


i68 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


born.  In  1844  they  removed  to  Adams  county, 
Illinois,  where  the  father  rented  a  farm  for  two 
years  and  then  purchased  the  property  which  was 
located  in  Beverly  township.  There  he  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  until  within  a  few 
years  of  his  death,  his  last  days,  however,  being 
spent  in  honorable  retirement  from  further  labor. 
He  made  his  home  with  his  children  and  died 
in  Adams  county  in  1886.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
were  earnest  and  upright  Christian  people,  hold- 
ing membership  in  the  Lutheran  church,  in  which 
faith  they  had  been  reared.  In  their  family  were 
four  children  and  the  mother  is  still  living,  now 
making  her  home  with  her  son  John. 

It  was  during  his  infancy  that  John  Weber 
was  taken  to  Adams  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was 
reared  in  the  parental  home  amid  pioneer  scenes 
and  environments.  He  attended  school  in  a  prim- 
itive frame  building  where  the  seats  were  made 
of  split  logs  resting  upon  wooden  pins.  He  be- 
gan work  upon  the  farm  when  a  small  boy  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  left  home  and 
turned  his  attention  to  the  profession  of  teaching, 
which  he  followed  for  two  terms.  He  afterward 
clerked  for  one  season  in  a  store  and  later  he 
opened  an  establishment  of  his  own  in  Kingston, 
where  he  engaged  in  business  for  two  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  sold  out  there  and  with 
his  brother-in-law  purchased  the  flour  mill  in  that 
town.  Six  years  later  he  disposed  of  his  interest 
in  the  mill  and  was  engaged  in  teaching  through 
two  terms  of  school. 

In  June,  1877,  Mr.  Weber  came  to  Barry  and 
in  the  fall  of  that  year  purchased  the  Empire 
House,  which  he  managed  for  three  years.  After 
disposing  of  his  hotel  interests  he  traveled  for  a 
few  months  in  the  west  and  on  his  return  pur- 
chased a  grocery  store  in  Barry,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  six  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  be- 
came proprietor  of  a  warehouse,  being  thus  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  the  city  for  some 
time,  while  at  the  present  writing  he  is  receiver 
for  the  Exchange  Bank. 

Mr.  Weber  was  married  in  1867  to  Miss  Rosa 
Perkins,  a  native  of  Adams  county,  Illinois,  and 
a  daughter  of  B.  C.  and  Isabel  (High)  Perkins. 
Unto  this  union  have  been  born  four  children : 
Ralph  K.,  Harry,  Nettie  and  Cora.  In  his  po- 


litical views  Mr.  Weber  is  a  republican  and  for 
six  years  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council. 
He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  was  township  supervisor  of  Barry  township. 


JOHN  G.  McKINNEY,  M.  D. 

Dr.  John  G.  McKinney,  who  in  former  years, 
was  actively  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of 
medicine,  but  now  confines  his  attention  largely 
to  office  and  consultation  practice  in  Barry,  is 
classed  with  the  prominent  and  representative  citi- 
zens of  Pike  county,  the  qualities  of  his  manhood, 
aside  from  his  professional  ability,  winning  for 
him  public  regard  and  favor.  A  native  of  Ohio, 
he  was  born  in  Cadiz,  Harrison  county,  December 
27,  1835.  The  family  is  supposed  to  be  of 
Scotch  lineage.  It  is  definitely  known  that  the 
great-grandfather  was  a  sea  captain,  who  for 
some  years  resided  on  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  was 
lost  at  sea  with  his  ship.  His  son,  George  Mc- 
Kinney, however,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Ireland  and  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  that  country.  He  was  also  married 
on  the  Green  Isle  of  Erin  and  with  his  first  wife 
came  to  the  United  States,  establishing  his  home 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  at  an  early  epoch  in  its 
history,  remaining  a  resident  of  that  locality  up 
to  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  was  a  tailor  by 
trade.  By  his  first  marriage  he  had  one  son, 
William,  and  by  his  second  marriage  had  four 
sons  who  reached  adult  age,  John,  George,  Fryar 
and  James. 

The  last  named  was  the  father  of  Dr.  McKin- 
ney of  this  review.  He  was  probably  born  in 
Ohio,  and  at  all  events  he  spent  the  period  of  his 
youth  in  that  state,  where  he  learned  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  uf  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  con- 
ducting business  at  Cadiz  until  1837,  when  he  emi- 
grated westward  to  Illinois,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  five  children.  The  journey  was  made  by- 
way of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers, 
and  they  landed  at  Phillips'  ferry,  the  present  site 
of  Valley  City.  James  McKinney  chose  as  a  lo- 
cation a  tract  of  land  about  a  mile  southwest  of 
Griggsville,  which  at  that  time  was  a  small  village 


DR.  JOHN  G.  McKINNEY 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


171 


containing:  hut  one  or  two  houses.  The  entire 
county  showed  every  evidence  of  frontier  life  for 
there  were  no  railroads  and  the  work  of  develop- 
ment seemed  scarcely  begun.  Only  here  and  there 
had  a  little  clearing  been  made  to  indicate  that  the 
work  of  improvement  had  commenced,  which  in 
due  course  of  time  produced  a  wonderful  trans- 
formation in  the  appearance  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  Much  of  the  land  was  still  in  possession  of 
the  government  but  as  James  McKinney  had  in- 
sufficient capital  for  the  purchase  of  pr<}pe(rty,  he 
rented  land  for  three  years.  He' then,  received 
from  his  father  some  money  and  he  entered  a  tract 
of  land  from  the  government  for  his  two  sons, 
George  W.  and  John  G.  McKinney,  this  tract  be- 
ing located  in  what  is  known  as  New  Salem 
township.  He  bnilt  thereon  a  hewed  log  cabin 
covered  with  rived  shingles,  which  was  consid- 
ered the  best  building  in  that  section  of  the  county 
at  that  time.  Mr.  McKinney  continued  to  carry 
on  building  operations  most  of  the  time,  but  when 
not  thus  engaged  his  attention  was  given  to  the 
cutlivation  and  improvement  of  his  land  on  which 
he  lived  for  about  ten  years.  He  then  purchased 
an  improved  tract  of  land  about  two  miles  north- 
east of  Baylis,  making  his  home  thereon  until 
about  1 864,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Sardorus 
township,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  having  sold 
his  property  in  Pike  county.  Following  his  re- 
moval he  invested  in  a  tract  of  prairie  land  upon 
which  only  a  few  improvements  had  been  made. 
He  continued  its  further  cultivation  until  1877, 
when  he  established  his  home  in  Plainville, 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  purchasing  a  home  there, 
and  afterward  buying  lots  and  building  a  house, 
which  remained  his  home  until  his  death.  His 
wife  then  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Orr  and 
was  born  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  a 
daughter  of  James  Orr.  Mrs.  McKinney  was  one 
of  the  worthy  pioneer  women,  did  the  work  that 
usually  fell  to  the  lot  of  wives,  mothers  and 
daughters  of  the  frontier  settlers,  cooking  over  a 
fireplace  and  weaving  both  wool  and  flax.  She 
died  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  In  the  family  were  seven  sons  and 
two  daughters. 

Dr.  McKinney  was  only  two  years  old  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Pike  county  and  in  his 


youth  he  pursued  his  studies  in  one  of  the  old- 
time  log  schoolhouses.  In  the  end  of  the  room 
was  a  large  fireplace  and  the  seats  and  other 
equipments  of  the  little  "temple  of  learning"  were 
very  primitive.  The  larger  pupils  wrote  their 
"copy"  upon  a  desk  made  by  placing  a  board  upon 
wooden  pins  driven  into  the  wall.  As  his  age  and 
strength  permitted  Dr.  McKinney  aided  in  the 
work  of  the  home  farm,  continuing  to  reside 
thereon  until  his  marriage.  He  afterward  began 
farming  on  his  own  account,  following  that  pur- 
suit until  1861,  when  failing  health  caused  him 
"to  turn  his  attention  to  other  labor.  Taking  up 
the  study  of  medicine,  for  which  he  seemed  to  . 
possess  a  natural  predilection,  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Pleasant  Hill  in 
1863.  After  a  year  he  removed  to  Rock- 
port,  where  he  spent  three  years,  and  in  1867  he 
located  for  practice  at  .Kingston,  Adams  county. 
He  made  further  preparation  for  his  chosen  call- 
ing by  study  in  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chi- 
cago, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1868,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Kingston,  there  residing 
until  1875,  when  he  came  to  Barry.  Here  he 
rented  a  house  and  established  a  sanitarium  and  in 
1885  he  built  a  commodious  and  well  arranged 
frame  building  for  sanitarium  purposes.  In  the 
conduct  of  this  institution  he  met  with  success 
and  at  the  same  time  performed  a  valuable  serv- 
ice for  his  fellowmen.  For  some  time  he  was  as- 
sociated with  his  brother  George  W.,  'and  they 
ever  maintained  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of 
the  medical  fraternity.  Always  ambitious  to 
broaden  his  knowledge  and  promote  his  efficiency, 
Dr.  McKinney,  of  this  review,  pursued  post- 
graduate work  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
Northwestern  University  and  in  1883  was  a  post- 
graduate student  in  Rush  Medical  College,  and 
later  in  a  polyclinic  in  New  York  city,  his  certifi- 
cate from  that  institution  bearing  date  of  1887. 
Two  years  later  he  went  abroad  and  acquainted 
himself  with  modern  methods  abroad  in  the  prin- 
cipal hospitals  of  London,  Berlin,  Paris,  Vienna 
and  Dublin.  His  practice  constantly  increased  in 
volume  and  importance  and  he  was  accorded  a 
position  of  prominence  among  the  representative 
physicians  of  western  Illinois.  In  more  recent 
years,  however,  he  has  largely  retired  from  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


active  work  of  the  profession  and  is  now  giving 
his  attention  only  to  office  and  consultation  prac- 
tice. He  has  kept  abreast  with  modern  scientific 
research  and  investigation  through  his  member- 
ship in  the  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  McKinney  was  first  married  in  1856  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Boulware,  a  native  of  Pike  county 
and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Christina  Boulware, 
pioneer  residents  of  this  locality.  She  died  in 
June,  1861,  and  in  November,  1863,  Dr.  McKin- 
ney wedded  Malinda  Vining,  a  native  of  Adams 
county  and  a  daughter  of  Abner  Vining.  There 
have  been  three  sons  born  of  this  marriage  and 
there  were  two  children  by  the  first  marriage : 
Hardin  W.,  who  married  Martha  Chamberlin ; 
and  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  Professor  R.  W.  Ken- 
ady.  Of  the  sons  of  the  second  marriage,  James 
A.  spent  four  years  at  the  Illinois  State  Normal 
School  and  four  years  at  Rush  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated.  He  was  also  for 
four  years  a  student  in  a  medical  school  in  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  of  which  he  was  an  alumnus.  He 
died  at  Grand  Valley,  Colorado,  where  he  was 
practicing  at  the  time  of  his  death.  George  B.  is 
a  resident  of  Barry,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  dentistry.  Jerome  is  now  living  at 
home.  In  1902  Dr.  McKinney  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  second  wife,  who  died  in 
that  year.  On  the  i8th  of  February,  1903,  he 
wedded  Mrs.  Electa  Henry. 

Dr.  McKinney  sold  his  sanitarium  in  1898  to 
Dr.  Charles  E.  Beavers,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Quincy,  but  when  two  years  had  passed  he  re- 
turned to  Barry.  For  sixty-eight  years  he  has 
lived  in  Pike  county,  and  has  long  been  recognized 
as  one  of  its  most  valued  and  representative  men. 
In  addition  to  his  practice  he  is  connected  with 
other  business  interests,  being  a  stockholder  in 
the  Exchange  Bank  at  Barry.  He  has  deeded 
all  of  his  real  estate  over  to  the  bank  trustees  for 
the  benefit  of  the  depositors,  for  such  is  his  ideal 
of  honesty  and  business  integrity.  His  advance- 
ment in  life  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own  ef- 
forts. He  was  dependent  upon  his  own  labors  for 
his  education  and  he  resolved  that  he  would  pro- 
vide his  children  with  good  advantages  in  that 
direction  and  has  done  so.  He  is  a  liberal  man  in 


public  affairs  and  has  contributed  generously  to 
movements  for  the  public  good.  An  exemplary 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  he  joined  the 
order  in  New  Salem  in  1861,  and  is  now  connected 
with  Barry  lodge,  No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Barry 
chapter.  No.  88,  R.  A.  M., ;  Ascalon  commandery, 
No.  49,  K.  T.,  at  Pittsfield,  which  was  chartered 
October  3,  1876,  and  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  his  life  has  ever  been  actuated 
by  high  and  honorable  principles  and  his  entire 
career  has  been  in  harmony  with  those  traits  of 
character  which  ever  command  respect  and  re- 
gard. His  work  has  been  of  benefit  to  his  fellow 
men  as  well  as  a  source  of  profit  to  himself  and  he 
is  to-day  numbered  among  the  valued  and  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Pike  countv. 


JOHN  F.  HATCH. 

John  F.  Hatch,  dealer  in  lumber  and  coal  at 
Griggsville,  was  born  in  Hillsboro,  New  Hamp- 
shire, on  the  5th  of  January,  1850,  a  son  of  Isaac 
A.  and  Lydia  (Baxter)  Hatch,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Hillsboro.  The  father  was  born 
September  13,  1812,  and  his  life  record  continued 
until  February  7,  1896.  He  was  married  in 
Hillsboro,  October  6,  1840,  to  Miss  Lydia  Baxter, 
who  was  born  October  n,  1814,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  a  son  and  daughter,  the  latter 
being  Abbie  A.  Hatch,  who  was  born  March  3, 
1842.  In  1835  the  father  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Pike  county,  but  in  1840  returned  to  New 
Hampshire,  and  it  was  on  the  6th  of  October  of 
that  year  that  he  was  married.  He  afterward 
started  with  his  wife  for  the  west,  traveling  by 
team  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  on  by  way 
of  Pennsylvania  to  Illinois,  making  the  journey 
by  canal  and  teams.  At  length  he  reached  Pike 
county  and  he  and  his  brother,  Hon.  O.  M.  Hatch, 
first  purchased  two  sections  of  wild  land  near 
Griggsville.  They  also  bought  timber  land  at 
Milton,  about  two  miles  from  Chambersburg, 
and  built  a  saw  and  grist  mill  at  that  point  and 
also  erected  a  large  storehouse.  They  conducted 
the  milling  business  for  a  number  of  winters  and 
also  broke  wild  prairie  land  in  Griggsville  town- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


173 


ship,  converting  it  into  cultivatable  fields.  Isaac 
Hatch  here  carried  on  farming1  for  about  thir- 
teen years  and  then  in  1862  built  a  fine  home  in 
the  city  of  Griggsville,  where  his  widow  and 
daughter  are  now  living.  She  has  made  her 
home  in  this  residence  for  forty-three  years  and 
now  in  her  ninety-first  year  is  enjoying  good 
health,  being  a  bright  and  active  woman,  happy 
in  man}'  pleasant  memories  of  the  past.  In  1861-2 
Mr.  Hatch  served  as  revenue  collector,  and  in 
1873  he  and  his  brother,  O.  M.  Hatch,  organized 
the  Griggsville  National  Bank.  Previous  to  this 
time  his  brother  had  served  as  secretary  of  state 
of  Illinois  and  was  a  prominent  factor  in  political 
circles  in  the  state  for  many  years.  Isaac  Hatch 
became  cashier  of  the  new  bank  and  continuously 
filled  the  position  until  within  two  years  of  his 
death,  when  failing  health  caused  him  to  retire. 
In  politics  he  voted  for  the  candidates  whom  he 
considered  best  qualified  for  office  regardless 
of  party  affiliation.  He  belonged  to  the  Congre- 
gational church  and  his  efforts  were  a  factor  in 
the  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  prog- 
ress of  the  community.  The  Hatch  family  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  in  Pike  county  and  the 
family  name  is  inseparably  interwoven  with  its 
history  from  pioneer  times  down  to  the  present. 

John  F.  Hatch  was  a  young  lad  when  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Pike  county  and  in  the  schools 
of  Griggsville  acquired  his  early  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  study  in  Princeton,  Illinois, 
and  by  a  course  in  Cornell  University.  In  early 
manhood  he  was  married,  on  the  nth  of  March, 
1873,  to  Miss  Jenetta  Vose,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 8,  1852,  in  Danbury,  New  York,  her 
parents  being  Marcellus  and  Phebe  (Montgom- 
ery) Vose,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
Empire  state,  the  father  dying  when  sixty  years 
of  age  and  his  wife  when  fifty-five  years  of 
age.  They  were  married  in  the  Empire  state 
and  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1874, 
locating  first  on  a  farm  near  Griggsville.  Sub- 
sequently they  became  residents  of  Liberty, 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  and  Mr.  Vose  died  in 
that  county.  Their  children  were  Sarah,  Mrs. 
Hatch,  Fannie,  William  and  Frank. 

Following  the  completion  of  his  education  in 
Cornell  University  Mr.  Hatch  returned  to  Griggs- 


ville and  began  farming,  which  pursuit  he  fol- 
lowed until  1890,  when  he  purchased  the  lumber 
and  coal  yard  of  the  firm  of  Button  &  Benson, 
and  has  since  carried  on  business  in  this  city 
with  a  patronage  that  is  indicative  of  his  straight- 
forward methods  and  the  confidence  reposed  in 
him  by  the  general  public. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hatch  have  been  born  four 
daughters :  Nettie  May,  who  was  born  April' 
15,  1874,  and  is  a  wife  of  Harry  N.  Capps,  a 
resident  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois;  Stella  M.,  born 
February  17,  1876;  Julia  Edna,  born  December 
18,  1878;  and  Ethel  Blanche,  who  was  born 
November  24,  1880,  and  is  the  wife  of  William 
S.  Sanford,  a  resident  of  Chicago. 

The  wife  and  mother  died  August  23,  1893. 
Mr.  Hatch  has  been  a  member  of  the  city  council 
of  Griggsville,  to  which  position  he  was  elected 
on  the  republican  ticket.  He  belongs  to  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  his  record  being 
in  harmony,  with  that  of  the  representatives  in 
the  previous  generation— his  father  and  uncle, 
who  made  a  most  creditable  record  in  the  various 
departments  of  life  into  which  their  activities 
were  directed.  Mr.  Hatch  is  now  closely  con- 
nected with  the  commercial  interests  of  Griggs- 
ville and  his  careful  management  of  his  business 
and  well  directed  labor  are  bringing  him  the 
success  which  is  the  reward  of  active  labor. 


JAMES  H.  CRANE. 

James  H.  Crane,  now  living  retired  but  for 
many  years  a  leading  factor  in  public  life  and  the 
business  activity  of  Pittsfield  and  Pike  county, 
was  born  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  July  25,  1832, 
a  son  of  Samuel  L.  Crane,  a  native  of  Weather- 
field,  Connecticut.  Leaving  New  England  he 
removed  to  Kentucky,  where  he  was  married,  and 
in  1824  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois. He  was  a  tanner  by  trade  but  lost  an  arm 
and  afterward  gave  his  time  and  attention  largely 
to  the  conduct  of  a  hotel.  He  was  proprietor  of 
the  Union  Hotel  of  Pittsfield  at  the  time  of  his 
death  and  for  a  long  time  was  postmaster  of  the 
city,  proving  a  competent  and  popular  official. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


In  his  family  were  five  children,  of  whom  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living:  William, 
who  is  a  miner  in  Utah ;  James,  of  this  review ; 
Mrs.  D.  W.  Hyde,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield ;  and 
Delia  Crane,  who  is  also  living  in  this  city. 

Tames  Crane,  at  the  usual  age,  began  his  edu- 
cation as  a  pupil  of  Jon  Shastid,  of  Perry,  but 
largely  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Pittsfield.  He  afterward  learned  the  printer's 
trade  with  George  W.  Smith  and  followed  that 
pursuit  for  some  time,  being  to-day  the  oldest 
printer  in  Piftsfield.  He  afterward  became  the 
assistant  of  his  father  in  the  postoffice  and  re- 
mained with  him  until  after  the  inauguration  of 
the  Civil  war,  when,  on  the  23d  of  August,  1861, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Ninety- 
ninth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which 
he  served  for  six  months.  He  then  returned  home 
in  February,  1862,  having  been  honorably  dis- 
charged by  reason  of  disability  occasioned  by  in- 
juries received  in  the  army.  The  only  important 
battle  in  which  he  participated  was  at  Hartsville, 
Missouri.  He  held  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant. 

Following  his  return  home  Mr.  Crane  entered 
the  office  of  the  circuit  clerk  as  assistant  to  George 
Jones,  who  was  afterward  secretary  of  state  and 
died  in  Springfield.  Mr.  Crane  served  in  the  cir- 
cuit clerk's  office  until  the  following  election,  when 
he  was  chosen  circuit  clerk  by  popular  suffrage, 
filling  the  office  for  four  years,  after  which  he  was 
deputy  clerk  under  George  W.  Archer  and  oth- 
ers. He  was  connected  with  the  office  altogether 
for  about  sixteen  years  and  he  was  also  post- 
master of  Pittsfield  for  four  years  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Cleveland.  He  has  since 
filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  three 
years,  but  is  now  living  retired.  He  has  in  his 
possession  the  old  desk  which  was  in  the  circuit 
clerk's  office  in  1856  and  which  he  used  when 
employed  there  as  deputy. 

Mr.  Crane  was  married  November  6,  1856,  to 
Miss  Emma  Fisher,  of  Clermont  county,  Ohio, 
who  came  here  with  her  uncle,  Judge  Ward,  about 
1854.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane  became  parents  of 
one  son,  Samuel  Crane,  who  is  now  in  the  office 
of  the  Pittsfield  Abstract  Company.  He  married 
Leo  Rathburn  and  they  have  two  children,  Cath- 
erine and  Josephine. 


In  the  year  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Crane  built 
a  home  in  the  west  part  of  the  city  which  -he  oc- 
cupied until  1880,  when  he  sold  that  and  pur- 
chased his  present  fine  home  within  six  blocks 
of  the  courthouse  square.  He  also  owns  several 
business  blocks  and  is  well-to-do,  having  made 
judicious  investment  in  property  which  yields 
him  a  good  return.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
church,  his  wife  to  the  Episcopal  church,  and  in 
the  city  where  they  have  so  long  resided  they  have 
many  warm  friends.  They  have  now  traveled 
life's  journey  together  for  almost  fifty  years.  In 
his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Crane  is  a  Mason  and 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  also  belongs  to  post  No. 
515,  G.  A.  R.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order  over  fifty  years.  His  political  alle- 
giance has  always  been  given  the  democracy.  For 
many  years  the  name  of  Crane  has  been  associated 
with  public  service  in  Pittsfield,  as  represented 
by  father  and  son,  and  in  this,  as  in  other  connec- 
tions, has  ever  been  a  synonym  of  honor  and  of- 
ficial integrity. 


WILLIAM  ARTHUR  GRIMSHAW. 

William  Arthur  Grimshaw,  of  Pittsfield.  now 
numbered  among  the  honored  dead  of  Pike 
county,  was  born  June  i,  1813,  at  Navin-on-the- 
Boyne,  County  Meath,  Ireland.  His  father  was  of 
English  parentage  but  was  born  near  Belfast,  Ire- 
land. He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1815 
and  landed  from  a  neutral  vessel,  bringing  to  the 
city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  the  first  news 
of  the  treaty  of  Ghent.  Charleston  was  the  birth- 
place of  Harriet  Milligan,  who  was  the  mother  of 
William  A.  Grimshaw.  Her  father  was  Captain 
Milligan,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  was  residing 
in  South  Carolina  at  the  beginning  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution.  Espousing  the  cause  of  the 
colonies,  he  entered  the  American  army  to  aid  in 
the  struggle  for  independence  and  served  in  the 
Pennsylvania  line  throughout  the  war.  The 
mother  of  William  A.  Grimshaw  was  educated  in 
the  city  of  Chester,  England,  and  for  many  years 
after  her  marriage  she  was  the  principal  of  a  large 
female  seminary  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  The 
father  of  William  A.  Grimshaw  was  a  member  of 


WILLIAM  A.  GRIMSHAW 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


177 


the  Philadelphia  bar,  made  his  home  in  that  city 
and  also  spent  considerable  time  at  Harrisburg. 
For  thirty  years  he  was  recognized  as  an  author 
of  much  celebrity.  His  histories  of  the  United 
States  and  England  and  his  Etymological  Dic- 
tionary— a  work  of  much  erudition — were  in  high 
repute  and  proved  a  gratifying  source  of  remu- 
neration to  the  author.  Captain  Milligan,  the  ma- 
ternal grandfather  of  Mr.  Grimshaw,  was  an 
original  member  of  the  Cincinnati  Society,  of 
which  General  George  Washington  was  the  presi- 
dent. 

William  A.  Grimshaw  was  educated  in  the.  city 
of  Philadelphia  and  read  law  in  the  office  of  the 
eminent  attorney.  David  Paul  Brown.  He  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  patriots  and  educators.  His 
grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary  officer ;  his 
brother,  Dr.  James  Grimshaw; --was  a  surgeon  in 
the  Mexican  war,  being  commissioned  by' James 
K.  Polk  in  1848,  after  which  he  went  to  Mexico 
with  General  Scott;  his  brother,  Dr.  Arthur  Grim- 
shaw, was  a  colonel  of  the  Civil  war ;  and  his  son, 
William  A.  Grimshaw,  Jr.,  then  a  lad  of  eighteen 
years,  served  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Fifth  Illi- 
nois Infantry  Regiment  in  the  Spanish-American 
-war.  His  father  was  author  of  many  textbooks 
and  other  literary  works  and  his  mother  was  prin- 
cipal of  a  seminary  for  young  ladies  at  Philadel- 
phia, while  his  sisters.  Charlotte  and  Isabella,  with 
their  brother,  Dr.  Arthur  Grimshaw  as  lecturer 
and  business  manager,  owned  and  conducted — 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
— the  Hannah  Moore  Seminary  for  Young  Ladies 
at  Wilmington,  Delaware.  Dr.  Arthur  was  county 
superintendent  of  New  Castle  county,  Delaware, 
and  served  on  the  school  board  of  Wilmington,  of 
which  he  also  acted  as  president.  He  was  in- 
tensely interested  in  educational  matters  and  did 
everything  in  his  power  for  advancement  along 
such  lines,  although  he  had  a  large  medical  prac- 
tice. William  A.  Grimshaw  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Pittsfield  school  board  and  was  in  of- 
fice when  the  beautiful  East  school  building  was 
erected  in  1864-5.  continuing  on  the  school  board 
for  many  years.  He  has  a  brother,  Robert  Grim- 
shaw, a  scientific  ingenteur  and  critique,  now  and 
for  a  number  of  years  residing  in  Germany,  and 
a  sister  living  in  Kentucky. 


At  the  early  age  of  nineteen  years  Mr.  Grim- 
shaw was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  was  licensed  as 
attorney  at  law  by  the  district  court  for  the  city 
and  county  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  in  1832. 
He  then  came  to  Illinois,  then  the  far  west,  upon 
the  responsible  errand  of  locating  and  paying 
taxes  oh  the  large  body  of  land  owned  by  his 
father,  comprising  many  quarter  sections  of  the 
bounty  lands  in  the  northern  counties  of  the  mili- 
tary tract.  He  lived  at  Atlas  for  a  time  and  was 
appointed  adjutant  of  the  Seventeenth  Regiment 
of  the  Illinois  Militia  under  the  old  military  sys- 
tem. Colonel  Benjamin  Barney,  commanding. 
On  the  25th  of  November,  1833,  he  was  licensed 
to  practice  as  an  attorney  and  counselor  at  law 
in  all  the  courts  of  law  and  equity  in  the  state  of 
Illinois  by  Samuel  D.  Lockwood  and  William 
Wilson,  justices  of  the  supreme  court  of  the 
state  of  Illinois.  He  was  licensed  to  practice  in 
the  circuit  court  of  the  United  States  for  the  dis- 
trict of  Illinois  on -the  igth  day  of  December, 
1839.  He  removed  to  Pittsfield,  Pike  county,  in 
1833,  and  here  resided  until  his  death.  He  was 
commissioned  public  administrator  of  Pike  county 
by  Governor  Reynolds  and  was  a  member  of  the 
bar  of  the  county  for  sixty  years  in  active  prac- 
tice. In  a  history  of  Pike  county  that  was  pub- 
lished in  1880,  is  the  following:  "William  A. 
Grimshaw,  the  oldest  practicing  attorney  of  the 
county,  ranked  as  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of 
the  state,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  In 
1833  he  came  to  this  county,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  actively  identified  with  every  public  in- 
terest of  the  county."  He  was  always  a  willing 
and  full  tax-payer.  His  property,  under  one 
continuous  ownership  by  taxation  and  his  purse 
by  donation  for  over  a  half  century  have  con- 
tributed generously  to  every  improvement  that 
Pittsfield  has  ever  enjoyed.  With  characteristic 
zeal  and  energy  he  at  once  took  an  active  and  sub- 
stantial interest  in  establishing  schools,  churches 
and  Sunday  schools.  He  was  also  instrumental 
in  stirting  a  library  association  and  became  one  of 
its  stockholders.  In  1847  ne  was  chosen  a  mem- 
ber of  the  constitutional  convention  of  Illinois  and 
aided  in  framing  the  organic  law  of  the  state. 
The  Daily  Illinois  State  Journal  of  November  7, 


I78 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


1883,  has  the  following  under  the  heading,  The 
Real  Old  Timers;  Survivors  of  1847;  Proposed 
Reunion  of  the  Members  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention ;  Promise  of  an  Interesting  Event.  A 
praiseworthy  movement  has  been  set  on  foot  for 
holding  a  reunion  of  the  surviving  members  of 
the  constitutional  convention  of  1847  of  the  state 
of  Illinois.  This  movement  appears  to  have  had 
its  immediate  beginning  in  the  following  letter 
from  two  old  P,ike  county  members : 

PITTSFIELD,    PIKE    COUNTY.    ILL.,    Oct.    10, 
1883. 
To  the  Hons.  Ninian  W.  Edwards  and  James  H. 

Matheny,  Springfield,  111. 

The  undersigned  desire  to  call  your  attention 
to  the  number  of  years  that  have  elapsed  since 
they  had  the  honor  and  pleasure  to  meet  and 
serve  with  you,  as  members  thereof,  in  the  con- 
stitutional convention  of  1847.  More  than  thirty- 
six  years  have  passed  away  since  the  organization, 
deliberations  and  adjournment  of  that  convention 
and  the  first  Monday  of  March  next  will  be  the 
thirty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  adoption  of  its 
work  by  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  Prob- 
ably all  the  members  of  the  convention  who  as- 
sisted in  the  framing  of  the  constitution  of  1848 
survived  long  enough  to  be  gratified  and  honored 
by  its  adoption  by  the  people.  Some  of  them 
(ourselves  among  the  number)  have  had  the 
honor  to  see  it  last  as  the  organic  law  until  the 
adoption  of  the  present  constitution  in  1870.  But 
few  of  us  remain.  We  can  not  call  to  mind  more 
than  twenty-five  or  thirty  who  are  now  living. 
We  need  hardly  add  that  a  reunion  of  the  few 
survivors  could  not  fail  to  be  a  meeting  of  great 
interest  and  pleasure  to  each  and  all  of  them.  In 
this  view  we  beg  leave  to  suggest  to  you  a  reunion 
of  the  survivors  of  the  convention  of  1847  at  the 
circuit  courtroom  in  Springfield  (where  the  con- 
vention was  held)  on  some  day,  to  be  suggested 
by  you,  during  the  ensuing  winter.  Please  let  us 
hear  from  you  as  soon  as  convenient  and  give  us 
some  suggestions  as  to  the  ways  and  means  of 
notifying  the  survivors  and  securing  their  re- 
union at  the  time  and  place  indicated. 
Yours  truly, 
WM.  R.  ARCHER. 
WM.  A.  GRIMSHAW. 


The  editor  says,  "In  some  respects  the  conven- 
tion here  referred  to  was  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant bodies  ever  assembled  in  the  state  and  its 
work  practically  started  the  march  of  steady  civil 
progress  which  has  resulted  in  the  greatness  to- 
which  the  state  has  attained." 

Under  the  caption  of  "Pioneers  of  Progress," 
the  Daily  Illinois  State  Register  of  Springfield, 
January  3,  1884,  gives  a  history  of  the  convention 
with  short  historical  sketches  of  the  survivors. 
It  says :  "William  A.  Grimshaw,  one  of  the  three 
surviving  delegates  from  Pike  county,  was  born 
in  Ireland  in  1813.  His  father,  William  Grim- 
shaw, was  a  distinguished  historian  and  his 
mother,  Harriet  Milligan  Grimshaw,  a  daughter 
of  James  Milligan,  a  captain  of  the  Pennsylvania 
line  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Grimshaw 
was  educated  in  Philadelphia  and  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  came 
to  Illinois  in  May,  1833,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. In  1840  he  made  an  unsuccessful  candi- 
dacy for  the  legislature  on  the  whig  ticket,  but 
the  vigorous  campaign  which  he  made  in  August 
resulted  in  giving  the  county  to  Harrison  in  No- 
vember. When  in  the  convention,  although  his 
party  was  in  the  minority,  he  took  a  prominent 
part  in  its  deliberations  and  was  the  author  of  the 
anti-dueling  clause  incorporated  in  the  constitu- 
tion. In  1848  he  carried  his  own  county  for  the 
legislature,  but  the  vote  of  Calhoun  county  de- 
feated him.  He  was  in  the  Decatur  convention  in 
1860,  also  in  the  state  convention  of  1864  and  was 
a  delegate  from  the  ninth  Illinois  district  to  the 
Baltimore  national  convention  of  1864,  which 
nominated  Lincoln  the  second  time  for  president. 
He  has  been  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion (the  law)  for  over  fifty  years  and  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  a  large  and  lucrative 
clientage.  He  is  at  the  present  time  the  attorney 
for  the  Wabash  Railroad  and  the  Sny  levee  com- 
missioners. He  has  held  numerous  trusteeships 
in  various  public  institutions.  He  has  been  for 
several  years  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  char- 
ities. In  1880  he  was  on  the  Republican  electoral 
ticket  and  was  the  messenger  to  take  the  vote  ta 
Washington. 

"In  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of  the 
senate  and  house  of  representatives  of  the  United 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


179 


States  of  America  for  the  proper  observance  and 
celebration  of  the  first  centennial  of  our  national 
independence  on  July  4,  1876,  at  a  public  meeting 
at  the  courthouse  in  Pittsfield  the  following  com- 
mittee of  arrangements  and  programme  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  action  of  the  meeting :  C.  L.  Hig- 
bee,  chairman  ;  William  A.  Grimshaw,  James  G. 
Erwin,  William  R.  Archer,  Strother  Griggsby,  J. 
M.  Bush,  Richard  M.  Atkinson." 

The  following  paragraph  is  copied  from  the 
printed  "Address  of  the  Centenial  Committee  of 
Invitation" :  "In  pursuance  of  the  power  of  the 
power  of  the  committee  they  have  chosen  as  the 
historian  of  the  county  for  the  4th  of  July,  1876, 
the  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw,  himself  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  in  the  county  and  who,  by  rea- 
son thereof,  and  his  eminent  ability,  is  most  fully 
qualified  for  the  position."  Mr.  Grimshaw  wrote 
and  delivered  as  a  centenial  address  at  the  Fourth 
of  July  celebration  of  1876  a  brief  history  of  Pike 
county.  In  closing  he  said,  "It  is  my  anticipa- 
tion, in  the  march  of  events,  that  the  next  centen- 
nial history  of  Pike  will  be  offered  by  a  lady." 
By  his  consent  extracts  from  his  centennial  his- 
tory are  incorporated  in  "The  History  of  Pike 
County"  published  in  1880.  A  copy  of  his  cen- 
tennial history  is  in  the  library  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia. 

This  is  from  the  pen  of  Hon.  J.  M.  Bush,  the 
able  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Pike  County 
Democrat  and  the  publisher  of  Mr.  Grimshaw's 
centennial  history : 

"TO  THE  PUBLIC. 

"In  presenting  the  foregoing  able  and  exhaus- 
tive centennial  address  it  is  due  to  the  author  and 
ourself  to  say  that  circumstances  beyond  our 
control  have  prevented  its  publication  until  the 
present  time,  but  as  it  is  a  work  of  that  character 
which  will  become  the  more  valuable  as  time  shall 
elapse,  little  harm  can  arise  from  the  delay.  And 
in  this  connection  we  deem  it  but  just  to  the  dis- 
tinguished author  to  append  a  notice  of  one  who 
has  been  so  prominently  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  Illinois  and  especially  of  Pike  county  since 
its  earliest  days — the  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  Grimshaw,  who  was  an 


early  and  distinguished  historian  of  the  United 
States  and  whose  mother  was  Harriet  Milligan 
Grimshaw,  a  native  of  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina, and  a  daughter  of  James  Milligan,  a  captain 
in  the  Pennsylvania  line  in  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  an  original  member  of  the  Society  of 
Cincinnati,  of  which  society  General  George 
Washington  was  the  president.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  nineteen 
years  of  age  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  In 
May,  1833,  he  arrived  in  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
and  in  November  of  the  same  year  received  a  li- 
cense from  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  to 
practice  law.  In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed 
adjutant  of  the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Militia,  then 
as  other  regiments,  mustering  regularly,  and  as 
adjutant,  equipped  and  uniformed,  was  ready  for 
service  with  his  regiment  and  often  held  with  his 
colonel,  Benjamin  Barney,  regimental  and  bat- 
talion trainings  in  Pike.  Governor  John  Rey- 
nolds, unsolicited,  commissioned  Mr.  Grimshaw 
as  public  administrator  of  Pike  county.  In  1840 
he  ran  as  a  whig  candidate  for  the  legislature 
ahead  of  his  ticket  at  the  August  election.  The 
vigorous  campaign  that  he  made  secured  to  Har- 
rison for  president  at  the  November  election  a 
county  majority  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  votes. 
At  his  next  candidacy  he  was  elected  as  a  dele- 
gate to  the  constitutional  convention  of  1847  and 
sat  in  that  body,  in  whose  deliberations  and  ac- 
tions he  took  a  prominent  part.  He  was  the  au- 
thor of  the  anti-dueling  clause  incorporated  into 
the  constitution  then  adopted.  The  next  year, 
1848,  his  own  county  gave  him  a  majority  as  a 
candidate  for  the  legislature,  but  he  was  defeated 
by  the  vote  of  Calhoun  county,  which  then  voted 
with  Pike  county.  On  several  subsequent  occa- 
sions, as  a  candidate  for  the  senate  and  constitu- 
tional convention,  he  has  run  largely  ahead  of  his 
ticket,  but  opposition  having  substantial  majori- 
ties, he  was  defeated.  In  politics  a  whig  and  then 
a  republican,  he  has  at  the  solicitation  of  others 
been  put  forward  as  a  representative  of  the  views 
of  his  party,  but  has  always  manifested  a  personal 
independence,  rarely,  if  ever,  to  be  found  in  the 
party  politician.  As  a  Union  man  he  was  very 
pronounced  in  his  views  and  devoted  his  time  and 
energies  freely  in  support  of  the  federal  govern- 


i8o 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ment.  In  1860,  as  a  delegate  to  the  Decatur  con- 
vention, he  was  for  Lincoln  for  president  and  in 
1864  took  part  in  the  Illinois  state  convention  and 
was  also  sent  as  a  delegate  of  the  old  ninth  con- 
gressional district  to  the  Baltimore  republican 
convention  which  re-nominated  Lincoln.  As  a 
personal  friend  of  Douglas,  in  war  speeches  he 
lauded  him  for  his  bold  and  emphatic  support  of 
the  Union  cause.  At  the  bar  of  Pike  and  other 
counties  and  also  in  the  supreme  court  of  Illinois 
and  in  the  United  States  court  at  Springfield  and 
Chicago  he  has  tried  many  causes  and  is  yet  in 
very  active  practice ;  and  as  attorney  for  the  Sny 
levee  commissioners  has  from  the  first  steps  as  to 
legal  proceedings  in  the  state  courts  upheld  the 
acts  of  the  commissioners,  but  the  supreme  court 
of  Illinois  has  decided  adversely  on  the  constitu- 
tionality of  the  state  laws  as  to  levees,  etc.  He 
is  attorney  for  the  Toledo,  Wabash  &  Western 
and  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Companies  and 
Mississippi  River  Bridge  Company  at  Louisiana, 
Missouri.  During  fourteen  years  the  late  Jackson 
Grimshaw  was  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
William  A.,  that  partnership  ceasing  in  1857.  He 
is  the  owner  of  fine  farms  and  takes  pride  in 
agriculture  and  has  raised  fine  horses,  cattle  and 
sheep.  He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Pike  County 
Agricultural  Society  and  has  several  times  been 
president  thereof  and  has  taken  many  premiums 
on  fine  stock.  In  the  promotion  of  railroads  and 
other  interests  in  Pike  he  has  always  actively  par- 
ticipated. As  a  trustee  of  the  State  Institution 
for  the  Blind  at  Jacksonville  he  served  twelve 
years  and  in  the  last  year  of  his  service  the  institu- 
tion was  rebuilt,  the  first  edifice  having  been  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  This  service  was  without  emolu- 
ment. He  takes  pride  in  having  served  many 
years  as  a  trustee  of  Pittsfield  and  also  as  a  school 
director  of  Pittsfield  when  the  large  and  hand- 
some East  school  building  was  erected  in  1863-4, 
and  for  many  years  thereafter. 

"J.  M.  BUSH,  Publisher. 
"February  17,  1877." 

On  Monday  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
the  bar  of  Pike  county  assembled  to  pay  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  article  and  there  was  a  full  attendance. 


The  chairman  of  the  committee,  appointed  at  a 
former  meeting  to  prepare  proper  resolutions,  sub- 
mitted the  following : 

"The  committee,  to  whom  at  a  farmer  term  of 
this  court  was  assigned  the  duty  of  preparing  and 
presenting  to  it  suitable  resolutions  touching  the 
death  of  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw,  one  of  the 
earliest  and  most  honored  members  of  the  Pike 
county  bar,  respectfully  report  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolutions : 

"Whereas,  On  the  morning  of  January  7,  A.  D. 
1895,  Hon.  William  A.  Grimshaw,  who  became  a 
member  of  this  bar  in  1833  and  for  more  than  half 
a  century  was  prominent  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  not  only  at  it,  but  in  the  courts  of  what 
is  known  as  the  military  tract  as  well  as  in  the 
supreme  court  of  the  state  and  the  federal  courts, 
passed  at  a  ripe  old  age  and  full  of  honors  to  that 
bourne  from  whence  no  traveler  returns  and  is 
no  longer  one  of  our  number,  therefore  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  by  his  death  the  Pike  county 
bar  has- lost  one  who  in  his  mature  manhood 
through  a  long  and  useful  life  was  an  ornament  to 
his  profession  and  in  its  practice  commanded  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  the  entire  community, 
one  who  by  his  energy  and  zeal  in  behalf  of  his 
clients,  his  study  honesty,  integrity  and  fidelity 
to  all  trusts  assumed  by  or  imposed  upon  him 
added  lustre  to  a  profession  which  from  the  earli- 
est ages  has  been  foremost  in  the  conduct  of  all 
matters  tending  to  the  well-being  of  a  common 
humanity,  one  who  imbued  with  a  high  sense  of 
honor  and  regard  for  the  majesty  of  the  law, 
waged  his  legal  battles  in  an  open  field  and  so 
conducted  them  as  to  be  a  foeman  worthy  of  the 
steel  of  the  highest  in  the  profession.  In  fine,  one 
the  record  of  whose  life  as  a  lawyer  stands  out 
fair  and  untarnished  and  presents  in  him  a  bright 
exemplar  for  the  emulation  of  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  a  profession  he  so  well  adorned. 

"Resolved.  That  not  alone  in  his  chosen  walk 
of  life,  the  law,  was  he  distinguished  and  promi- 
nent, but  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  was  ever 
foremost  in  good  works.  As  a  member  of  the 
constitutional  convention  of  1847  he  took  high 
rank  among  the  ablest  in  that  distinguished  body 
and  rendered  invaluable  service  in  the  framing 
of  an  instrument  which  in  the  wisdom  of  its  pro- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


iHi 


visions  was  far  ahead  of  the  general  spirit  of  the 
age  and  became  a  model'  for  years  for  many  of  the 
new  states  admitted  into  the  Union.  He  was  the 
author  of  the  anti-dueling  provision  which  met 
with  much  opposition  in  a  day  when  the  code 
duello  was  largely  in  vogue  for  the  settlement  of 
personal  difficulties  and  was  urgent  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  levy  of  the  two  mill  tax,  by  which  the 
credit  of  the  state  was  restored  and  its  debt  of 
some  twelve  or  fourteen  million  dollars  eventu- 
ally paid.  When  the  dark  and  troublous  times 
that  preceded  the  breaking  out  of  the  internecine 
strife  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union  first  ap- 
peared his  patriotic  spirit  was  deeply  stirred  and 
with  that  zeal  and  ardor  which  were  among  his 
marked  characteristics  he  engaged  earnestly  and 
vigorously  in  the  upholding  of  the  flag  of  his 
country  and  rendered  services  in  private  life  that 
would  have  won  him  distinction  if  performed 
upon  the  tented  field,  and  ever  during  the  pen- 
dency of  that  terrible  struggle  was  the  trusted 
friend  and  confidant  of  the  federal  authorities. 
As  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  for 
many  years  his  work  as  such  became  a  labor  of 
love  and  he  was  pre-eminently  conspicuous  in 
making  the  various  charitable  institutions  of  the 
state  carry  out  most  fully  and  economically  the 
noble  purposes  for  which  they  were  established. 
Into  this  work  he  entered  with  all  his  soul  and 
that  energy  of  purpose  so  characteristic  of  him  in 
all  that  he  undertook  and  after  his  retirement  as 
a  member  he  manifested  by  word  and  deed  up  to 
the  very  last  the  warmest  interest  in  a  matter  in 
which  all  the  better  feelings  of  his  nature  had  be- 
come involved.  In  local  matters  he  was  in  full 
sympathy  with  whatever  tended  to  the  upbuilding 
and  prosperity  of  this  county  and  community,  as 
is  evidenced  by  his  having  been  one  of  the  incor- 
porators  of  the  Louisiana  &  Pike  County  Rail- 
road, a  member  of  the  school  board  that  erected 
our  costly  East  school  building  in  1863-4,  presi- 
dent and  director  of  the  Pike  County  Agricul- 
tural Society,  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Old 
Settlers'  Society  and  in  the  promotion  of  these 
and  other  projects  of  like  character  he  was  ever 
active,  efficient  and  zealous.  Your  committee  re- 
spectfully ask  that  this  preamble  and  resolutions 
be  spread  upon  the  records  of  this  court  and  a 


copy  presented  to  the  family  of  the  deceased  and 
furnished  to  the  county  papers  for  publication. 
"J.   M.   BUSH,  Chairman, 
"A.   C.   MATTHEWS, 
"J.  D.  HESS, 

"Committee  " 

Mr.  Grimshaw  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  a  sincere,  conscientious,  consistent  and 
active  Christian.  His  prayer  was  always :  "Heav- 
enly Father  give  me  wisdom  and  strength  faith- 
fully to  perform  my  whole  duty  in  every  relation 
of  life."  His  motto  was  "Candide  et  Constanter," 
and  he  exemplified  it  in  his  life.  He  was  very  lit- 
erary in  his  tastes,  a  great  reader,  took  an  interest 
in  a  wide  range  of  subjects  and  was  well  in- 
formed upon  them.  He  collected  a  large  and 
valuable  library  of  miscellaneous  books  and  was 
very  liberal  minded  and  generous,  no  worthy  per- 
son or  cause  ever  appealing  to  him  for  aid  in  vain. 
Although  firm  and  unyielding  where  a  principle 
was  involved,  giving  forth  no  uncertain  sound,  in 
matters  of  mere  will  or  pleasure  he  conceded 
much.  But  it  was  in  his  home  that  his  superior 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind  shone  brightest.  He 
was  a  most  affectionate  and  tender  husband  and 
father  and  a  true  friend. 


W.  R.  WILLS. 

W.  R.  Wills,  prominently  known  as  a  breeder 
of  pedigreed  shorthorn  cattle,  owning  a  fine  stock 
farm  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Pittsfield,  on 
sections  20  and  21,  Pittsfield  township,  and  also 
engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  in  the  city  as 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  W.  R.  Wills  &  Brother, 
is  one  of  Pike  county's  native  sons,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  at  Summer  Hill,  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, October  27,  1844.  His  parents  were  Wil- 
liam R.  and  Lucy  D.  (Scott)  Wills.  The  father, 
a  native  of  Herkimer  county,  New  York,  came 
to  Illinois  in  1827,  while  the  mother,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Herkimer  county,  New  York,  born  in 
Litchfield,  came  west  in  1818,  landing  at  East 
St.  Louis  on  the  4th  of  July.  Some  years  after 
coming  to  Illinois  the  father  purchased  a  farm  on 
which  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  As  the  years 
passed  by  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings  and 


1 82 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


accumulated'  considerable  property,  at  one  time 
owning  sixteen  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine 
farm  land.  He  made  a  specialty  of  stock-raising 
and  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  stock  business 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  all  that  he  undertook 
he  prospered,  owing  to  his  close  application  and 
unremitting  diligence.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  republican  party,  but  he  was 
without  aspiration  for  office.  He  held  member- 
ship with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
of  Pittsfield,  and  in  public  affairs  manifested  a 
helpful  interest.  In  the  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  are  living :  W.  R.,  of  this 
review ;  Lucy,  the  wife  of  Jerome  Chamberlain, 
who  resides  at  Laurel,  Mississippi;  and  A.  V. 
The  father  died  August  6,  1872,  while  the  mother 
survived  until  October  30,  1890. 

W.  R.  Wills,  of  this  review,  after  attending 
the  common  schools  of  Pike  county,  prepared  for 
his  business  career  by  a  course  of  study  in  Bry- 
ant, Stratton  and  Carpenter's  Commercial  Col- 
lege at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1867.  Through  the  period  of  his 
youth  he  worked  upon  his  father's  farm  and  con- 
tinued as  his  assistant  until  the  father's  death, 
since  which  time  he  has  owned  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead  and  has  always  lived  there.  He  is  to- 
day one  of  the  best  known  breeders  of  shorthorn 
cattle  in  this  part  of  the  state,  having  gained  a 
wide  reputation  for  the  high  grade  and  good 
points  of  his  stock.  He  owns  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  excellent  farming  land  on  sections 
20  and  21,  Pittsfield  township,  and  the  place  is 
improved  with  modern  buildings  and  equipment, 
while  everything  about  the  farm  is  kept  in  first- 
class  condition.  In  connection  with  his  brother, 
A.  V.  Wills,  he  also  owns  eight  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  on  the  Mississippi  river  bottoms. 
These  brothers  are  engaged  in  real-estate  opera- 
tions in  Pittsfield  under  the  firm  style  of  W.  R. 
Wills  &  Brother.  They  give  special  attention 
to  large  tracts  of  swamp  lands,  sell  lands  on  com- 
mission and  have  a  large  clientage  in  this  busi- 
ness. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1868,  Mr.  Wills  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Wells,  a  native 
of  Pike  county,  born  August  27,  1850,  and  a 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Jester)  Wells, 


who  came  to.  Pike  county  at  an  early  day.  Her 
father  owned  a  small  farm  here,  upon  which  he 
spent  his  remaining  days.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wills 
have  become  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom 
eight  are  living :  Lucy  Ellen,  who  was  born  De- 
cember 14,  1870,  was  married  October  24,  1888, 
to  James  O.  Wilsey,  a  resident  of  Kahlotus,  Wash- 
ington, and  they  have  four  children :  Lela  May, 
born  August  n,  1890;  Alta  P.,  born  May  3,  1892  ; 
Ross  O.,  born  August  27,  1901,  and  James  O., 
born  October  20,  1903.  Charles  H.,  born  May 
9,  1873,  was  married  June  4,  1902,  to  Anna  D. 
Dutton,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield  township.  Isadora 
I.,  born  September  9,  1877,  "was  married  in  May, 
1898,  to  Carson  Tippets,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield 
township,  and  they  have  three  children,  Alva, 
Leland  and  Kieth.  Edgar  Eugene,  born  April 
9,  1880,  now  living  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  was 
married.  May  21,  1905,  to  Grace  Fern  Frederick. 
Clarence  David,  born  August  9,  1882,  Armine, 
born  November  29,  1885,  Mabel  Ethel,  born  Au- 
gust 13,  1889,  and  Neva  Rose,  born  July  23,  1892, 
are  all  at  home  with  their  parents.  They  lost 
their  first  born,  Ida  M.,  whose  birth  occurred 
December  14,  1869,  and  who  died  on  the  2d  of 
August,  1870.  Their  fourth  child,  Orion  Ross, 
born  January  30,  1876,  was  killed  by  lightning 
April  1 8,  1902. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Wills  is  a  stal- 
wart republican  and  has  served  as  school  trustee 
for  several  years.  He  has  always  been  interested 
in  the  cause  of  education,  but  has  never  cared 
for  other  office.  He  belongs  to  Pittsfield  lodge, 
No.  95,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Pittsfield,  and  Pittsfield 
lodge,  No.  790,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Union  chapter, 
No.  10,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Ascalon  commandery,  No. 
49,  K.  T.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Daughters  of  Rebekah  lodge  and  Mrs.  Wills 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Christian'  church.  A 
gentleman  of  broad,  general  culture,  Mr.  Wills 
has  read  widely  and  deeply  and  is  a  most  inter- 
esting conversationalist.  He  is  especially  inter- 
ested in  historical  matters  and  genealogical  re- 
search. His  business  career  has  been  character- 
ized by  steady  progress  that  ultimately  reaches 
its  objective  point  and  in  the  conduct  of  his  farm, 
in  the  management  of  his  stock  breeding  and  in 
the  control  of  his  real-estate  operations  he  has 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


183 


met  with  gratifying  success,  becoming  one  of  the 
substantial  and  representative  citizens  of  Pike 
county. 


ARDEN  NORTHUP. 

Arden  Northup  was  born  in  Griggsville,  Ili- 
nois,  February  20,  1875.  His  parents  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stephen  Northup.  His  life  thus  far  has 
always  been  spent  in  Griggsville.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  years  he  entered  the  printing  office  as  an' 
apprentice  and  has  since  followed  that  profession. 
In  1903  he  established  the  Griggsville  Herald,  a 
newspaper  which  ranks  well  in  the  foremost  list 
of  county  papers.  He  is  a  member  of  Griggsville 
lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  also  of  Pike 
lodge,  No.  73,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


J.  I.  DOSS,  M.  D. 

Dr.  J.  I.  Doss,  who  since  1883  has  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Milton, 
where  his  ability  and  devotion  to  his  profession 
have  been  recognized  in  a  large  and  constantly 
growing  patronage,  was  born  in  Waverly,  Illi- 
nois, August  29,  1858,  his  parents  being  Dr.  C. 
H.  and  Margaret  Doss.  Whether  inherited  ten- 
dency or  environment  or  a  natural  predilection 
did  most  to  influence  the  choice  of  J.  I.  Doss  to 
a  profession  is  not  definitely  known,  but  that  he 
chose  a  life  work  for  which  nature  seemed  to 
have  intended  him  is  indicated  by  the  fact  of  his 
success  as  a  practitioner.  His  literary  education 
was  completed  by  three  years'  study  in  the  Chris- 
tian University  at  Canton,  Missouri,  after  which 
he  read  medicine  for  one  year  under  the  direction 
of  his  father.  He  next  attended  a  term  of  lec- 
tures at  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  in  Cincin- 
nati. Ohio,  and  subsequently  entered  the  Bennett 
Medical  College  at  Chicago,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1880,  having  pursued 
a  thorough  course  in  that  institution.  He  at  once 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Pittsfield,  where  he  remained  for  three  years,  and 
in  1883  he  came  to  Milton,  Pike  county,  where 


he  has  since  remained,  a  liberal  patronage  being 
accorded  him  in  recognition  of  his  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  the  principles  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery and  his  correct  application  of  his  knowledge 
to  the  needs  of  suffering  humanity.  In  1892  he 
pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  New  York 
Post-Graduate  College  and  he  has  continuously 
been  a  student  of  his  profession,  keeping  in  touch 
with  modern  scientific  researches  through  the 
reading  of  medical  journals  and  the  books  that 
have  been  contributed  to  medical  literature  and 
are  of  recognized  value  to  the  profession. 

Dr.  Doss  was  married  September  12,  1883,  to 
Miss  Virginia  E.  Luthy,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Mary  Luthy,  of  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  and  they 
are  highly  esteemed  in  social  circles  of  Milton, 
the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  being  cordially 
extended  to  them.  Dr.  Doss  is  a  member  of  Mil- 
ton lodge,  No.  275,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Robin 
Hood  lodge,  No.  415,  K.  P.,  both  of  Milton.  He 
is  an  elder  -in  the  Christian  church,  of  which  he 
has  been  a  member  since  1876.  In  his  profession 
he  is  connected  with  the  Illinois  State  Eclectic 
Association  and  the  National  Eclectic  Associa- 
tion. He  is  a  self-made  man  in  every  respect, 
and  has  devoted  his  life  to  a  profession  wherein 
advancement  depends  entirely  upon  individual  ef- 
fort and  merit,  constantly  broadening  his  knowl- 
edge by  reading  and  research,  which  has  pro- 
moted his  efficiency  year  by  year  and  in  the  twenty- 
two  years  of  his  connection  with  Milton  has  sus- 
tained a  high  reputation  and  enjoyed  the  unquali- 
fied confidence  and  good  will  of  his  fellow 
citizens. 


LOREN  L.   CUNNINGHAM. 

Loren  L.  Cunningham  is  one  of  the  public- 
spirited  men  of  Hardin  township,  serving  as 
assessor  at  this  writing,  in  1906,  while  his  activ- 
ity and  devotion  to  the  general  good  have  made 
him  a  man  of  worth  to  the  community.  He  is 
also  an  active  and  thrifty  farmer,  operating  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Hardin  township,  on  the  2d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1881.  His  father,  John  A.  Cunningham, 


1 84 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


was  also  a  native  son  of  Pike  county,  first  open- 
ing his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  Hardin  town- 
ship, where  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  ac- 
quired his  education.  In  1878  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Mitchell,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  the  same  township.  Her  father,  John  W. 
Mitchell,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  when  a  young 
man  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Nancy  E.  Sitton,  who  was  born  in  Missouri 
but  was  reared  in  Pike  county,  her  people  having 
located  here  at  an  early  day  in  the  development 
of  this  part  of  the  state.  John  A.  Cunningham 
became  a  substantial  farmer  who  owned  and 
operated  a  tract  of  land  of  nearly  one  hundred 
acres.  He  improved  this  tract  and  spent  his 
last  days  upon  the  farm,  his  death  occurring  here 
in  December,  1881.  He  left  a  wife  and  two 
children  :  Lola,  the  wife  of  Charles  Willard,  now 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Hardin  town- 
ship who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume ; 
and  Loren  L.,  of  this  review. 

The  latter  spent  his  youth  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farm  lads,  living  upon  the  old  homestead  and 
dividing  his  attention  between  the  duties  of  the 
schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and 
the  work  of  the  fields.  Following  his  father's 
death  he  remained  with  his  mother  upon  the  farm 
and  later  took  charge  of  the  property.  He  was 
married  in  Hardin  township,  February  22,  1903, 
to  Miss  Clyde  A.  Cox,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Cox, 
a  farmer  of  Hardin  township.  Mrs.  Cunningham 
spent  her  girlhood  days  in  her  parents'  home 
and  is  indebted  to  the  public  schools  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  she  enjoyed.  By  her  marriage 
she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  children, 
Thelma  L.  and  Jaunita,  the  latter  now  deceased. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Cunningham  lo- 
cated upon  the  old  home  farm,  where  he  yet 
resides,  and  in  connection  with  the  cultivation  of 
this  place  he  also  operates  other  lands.  He  is 
a  good  business  man  and  largely  devotes  his 
attention  to  raising  good  grades  of  stock.  His 
labors  are  attended  with  a  gratifying  measure 
of  prosperity  for  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  preparing 
his  stock  for  the  market.  He  has  always  been  an 
earnest  republican  and  he  was  appointed  com- 
missioner to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term.  He  was 


elected  and  is  now  serving  his  first  term  as  asses- 
sor of  Hardin  township  and  the  trust  reposed  in 
him  is  well  merited  as  is  indicated  by  his  faithful 
performance  of  the  duties  that  thus  devolve  upon 
him.  He  is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  the 
lodge  at  Time.  One  of  the  young  men  of  the 
county,  he  has  already  made  for  himself  a  credit- 
able name  and  a  good  position  in  business 
circles. 


HON.  HARRY  HIGBEE. 

Hon.  Harry  Higbee,  judge  of  the  eighth  judi- 
cial district,  is  a  native  of  Pittsfield,  his  present 
home.  He  was  born  December  13,  1854,  a  son 
of  Judge  and  Mrs.  Chauncey  L.  Higbee.  His 
father  was  a  most  eminent  and  distinguished  jur- 
ist and  a  man  universally  admired  and  kindly  re- 
membered. His  death  occurred  in  1884. 

Judge  Higbee  of  this  review  was  a  student  in 
the  public  schools  of  Pittsfield  until  1871,  when 
he  entered  Yale  College,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1875.  Following  the  comple- 
tion of  his  collegiate  course  he  read  law  for  a 
year  in  Pittsfield,.  atter  which  he  spent  a  year 
in  Columbia  Law  School  in  New  York  city.  The 
following  year  was  devoted  to  the  further  study  of 
the  principles  of  jurisprudence  in  the  Union  Col- 
lege of  Law  in  Chicago,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1878.  Just  prior  to 
this  time  he  had  successfully  passed  the  examina- 
tion for  admission  to  the  bar  of  Illinois,  and  fol- 
lowing the  completion  of  his  law  course  he  spent 
nine  months  in  travel  in  Europe  in  company  with 
the  Hon.  Scott  Wike,  thus  gaining  the  knowl- 
edge and  culture  which  only  travel  can  bring. 

Following  his  return  home  Mr.  Higbee  entered 
at  once  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  and 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Wike  and  Colonel  Mat- 
thews under  the  firm  style  of  Matthews,  Wike  & 
Higbee  until  1884.  Severing  his  connection  with 
the  firm  he  then  went  to  Minneapolis,  Minnesota, 
where  he  remained  nine  months,  and  on  his  return 
to  Pittsfield  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  Wike  under  the  name  of 
Wike  &  Higbee.  When  Mr.  Wike  was  made  as- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


187 


sistant  secretary  of  the  treasury  Mr.  Higbee  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Matthews,  Higbee 
&  Grigsby,  with  which  he  was  connected  until 
his  election  to  the  circuit  court  bench  in  1897,  to 
which  office  he  has  been  re-elected,  so  that  he  is 
the  present  judge  of  the  eighth  judicial  district. 
In  1888  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  and  was 
re-elected  in  1892.  He  was  appointed  a  member 
of  the  appellate  court  of  the  second  district  of  Illi- 
nois in  1898,  and  was  re-appointed  in  1900  and  in 
1903  was  appointed  in  the  fourth  district.  He  is 
also  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Pittsfield,  but  otherwise  has  concentrated  his  ener- 
gies upon  the  legal  profession. 

On  the  1 8th  of  December,  1879,  Judge  Hig- 
bee was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma 
Hicks,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  D.  D.  Hicks,  of 
Pittsfield.  She  died  July  12,  1881,  and  their  only 
son  died  on  the  3d  of  August  of  the  same  year. 
Judge  Higbee  has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaint- 
ance in  the  county  in  which  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed  and  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  extensive. 
He  has  ever  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  the  legal  practitioners  of  his  dis- 
trict. His  life  has  been  one  of  untiring  activity 
and  has  been  crowned  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess, yet  he  is  not  less  esteemed  as  a  citizen  than 
as  a  lawyer  and  his  kindly  impulses  and  charming 
cordiality  of  manner  have  rendered  him  exceed- 
ingly popular  among  all  classes. 


GEORGE  F.  BAGBY. 

George  F.  Bagby,  deceased,  was  a  prominent 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Hardin  township,  who 
owned  about  one  thousand  acres  of  land  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  September  5. 
1897.  His  life  was  one  of  intense  and  well 
directed  activity,  crowned  by  successful  accom- 
plishment, as  was  indicated  by  his  extensive  land 
holdings.  He  was  born  upon  the  old  Bagby 
homestead  farm  in  this  county,  May  8,  1851, 
and  was  reared  and  educated  here,  attending  the 
village  school  of  Time.  He  remained  with  his 
father  through  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  and  afterward  assisted  in  carrying  on  the 
ii 


home  farm  for  his  mother  until  her  death,  when 
he  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  a  part  of  the 
place. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1895,  Mr.  Bagby  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Eva  M.  Cannon,  a 
native  of  this  county.  Her  father,  Franklin  Ran- 
som, was  also  born  in  Pike  county  and  his  people 
removed  from  Indiana  to  Illinois,  settling  among 
the  early  residents  of  Pike  county.  The  Ransom 
family  is  of  English  lineage  and  was  founded 
in  America  at  a  very  early  day  in  the  colonization 
of  the  new  world,  the  progenitor  of  the  line  in 
this  country  having  come  to  the  new  world  on 
the  MayFfower.  ••Franklin  Ransom  was  reared 
in  this  county  and'Vas  married  here  to  Mrs. 
Martha  Cooper,  a  wicfow,4  whose  former  hus- 
band was  Robert  Cooper.  'She  was  also  born 
in  this  county.  Mr.  Ransom  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Civil  war,  valiantly  aiding  the  Union  cause,  and 
later  he  was  a  farmer  of  Hardin  township,  being 
connected  for  many  years  with  agricultural  pur- 
suits, but  he  now  resides  in  the  village  of  Time, 
enjoying  a  well  earned  rest  from  business  cares. 
In  his  family  were  four  children :  Isabelle,  now 
the  wife  of  T.  H.  Mills,  a  resident  of  Armona, 
California;  Mrs.  Bagby,  of  this  review;  Sarah 
Lou,  the  wife  of  S.  C.  Brown,  of  Los  Angeles, 
California;  and  Lucy  A.,  a  young  lady  residing 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Bagby. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Bagby  settled  upon 
the  old  homestead  and  remained  an  active  and 
prosperous  farmer  of  the  county  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  here  September  5, 
1897.  He  was  reliable  in  business,  energetic 
and  ambitious,  -and  he  was  carefully  conducting 
his  work  along  well  defined  lines  of  labor,  so  that 
his  efforts  were  being  attended  with  a  gratifying 
measure  of  prosperity.  Following  her  husband's 
death  Mrs.  Bagby  took  charge  of  the  farm  and 
business,  held  a  public  sale  and  paid  off  a  large 
indebtedness.  She  has  proved  very  successful 
in  her  control  of  business  interests  and  although 
she  has  sold  off  some  of  the  land  she  still  retains 
four  hundred  acres  and  gives  her  supervision 
to  its  improvement  and  cultivation.  She  has  built' 
a  good,  neat  and  substantial  residence  and  has 
three  tenant  houses  and  three  large  barns  upon 
her  farm.  The  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appear- 


1 88 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ance,  indicating  her  supervision  to  be  of  both  a 
practical  and  progressive  nature.  She  employs  a 
good  foreman  who  attends  to  the  work  of  the 
fields  and  the  care  of  the  stock,  of  which  she 
raises  considerable,  finding  this  a  profitable  source 
of  income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bagby  was  born  a  son, 
George  Forrest  Bagby,  and  by  her  former  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Bagby  had  a  daughter,  Lila  Cannon. 
Mr.  Bagby  was  a  strong  republican,  but  never 
cared  for  office,  his  time  and  attention  being  de- 
voted to  his  farm  and  business.  He  was  reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  although  he  did  not  become  a  member  of  the 
denomination  he  displayed  in  his  life  many  ster- 
ling traits  of  character,  being  a  reliable  as  well 
as  conscientious  business  man,  thoroughly  honest 
in  all  of  his  dealings.  He  was  also  loyal  and 
progressive  in  citizenship  and  in  his  home 
was  a  devoted  husband  and  father.  He  belonged 
to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of  Pittsfield  and 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  Mrs.  Bagby 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  at  Time  and 
has  many  warm  friends  in  the  community  where 
she  lives,  the  hospitality  of  her  home  being 
greatly  enjoyed  by  those  who  know  her. 


WILLIAM  RILEY  WILLSEY. 

William  Riley  Willsey  is  a  representative  of  a 
prominent  pioneer  family  and  his  record  has  been 
cast  in  harmony  with  that  of  others  of  the  name, 
who  has  always  been  classed  with  the  leading 
and  worthy  citizens  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 
He  was  born  July  29,  1853,  in  Pittsfield,  near  his 
present  home  and  is  a  son  of  James  Gallett  and 
Melinda  (Rogers)  Willsey.  The  father  was  born 
in  Tompkins  county,  New  York,  February  28, 
1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Barnett  and  Cornelia 
(Kiser)  Willsey,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
the  Empire  state.  In  the  year  1837  the  grand- 
parents removed  from  New  York  to  Ohio  and  in 
1840  came  to  Illinois,  their  destination  being 
Grfggsville  township.  TJiere  (the  grandfather 
began  husking  corn  receiving  every  fifth  load  as 
his  wage.  He  was  employed  upon  different 


farms  and  as  soon  as  he  had  saved  a  little  money 
he  purchased  a  cow.  Not  long  afterward  he 
traded  a  team  for  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Pitts- 
field  township  near  where  his  son  James  G. 
Willsey  now  resides,  but  there  were  no  settlers  in 
the  neighborhood  at  that  time.  There  was  some 
timber  on  the  land  and  the  uninhabited  condition 
of  the  country  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  there 
were  many  deer  and  wolves  in  the  district.  Mr. 
Willsey  first  built  a  cabin  and  in  a  few  years 
erected  a  frame  house,  hauling  the  lumber  on  a 
cart  drawn  by  oxen.  With  characteristic  energy 
he  began  placing  his  land  under  cultivation  and 
in  due  course  of  time  well  cultivated  fields  were 
returning  to  Ijim  golden  harvests.  He  remained 
upon  the  old  homestead  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  January  31,  1859,  and  he 
was  one  of  the  leading  and  typical  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  the  community.  He  owned  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  and  was  considered  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  that  day.  He  was  also  prom- 
inent and  influential  in  public  affairs,  did  much 
to  mold  thought  and  action  in  his  community 
and  was  called  by  his  fellow  townsmen  to  the 
office  of  county  commissioner  and  school  director. 
His  political  support  was  given  to  the  democratic 
party.  In  his  family  were  ten  children,  of  whom 
two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  now  living.  His 
wife  died  January  10,  1889,  when  about  eighty- 
five  years  of  age. 

James  Gallett  Willsey,  the  only  representative 
of  the  family  of  that  generation  now  in  Pike 
county,  attended  the  common  schools,  but  his 
educational  privileges  were  very  limited.  He 
began  earning  his  own  living  when  only  ten 
years  of  age  and  he  has  always  worked  hard.  It 
was  his  labor  that  brought  a  capital  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  purchase  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives.  He  became 
owner  of  this  property  about  1855  and  it  has 
since  remained  in  his  possession.  He  cleared  the 
land,  placed  all  of  the  improvements  upon  the 
farm,  now  has  fine  buildings  and  in  fact  his 
property  is  one  of  the  desirable  farms  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  county.  He  has  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  having  added  to  the  original  tract,  and  gives 
personal  supervision  to  the  work  of  the  farm,  the 
fields  having  been  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cul- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


189 


tivation.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity and  a  Knight  Templar. 

James  G.  Willsey  was  married  in  1851  to  Miss 
Melinda  Rogers,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Fannie 
(Alcorn)  Rogers.  Her  father 'was  a  son  of  Bart- 
lett  Rogers,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  re- 
moved from  that  state  to  Kentucky  and  thence 
went  to  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  settling  near 
Williamsport,  which  was  then  a  little  town  on  the 
Illinois  river  near  Montezuma  at  Big  Sandy 
Creek.  There  he  purchased  a  bond  for  a  deed  to 
lot  number  fifteen,  the  seller  being  John  Radcliff 
and  the  transaction  taking  place  December  29, 
1826.  John  Radcliff  had  bought  the  lot  of  Joseph 
Bentley  for  seventy  dollars,  but  before  he  paid  for 
it  sold  it  to  Bartlett  Rogers  and  Mr.  Willsey  of 
this  review  now  has  the  bond  and  deed  in  his  pos- 
session. Bartlett  Rogers  was  born  in  1771  and 
served  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  died  in  Williams- 
port  May  2,  1831,  and  was  buried  there.  David 
Redmon  Rogers,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Wil- 
liam R.  Willsey,  was  born  February  18,  1802,  and 
came  to  Kentucky  from  North  Carolina  when  a 
young  man.  While  in  the  former  state  he  married 
Miss  Fannie  Alcorn  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1824.  He  and  his  brother,  Robert  Rogers,  were 
married  at  the  same  time  and  together  they  came 
to  Illinois.  David  R.  Rogers  while  living  in  the 
Blue  Grass  state  made  his  home  on  the  Kentucky 
river  near  the  Goose  Creek  Salt  Works  in  Clay 
county  and  there  three  children  were  born  unto 
him  and  his  wife,  Polly  Ann,  born  January  4, 
1825;  Bartlett,  November  3,  1826;  and  Nancy 
Jane  on  the  I5th  of  February,  1828.  Soon  after 
the  birth  of  this  child  David  R.  Rogers  started  for 
Illinois,  reaching  Williamsport  on  the  Illinois 
river  and  while  the  family  were  there  living  the 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  on  the  I4th  of 
August,  1830.  Not  long  afterward  Mr.  Rogers 
removed  with  his  family  to  Dutch  Creek  near  Big 
Spring  below  Stony  Point,  which  place  is  now 
owned  by  James  Wassell.  Later  they  removed  to 
the  John  Hoskins  place  near  where  John  Hoskins 
now  resides  and  Mr.  Rogers  built  a  little  cabin. 
In  that  home  occurred  the  birth  of  William 
Rogers  on  the  1st  of  January,  1833.  North 
of  this  cabin  in  a  little  valley  was  a  large 
swamp  that  is  still  to  be  seen  there  and  Mr; 


Rogers  would  send  the  children  there  to  keep  the 
cows  out  of  the  swamp.  There  were  many  wild 
animals  in  those  days,  including  wolves,  bears, 
panthers  and  other  animals.  In  1834  or  1835  Mr. 
Rogers  removed  to  the  place  which  is  now  owned 
by  W.  D.  Shinn  and  there  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days,  passing  away  on  the  2ist  of  March, 
1871,  while  his  wife  died  March  10,  1873.  A  'ma- 
ternal great-uncle  of  Mr.  Willsey  was  Benjamin 
Alcorn,  who  built  the  first  warehouse  west  of 
Rockport  at  Gilgal  on  the  Mississippi  river,  this 
being  one  of  the  first  in  the  county. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  William  Riley  Will- 
sey is  a  representative  of  honored  and  prominent 
pioneer  families  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and 
the  work  of  improvement  and  development  which 
his  parents  and  grandparents  instituted  he  has 
carried  still  further  forward.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Pike  county,  and  stu- 
died for  four  years  under  a  private  teacher,  Pro- 
fessor J.  M.  Ruby.  He  is  also  educated  in  in- 
strumental music,  and  he  studied  farming,  en- 
gineering and  stock  breeding  in  the  University 
of  Illinois,  being  thus  equipped  by  theoretical  as 
well  as  practical  training  for  the  business  inter- 
ests which  have  claimed  his  attention  in  later 
years.  He  remained  at  home  until  1880,  when 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Judith  A.  Brown,  a  na- 
tive of  Pike  county,  born  in  Newburg  township, 
on  Christmas  day  of  1854.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Francis  and  Mary  A.  (Thomas)  Brown.  Her 
father  was  born  near  Quincy,  Massachusetts,  on 
October  7,  1817,  and  the  mother  was  born  in 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  October  5,  1819.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Thomas, 
pioneer  settlers  of  Greene  county.  Mrs.  Brown 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Greene 
county,  near  Carrollton.  She  was  married  Sep- 
tember 29,  1842,  to  William  H.  Boling,  who 
was  county  clerk  at  Pittsfield  at  that  time  and 
they  resided  in  the  county  seat  for  two  years. 
They  bought  all  the  chinaware  in  the  Pittsfield 
stores  but  that  consisted  only  of  one  large  platter, 
which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family ;  and  in 
Atlas  they  could  buy  but  only  a  few  tin  pie  pans. 
In  the  fall  of  1843  Mr.  Bolting  and  his  wife's 
brother,  L.  H.  Thomas,  drove  from  Pittsfield  to 
their  farm  to  decide  upon  a  site  for  a  horne.  In 


i  go 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  shade  trees  upon  a  knoll  they  erected  a  two- 
room  house  which  is  still  standing,  although  a 
large  brick  residence  stands  in  front  of  it  at  the 
present  time.  It  is  located  three  and  a  half  miles 
southeast  of  Pittsfield  in  Newburg  township. 
Near  the'  center  of  the  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  is  a  fine  spring  near  where  the  old  log 
house  stood,  and  there  they  resided  while  the  mod- 
ern building  was  being  erected.  Mr.  Boling  died 
in  1847  and  Mrs.  Boling  afterward  went  to 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  where  she  lived  for  three 
years.  On  the  3ist  of  October,  1850,  she  became 
the  wife  of  Francis  Brown,  of  Quincy,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  had  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois, 
where  some  of  his  descendants  now  live.  There 
were  four  children  born  of  this  marriage :  Mrs. 
Emma  Westlake,  who  resides  on  a  farm  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Pittsfield ;  Mrs.  Will- 
sey ;  Laura,  who  is  living  in  Pittsfield  with  her 
brother,  Arthur.  The  last  named  married  Gallic 
Saylor.  Mr.  Brown  died  January  10,  1870,  and 
was  survived  by  his  wife  until  the  I3th  of  March, 
1903.  They  were  both  laid  to  rest  in  the  South 
cemetery  at  Pittsfield.  Both  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  church  and  they  en- 
joyed the  respect  and  good  will  of  all  who  knew 
them.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  farmer,  devoting  his 
entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willsey  have  been  born 
four  children.  Grace  Melinda,  born  June  2,  1881, 
is  the  wife  of  Clarence  Fudge  and  resides  near 
her  father's  farm.  They  have  one  child,  Nellie 
Frances,  born  April  30,  1904.  Laura  Edith,  born 
October  31,  1885,  has  studied  music  under  pri- 
vate teachers  and  she  makes  her  home  with  her 
parents.  Frances  Scott,  born  December  12,  1887, 
and  James  Gallett,  born  December  31,  1891,  are 
also  at  home. 

Mr.  Willsey  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  and  his  wife  eighty  acres  in  Pittsfield 
township.  He  built  one  of  the  finest  country  resi- 
dences in  the  county  in  1880  and  now  resides  in 
this  attractive  home.  There  are  also  large  and 
substantial  barns  and  good  improvements  upon 
the  place.  He  handles  a  large  number  of  sheep 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  residents 
of  the  community.  He  has  twenty  acres  planted 
to  all  kinds  of  small  fruit  and  is  very  successful 


in  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  and  in  horticultural 
pursuits  as  well.  The  farm  is  equipped  with 
steam  engine,  thresher,  husker,  corn  sheller  and 
grinder,  and  the  machinery  is  seldom  taken  off  the 
farm. 

In  politics  Mr.  Willsey  is  an  earnest  democrat 
and  served  as  school  director  and  trustee  for 
twenty-seven  years,  but  otherwise  has  not  sought 
nor  desired  public  office.  In  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity he  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  and  his  children  hold  membership  in  the 
Christian  Sunday-school.  Mr.  Willsey  is  a  promi- 
nent and  worthy  representative  of  an  honored 
pioneer  family  and  his  personal  characteristics 
entitle  him  to  representation  among  the  leading 
citizens  of  this  locality.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful and  his  prosperity  has  been  achieved 
through  methods  and  along  lines  that  neither  seek 
nor  require  disguise. 


COLONEL  A.  C.  MATTHEWS. 

Colonel  A.  C.  Matthews,  speaker  of  the  house 
of  representatives  in  the  thirty-sixth  general  as- 
sembly of  Illinois,  and  a  distinguished  attorney  of 
Pittsfield,  whose  history  is  closely  interwoven  with 
the  records  of  this  city  and  district,  was  born  and 
reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Perry  township. 
Pike  county,  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  has 
become  prominent  locally  and  is  likewise  a  well 
known  figure  in  the  state  and  nation.  His  parents 
were  Captain  B.  L.  and  Minerva  (Carrington) 
Matthews,  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Ken- 
tucky respectively. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Colonel  Matthews 
became  a  student  in  McKendree  College,  at  Leba- 
non. Illinois,  having  previously  attended  the  win- 
ter sessions  of  the  village  school.  While  pursu- 
ing his  college  course,  he  boarded  in  the  home  of 
Dr.  Peter  Akers.  then  president  of  the  college  but 
now  deceased.  In  1855  he  matriculated  in  the 
Illinois  College  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
which  Judge  Lacey  and  Rev.  Dr.  Noyes>  formerly 
of  Evanston,  Illinois,  and  now  deceased,  were 
bers.  Not  long  afterward  Colonel  Matthews  en- 


A.  C.  MATTHEWS 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


193 


tered  upon  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1857.  He  then  located  for  practice  in 
Pittsfield  and  was  just  getting  well  started  in  his 
profession  when  the  Civil  war  was  inaugurated 
and  with  patriotic  ardor  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call,  enlisting  in  the  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  He  was  unanimously  elected  cap- 
tain of  his  company  and  went  to  the  front  at  its 
head  and  was  in  all  of  the  battles  and  in  the  siege 
immediately  preceding  the  surrender  of  Vicks- 
burg.  He  witnessed  the  fall  of  the  Confederate 
stronghold  on  the  4th  of  July,  1863,  and  in  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year  participated  in  the 
Tasche  campaign.  He  was  also  in  the  campaign 
against  Mobile  and  all  of  the  incident  battles 
which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  that  city  in  the 
spring  of  1865.  From  Mobile  the  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  was  sent  up  the  Red  river  to  Shreveport, 
Louisiana,  where  the  Confederates  under  com- 
mand of  General _Kirby  Smith  surrendered  to  the 
Union  forces.  From  that  point  Colonel  Matthews 
with  an  escort  of  the  Sixth  Missouri  Cavalry  was 
sent  to  the  Indian  Territory  to  receive  the  sur- 
render of  the  Indians  under  General  Stand  Watie, 
a  half-breed.  When  this  was  accomplished,  in 
June,  1865,  he  held  a  counsel  with  the  civilized 
Indians  under  the  direction  of  Peter  P.  Pitchlyn, 
chief  of  the  Choctaws  and  formed  a  temporary 
treaty  with  them,  by  which  they  agreed  to  lay 
down  their  arms  and  return  to  the  allegiance  of 
the  Union.  In  this  connection  Colonel  Matthews 
wrote  the  following  letter  which  was  the  first  an- 
nouncement to  peace  to  the  civilized  Indian  tribes 
(Rebellion  Record.  Series  I.  Volume  XLVIII, 
Part  IT). 

"JONES  PLANTATION,  C.  N.,  June  23,  1865. 
"HON.  WINCHESTER  COLBERT,  General  and  Prin- 
cipal Chief,  Chickasaw  Nation. 
"Sir :  I  have  the  honor  to  state  to  you  that  the 
war  between  the  United  States  and  the  Confed- 
erate States  is  at  an  end ;  that  the  armies  of  the 
Confederacy  have  all  been  captured  or  surren- 
dered to  the  United  States  authorities,  and  have 
turned  over  their  arms  and  public  property  to  the 
United  States  Government.  It  was  my  intention 
to  have  attended  and,  if  possible,  taken  a  part  in 
the  deliberations  of  the  grand  council  at  Arm- 
strong Academv,  but  the  insufficient  notice  we 


had  rendered  this  impossible.  If  I  could  have 
reached  there  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  I 
would  have  been  able  to  have  submitted  to  that 
honorable  body  propositions  looking  to  a  cessa- 
tion of  hostilities  that  would  have  been  perfectly 
satisfactory  to  the  delegates  of  all  the  tribes  rep- 
resented. When  this  was  found  impossible,  I 
deemed  it  prudent  to  hold  a  conference  with 
such  of  the  principal  chiefs  and  men  as  my  limited 
time  and  circumstances  would  allow.  I  have  met 
Governor  and  Principal  Chief  of  the  Choctaw 
Nation,  Colonel  Pitchlyn,  and  Brig.  Gen.  Stand 
Watie,  of  the  Cherokee  Nation,  and  with  them 
have  agreed  upon  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  and 
and  also  for  a  meeting  of  the  grand  council  at 
Armstrong.  Academy  on  the  1st  day  of  Septem- 
ber,-.-1865 'rand  further,  that  they  will  use  their 
influence  with  -the;  tribes  of  the  plains  to  cultivate 
friendly  feelings  wifrr'  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  and  their  people,  and  that  we  will 
protect  the  Indians  of  all  the  tribes  against  domes- 
tic insurrection  and  foreign  invasion,  as  stipulated 
in  former  treaties.  I  have  the  honor  also  to  state 
and  respectfully  request  that  you  will  represent 
to  your  people  that  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  wish  to  cultivate  friendly  relations  toward 
the  Indians  of  all  the  tribes,  and  have  no  desire 
to  oppress  or  humiliate  in  any  way  any  of  their 
people,  but  to  make  at  the  earliest  possible  date  an 
honorable  and  lasting  treaty  of  peace  with  all  of 
them.  We  desire  to  meet  all  of  them  at  the 
grand  council  on  the  1st  day  of  September,  where 
we  can  have  a  full  and  cordial  interchange  of 
opinion,  and  when  all  questions  can  be  fully  dis- 
cussed and  disposed  of.  In  the  meantime  we  want 
peace  with  all  its  blessings,  to  be  and  remain 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  your  beauti- 
ful territory.  Through  you  I  wish  to  convey  to 
your  people  the  assurance  of  the  high  regard  en- 
tertained by  our  Government  for  them  and  their 
prosperity  and  happiness. 

"Hoping  that  peace  may  soon  be  the  blessing  of 
all,  and  that  our  .difficulties  may  soon  be  ami- 
cably settled,  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respect- 
fully, your  obedient  servant, 

"A.  C.  MATTHEWS, 

"Lieutenant-Colonel,     U.    S.     Volunteers,    Com- 
missioner." 


194 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


When  his  work  in  connection  with  the  arrange- 
ments of  peace  with  the  Indians  was  concluded 
Colonel  Matthews  at  once  rejoined  his  command 
at  Shreveport  and  at  once  was  mustered  out  of 
service,  reaching  Springfield  with  his  regiment, 
where  he  was  paid  off  on  the  I7th  of  August, 
1865.  He  served  successively  as  private,  captain, 
major  and  lieutenant  colonel  and  was  commis- 
sioned colonel,  but  the  regiment  had  become  so 
disseminated  by  the  ravages  and  casualties  of  war 
that  he  could  not  be  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  as  colonel,  as  his  command  num- 
bered too  few  soldiers.  He  was,  however,  bre- 
vetted  for  meritorious  service  during  the  Vicks- 
burg  campaign  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

Returning  to  Pittsfield,  Colonel  Matthews  re- 
sumed the  active  practice  of  law  in  this  city  and 
has  since  given  the  greater  part  of  his  attention  to 
his  professional  duties  although  he  has  frequently 
been  called  to  fill  positions  of  public  honor  and 
trust.  He  was  collector  of  internal  revenue  for 
six  years,  supervisor  of  internal  revenue  for  the 
states  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  from 
1875  until  the  office  was  abolished  and  has  been 
three  times  elected  a  member  of  the  Illinois  legis- 
lature and  a  speaker  of  the  house  in  the  thirty- 
sixth  general  assembly.  His  record  is  found  upon 
the  reports  of  the  state  legislature  and  won  for 
him  prominence  among  the  leaders  of  Illinois.  In 
politics  he  manifested  a  statesman's  grasp  of  af- 
fairs and  that  he  ably  represented  his  district  is. 
indicated  by  his  election  for  three  terms.  In  1885 
he  was  appointed  circuit  judge  to  fill  out  the  un- 
expired  term  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  C.  L. 
Higbee. 

He  was  r\  delegate  to  the  national  republican 
convention  which  met  in  Chicago  and  nominated 
James  G.  Elaine  for  the  presidency.  On  the  nth 
of  May,  1889,  he  received  appointment  from 
President  Harrison  to  the  position  of  first  comp- 
troller of  the  United  States  treasury.  In  1904  he 
w*is  a  Roosevelt  elector  and  was  chosen  chairman 
of  the  college  over  which  he  presided  at  the  capitol 
in  Springfield.  In  addition  to  his  other  public  serv- 
ices Colonel  Matthews  is  now  actingaspresidentof 
the  Illinois  Vicksburg  Military  Park  Commission, 
his  associates  in  this  work  being  Francis  A.  Rid- 
dle. Charles  R.  E.  Koch  and  Floras  D.  Meacham. 


all  of  Chicago  ;  Harvey  M.  Trimble,  of  Princeton  ; 
C.  H.  Noble,  of  Dixon ;  T.  B.  Orear,  of  Jack- 
sonville ;  George  S.  Durfee,  of  Decatur ;  and 
Carroll  Moore,  of  Benton.  A  newspaper  ac- 
count of  the  work  of  the  commission  said :  "Up 
to  this  time  the  state  of  Illinois  has  made  the 
largest  provision  for  memorials  in  the  national 
military  park,  which  includes  over  twelve  hundred 
acres  of  the  scenes  of  battle  and  siege  around 
Vicksburg.  The  Illinois  appropriation  to  com- 
memorate the  part  taken  by  its  volunteer  soldiers 
at  Vicksburg  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
dollars,  which  far  exceeds  that  of  any  other 
state,  and  the  beautiful  .temple  that  has  been 
erected  will  be  dedicated  some  time  next  year. 
The  Illinois  Vicksburg  park  commission  has  just 
concluded  a  tour  of  inspection  and  is  warranted 
in  congratulating  the  state  on  the  progress  made. 
Illinois  was  represented  at  Vicksburg  by  eighty 
military  organizations,  including  fifty-five  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  ten  bodies  of  cavalry  and  fif- 
teen companies  of  artillery,  a  total  of  eighty,  or 
double  the  number  of  organizations  from  any 
other  state,  north  or  south.  The  Illinois  temple  of 
fame  at  the  Vicksburg  park  is  well  advanced  and 
is  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  finest  memorials  in 
the  country.  It  stands  on  a  small  knoll  beside  the 
Jackson  road,  near  the  famous  'White  House'  of 
the  siege,  and  within  sixty  rods  of  the  strongest 
of  the  Confederate  redans.  In  the  building  the 
architect  has  combined  features  of  the  Pantheon 
and  temple  of  Minerva  Medici  at  Rome.  The 
main  part  of  the  Illinois  temple  is  sixty-two  feet 
high  and  fifty-four  feet  in  diameter,  surmounted 
by  a  hemispherical  dome.  A  doric  portico  thirty- 
two  feet  wide,  projects  fourteen  feet  on  the  south 
facade,  with  a  pediment  on  which  are  sculptures 
embk-mizing  History  enrolling  the  names  of  the 
Illinois  soldiers  in  the  campaign.  On  the  ex- 
terior of  the  temple  will  be  inscribed  Lincoln's 
'With  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for  all,' 
and  Grant's  'Let  us  have  peace.'  The  name  of 
every  Illinois  soldier  and  sailor  who  served  at 
Vicksburg  will  be  legibly  placed  on  the  bronze 
tablets  inside,  and  thus  be  perpetuated  for  all  time. 
Facing  the  entrance  is  a  large  bronze  panel  on 
which  Illinois  dedicates  the  temple  to  the  memory 
of  her  soldiers  in  the  Vicksburg  struggle  between 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


195 


March  29  and  July  4,  1863.  Above  the  Illinois 
panel  will  be  inscribed  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  with  that  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant  on  the 
right,  and  of  John  A.  Logan  on  the  left.  Below 
Lincoln's  name  will  be  that  of  Richard  Yates,  the 
war  governor.  The  names  of  other  Illinois  offi- 
cers of  high  rank  will  have  a  place  on  the  same 
panel.  On  the  frieze  under  the  center  of  the  pedi- 
ment of  the  portico  will  be  inscribed  in  raised  let- 
ters the  word  'Illinois.'  A  cresting  of  eagles  in- 
terwoven with  shields  adorns  the  external  cornice 
of  the  main  structure.  Illinois  was  equal  to  the 
opportunity  in  providing  for  its  Vicksburg  memo- 
rial, and  its  commission  has  been  highly  success- 
ful in  making  the  most  of  the  large  state  appro- 
priation." 

Colonel  Matthews  has  always  been  faithful  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him,  ably  discharging  his 
duties.  He  has  given  careful  consideration  to  his 
work  and  to  each  question  which  has  come  up  for 
settlement  in  connection  with  the  various  offices 
that  he  has  filled  and  has  been  guided  by  an 
honorable  purpose  and  loyalty  of  patriotism  such 
as  distinguished  his  services  as  a  soldier  upon 
southern  battle-fields.  He  was  author  of  the  first 
amendment  to  the  constitution  of  1870  known  as 
the  drainage  amendment  and  upon  this  has  been 
erected  a  code  of  laws  whereby  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  Illinois  land  have  been  reclaimed 
for  cultivation.  Colonel  Matthews  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  everything  tending  to 
promote  the  agricultural  and  stock-raising  inter- 
ests of  his  county  and  has  given  tangible  support 
to  many  local  measures  which  have  proven  -of 
benefit  to  Pittsfield  and  this  part  of  the  state. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1855.  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Colonel  A.  C.  Matthews  and  Miss 
Anna  E.  Ross,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  William 
Ross,  a  pioneer  of  Pike  county.  They  have  three 
children:  Mrs.  Florence  Lewis:  Ross  Matthews, 
who  is  cashier  of  the  Farmers'  Bank  of  Pittsfield  : 
and  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Hull.  As  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  bar,  as  a  statesman  of  prominence, 
as  a  public  officer  of  reliability,  Mr.  Matthews  is 
so  well  known  that  he  needs  no  special  introduc- 
tion to  the  readers  of  this  volume.  His  career  has 
conferred  honor  and  dignity  upon  the  profession 
and  the  political  and  civic  organizations  with 


which  he  has  been  associated,  and  there  is  in  him 
a  weight  of  character,  a  keen  sagacity,  a  far-see- 
ing judgment  and  a  fidelity  of  purpose  that  com- 
mand the  respect  of  all. 


GEORGE  T.  BLACK. 

George  T.  Black,  who  as  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Pike  county,  has  witnessed  the  greater 
part  of  its  growth  and  development,  is  now  living 
retired  in  Pearl.  He  has  at  different  times  filled 
various  local  offices  and  been  actively  connected 
with  business  interests  and  in  all  life's  relations 
had  commanded  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fel- 
lowmen  by  his  faithful  public  service  and  his  trust- 
worthiness in  his  business  dealings. 

A  native  of  St.  Charles  county,  Missouri,  Mr. 
Black  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Fannie  (Price) 
Black.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812,  enlisting  with  the  New  York 
troops  and  serving  until  the  close  of  hostilities, 
at  which  time  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for  a 
short  time.  He  then  went  to  St.  Charles  county, 
Missouri,  where  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1844,  his  remains  being  interred  in  that 
county.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Bigelow,  died  in  St.  Charles  county  in  1826. 

The  maternal  grandparents  of  George  T.  Black 
were  Michael  and  Mary  (Ryebolt)  Price,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Ohio,  whence  they  removed 
to  St.  Charles  county,  Missouri,  in  1807.  There 
Michael  Price  devoted  his  energies  to  general 
farming  and  both  he  and  his  wife  died  in  that 
county.  Their  sons,  George  and  William  Price, 
uncles  of  our  subject,  were  soldiers  of  the  war 
of  1812  and  afterward  in  the  Indian  wars  of 
1815. 

Thomas  Black,  father  of  George  T.  Black,  was 
born  in  Penn  Yan,  New  York,  January  20,  1800, 
and  was  educated  in  his  native  town.  When  four- 
teen years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Kentucky,  the  family  home  being 
established  near  Covington,  and  from  there  went 
to  St.  Charles  county,  Missouri,  in  1818.  He  there. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  farming  and 
his  death  occurred  in  1854,  when  he  was  fifty- 
four  years  of  age.  His  wife  also  died  in  St. 
Charles  county,  passing  away  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years,  in  May,  1838. 

George  T.  Black  assisted  his  father  in  the  op- 
eration and  improvement  of  the  home  farm  in 
Missouri  up  to  the  time  of  the  latter's  death,  and 
in  the  fall  of  that  year  removed  to  Rockport,  Pike 
county,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of 
1858,  when  he  returned  to  St.  Charles  county, 
Missouri,  remaining  there  until  1862,  engaged 
in  different  occupations.  In  that  year  he  went  to 
Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  and  thence  came  again  to 
Pike  county.  At  Pittsfield,  the  Civil  war  being 
then  in  progress,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three 
years,  and  being  transferred  to  Company  E  of  the 
same  regiment,  served  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
being  mustered  out  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana, 
and  discharged  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  July  12, 
1865,  having  done  his  full  duty  as  a  loyal  and  pa- 
triotic soldier. 

On  the  2gth  of  October,  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Black  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Fannie  E. 
Long,  of  Pike  county,  and  to  them  were  born 
eight  children,  namely:  James  W.,  Clara,  Char- 
ley T.,  Hattie,  John  W.,  Fannie,  Walter  M.  and 
Lee  R.  Of  these  only  two  are  now  living,  James 
W.,  who  is  living  with  his  father  on  the  farm, 
and  Lee  R.,  who  is  conducting  a  barber  shop  in 
St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Mrs.  Black's  parents  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  removed  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  in  1836.  Here  they  died  and  were 
buried  in  the  Hess  graveyard  near  Pearl.  Their 
son,  Jacob  Long,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
Army,  with  the  Fiftieth  Illinois  Volunteers,  and 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  after  which  his 
remains  were  brought  back  to  Pike  county  for 
burial,  being  interred  in  the  Hess  graveyard.  Of 
Mr.  Black's  children  who  are  dead,  all  were  buried 
in  the  Hess  graveyard  except  Charley  T.,  whose 
remains  were  interred  in  the  Alton  cemetery,  at 
Alton,  Illinois. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  residence  in 
Pike  county  Mr.  Black  has  followed  farming 
in  Pearl  township,  but  is  now  living  a  retired 
life.  He  draws  a  pension  from  the  government 


in  recognition  of  his  service  in  the  Civil  war,  and 
his  farm  brings  him  in  a  good  income,  for  the 
work  of  development  and  cultivation  has  been  car- 
ried steadily  forward  for  many  years  until  the 
fields  are  now  very  fruitful  and  productive.  As 
the  years  have  passed  Mr.  Black  has  been  called 
to  various  offices,  acting  as  justice  of  the  peace 
of  Pearl  township  for  four  years ;  as  school  di- 
rector of  district  No.  25  for  five  years;  and  as 
township  clerk  for  five  years.  He  has  also  been 
constable ;  and  in  these  various  positions  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  with  the  same  promptness  and 
fidelity  which  he  manifested  when  he  followed 
the  starry  banner  of  the  nation  upon  the  battle- 
fields of  the  south.  .  He  has  long  been  a  resident  of 
the  county,  witnessing  the  many  changes  which 
have  occurred  here  as  the  county  has  put  off  the 
evidences  of  frontier  life,  and  taken  on  those  of  an 
advanced  and  progressive  civilization. 


M.  D.  MASSIE. 

M.  D.  Massie,  of  New  Canton,  was  born  in 
Pittsfield,  Illinois,  January  21,  1838.  His  father, 
John  C.  Massie,  was  a  Kentuckian,  while  his 
mother,  Mary  (Shaw)  Massie,  was  a  New  Yorker. 
His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  and  his  father  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  1812.  A  few  years  of  his  boyhood 
were  passed  in  Louisiana,  Missouri,  and  later 
he  was  a  clerk  and  school  teacher,  being  thus 
engaged  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
when,  in  August,  1862,  in  company  with  nearly 
one  thousand  other  Pike  county  "boys"  he  went 
to  the  front  in  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer 
I«fantry,  well  known  as  the  Pike  county  Regi- 
ment. At  first  he  carried  a  musket  and  knapsack 
but  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieu- 
tenant and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  was  given 
a  captain's  commission.  He  was  on  staff  duty 
with  Generals  Warren,  Slack  and  Lawler  and 
after  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  General  Can- 
by  ordered  him  to  report  to  General  Fred  Steele 
at  Santiago  near  the  Rio  Grande  river.  This  was 
the  only  time  in  his  three  years'  service  that  he 
was  away  from  his  regiment. 


M.   D.   MASSIE 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


After  the  close  of  the  war  Captain  Massie 
returned  to  New  Canton  and  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising and  the  following  year,  1866,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Morey,  whose 
parents  were  from  New  York  and  Virginia 
respectively.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  six 
children,  Harry  A.,  Blanche,  Bertha,  Bert  S., 
George  and  Nellie.  Bert  died  in  infancy  and 
Bertha  passed  away  just  as  she  reached  her  twen- 
ty-first year. 

Captain  Massie  has  been  an  extensive  traveler, 
having  visited  nearly  all  of  the  principal  cities 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  He  has  been  in 
all  of  the  states  of  the  Union  save  seven,  has  been 
in  old  Mexico,  has  seen  all  of  the  Great  Lakes 
save  one  and  has  been  at  the  source  and  outlet 
of  the  Ohio,  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Mississippi 
rivers.  He  has  seen  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pa- 
cific oceans,  and  has  crossed  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
five  times. 

A  stalwart  republican  in  his  political  views 
he  was  a  member  of  the  twenty-eighth  general 
assembly  in  1873  and  1874,  being  the  first  repub- 
lican sent  to  the  legislature  from  this  district 
under  the  new  constitution.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  board  of  supervisors  for  four  terms,  held 
township  offices  at  intervals  for  several  years, 
was  assistant  secretary  of  the  Illinois  delegation 
at  Chicago  when  General  Garfield  was  nominated 
for  the  presidency  and  was  in  Philadelphia  when 
General  Grant  was  nominated  for  his  second  term. 
He  was  also  in  Chicago  when  James  G.  Elaine 
was  nominated  and  witnessed  the  bolt  of  Curtis 
and  others  that  defeated  the  "Plumed  Knight" 
at  the  polls.  He  was  also  at  the  dedication  of 
Lincoln's  monument  and  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Army  of,  the  Tennessee  in  Springfield,  when 
President  Grant,  Vice-President  Wilson  and  the 
most  noted  army  officers  were  present  and  there  * 
General  Custer,  later  the  victim  of  the  great 
Indian  massacre,  by  his  cool  determination  pre- 
vented a  great  disaster  in  the  very  crowded  Chat- 
terton  Opera  House  when  an  alarm  of  fire  was 
given. 

Captain  Massie  was  also  a  member  and  treas- 
urer of  the  defense  committee  in  the  great  Sny 
levee  bond  suit  that  was  in  the  courts  for  nearly 
twenty  years  and  was  a  steadfast  friend  of  the 


great  levee  project  that  in  the  end  reclaimed 
over  one  hundred  thousand  acres  of  valuable  lands 
and  added  so  much  to  the  sanitary  condition  of 
the  district.  He  was  with  Messrs.  Higbee, 
Worthington  and  Hewes,  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee to  visit  Indianapolis  to  engage  ex-President 
Harrison  to  defend  the  suit  in  the  United  States 
supreme  court.  For -fifty  years  Captain  Massie 
was  engaged  in  business  in  New  Canton  and  met 
with  gratifying  success  for  a  long  period  but 
was  too  generous  and  confiding  and  a  few  years 
ago  learned  the  disagreeable  lesson  that  mankind 
was  not  all  that  surface  indications  show  and 
his  impression  of  the  old  saying  "man's  inhu- 
manity to  man.  has  made  millions  mourn"  was 
extensively  and-  indelibly  marked  in  his  particular 
case.  He  has"througji  all  of  his  mature  years 
been  a  true  friend  to  his'*town,  county  and  state, 
and  has  no  resentments  or  regrets  but  rejoices 
in  the  growth  and  beautifying  processes  that  the 
old  county  and  state  have  made.  He  is  a  Mason, 
a  Grand  Army  comrade  and  several  times  has 
been  president  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Society  and 
of  the  Ninety-ninth  Regiment  Reunion  Society. 
His  attitude  toward  mankind  in  all  things  seems 
to  exemplify  the  following  lines: 

"Methinks  I  love  all  common  things — 

The  common  air,  the  common  flower, 

The  dear,  kind  common  thought  that  springs 

From  hearts  that  have  no  other  dower, 

No  other  wealth,  no  other  power, 

Save  love ;  and  will  not  that  repay 

For  all  else  Fortune  tears  awav  ?" 


S.  H.  SMART. 

S.  H.  Smart,  who  is  one  of  the  prominent  farm- 
ers of  Detroit  township,  owning  a  good  property 
which  is  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Detroit,  has  in  the  control  of  his  business 
affairs  shown  keen  discrimination  and  also  capa- 
bility and  unfaltering  diligence.  He  has  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  and  his  property  is  the  visible 
evidence  of  well  directed  energy.  He  is  classed 
with  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  dating  his 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


residence  here  from  1853.  He  was  born  in  Fair- 
field  county,  Ohio,  October  28,  1837.  His  fa- 
ther, Samuel  G.  Smart,  was  born  near  Hagers- 
town,  Virginia,  in  1805,  and  was  a  son  of  Squire 
Smart,  a  native  of  Ireland  and  one  of  the  pioneer 
residents  of  the  Old  Dominion.  Samuel  G.  Smart 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  state  of  his  nativity 
and  in  early  life  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
On  removing  to  Ohio  when  a  young  man  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Fairfield  county,  and  was  there 
married  to  Miss  Eliza  Rutherford,  who  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  but  was  reared  in  Ohio.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smart  became  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
while  living  in  the  Keystone  state.  There  he  car- 
ried on  a  blacksmith  shop  and  also  followed  farm- 
ing. In  1853  he  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Pike  county  and  worked  at  his  trade  through  the 
succeeding  winter  in  Pittsfield.  He  then  took  up 
his  abode  in  Detroit,  where  he  opened  a  shop,  car- 
rying on  blacksmithing  and  also  purchasing  and 
operating  a  farm,  where  S.  H.  Smart  now  resides. 
The  place  had  some  improvements  upon  it.  The 
sons,  however,  largely  carried  on  the  work  of  the 
farm,  while  the  father  gave  his  attention  to  the 
blacksmith's  trade.  He  spent  his  last  years  here 
and  died  in  1882.  His  wife  survived  him  and 
was  almost  ninety  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her 
demise.  They  were  worthy  people,  honest  and 
honorable,  and  enjoyed  the  respect  of  those  with 
whom  they  came  in  contact.  In  their  family 
were  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  of 
whom  S.  H.  Smart  was  the  fourth  in  order  of 
birth.  Four  sons  and  two  daughters  yet  survive, 
namely:  John  Smart,  of  this  county;  S.  H.,  of 
this  review ;  T.  R.,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Daniel, 
who  is  living  in  Haysville,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Mattie 
Culver,  of  Independence,  Illinois ;  and  Mrs.  Isa- 
belle  M.  Brown,  the  wife  of  George  Brown,  of 
Arkansas  City,  Kansas.  One  brother,  George  M., 
died  in  Missouri  in  1904.  The  three  sisters  who 
have  passed  away  are  Mrs.  Maggie  Wagner,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Johnson  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Munn. 

S.  H.  Smart  spent  his  boyhood  days  and  youth 
upon  his  father's  farm.  He  was  in  his  sixteenth 
year  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
and  assisted  him  in  clearing  the  home  property 
in  Pike  county.  To  some  extent  he  attended  the 
common  schools,  but  he  is  almost  wholly  self- 


educated  and  has  greatly  broadened  his  knowledge 
through  reading,  experience  and  observation.  In 
1861  he  went  to  California,  making  the  over- 
land trip  with  teams,  being  five  or  six  months 
upon  the  way.  He  stopped  this  side  of  the  moun- 
tains and  went  to  work  at  Virginia  City  as  a  car- 
penter, being  employed  about  a  year  there.  He 
then  continued  his  journey  to  Washington  terri- 
tory, where  he  spent  a  year  in  the  gold  mines,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Virginia  City  and  was  en- 
gaged in  mining  there.  He  met  with  a  fair  de- 
gree of  success  during  the  two  years  spent  at  that 
place,  after  which  he  returned  to  Reese  River  and 
passed  the  winter  at  Salt  Lake  City.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding spring  he  went  into  the  mines  in  Mon- 
tana, where  he  remained  during  the  summer,  after 
which  he  again  passed  the  winter  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  then  again  made  his  way  to  the  mining 
regions.  Two  years  were  passed  there  and  dur- 
ing the  second  summer  he  was  engaged  in  the 
butchering  business  at  Deer  Lodge.  He  after- 
ward returned  to  Salt  Lake  City,  sold  his  horses 
and  went  by  stage  to  the  Union  Pacific  road, 
where  in  November  he  took  a  train  that  carried 
him  home.  Upon  returning  to  Pike  county  he 
purchased  the  old  homestead  farm  and  stock  of 
his  father,  and  the  following  year  he  began  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1870,  Mr.  Smart  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hogsett,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  who  was  reared  here  from  early 
childhood,  having  been  brought  to  Pike  county 
when  only  two  or  three  years  old.  Mr.  Smart 
since  built  a  large  and  attractive  residence  and 
good  barns.  He  has  also  fenced  and  improved  his 
place,  has  planted  an  orchard  and  has  added  mod- 
ern equipments  and  accessories  that  indicate  a  pro- 
gressive and  practical  spirit.  His  fields  return' 
good  crops  and  he  is  also  engaged  in  raising  high 
grade  Aberdeen  Angus  cattle.  He  formerly  bred' 
and  fattened  both  hogs  and  cattle  and  he  was  also 
engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  stock.  In  all  of 
his  business  affairs  he  is  energetic  and  far-sighted 
and  has  that  force  of  character  and  determination 
that  enable  him  to  carry  forward  to  successful 
completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smart  are  the  parents  of  four 
children :  Walter  J.  is  one  of  the  well  known 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


breeders  of  pure  blooded  Aberdeen  Angus  cattle 
in  Pike  county ;  Edith  is  the  wife  of  David  Snee- 
den,  a  farmer  and  stock  feeder  of  Newburg  town- 
ship ;  Rutherford.  B.  met  his  death  by  accident 
while  attending  the  State  Normal  School  at  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana,  when  a  young  man  of  nineteen 
years ;  and  Georgia  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Smart  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  public- 
spirited  men  of  Pike  county  and  has  assisted  in 
advancing  the  interests  of  the  village  of  Detroit 
and  the  surrounding  country  as  well.  Politically 
he  is  a  republican  where  national  issues  are  in- 
volved while  locally  he  votes  independently.  He 
has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  police  mag- 
istrate, occupying  the  positions  for  years,  and  has 
been  a  delegate  to  the  county  conventions  and 
chairman  of  the  township  committee.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Detroit,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  stew- 
ard and  has  held  other  offices.  He  has  helped  to 
improve  and  make  the  county  what  it  is  to-day 
and  in  Detroit  township  is  well  known  for  his 
practical  and  active  efforts.  His  business  career 
will  bear  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny  and  he 
is  to-day  numbered  with  the  well  known  and 
prosperous  farmers  and  stock-raiser  of  Pike 
countv. 


WILLIAM  G.  HUBBARD. 

William  G.  Hubbard,  now  deceased,  was  for 
many  years  actively  engaged  in  general  farming 
pursuits  but  spent  his  last  days  in  Barry,  where  he 
lived  retired.  He  was  born  in  Troy,  Lincoln 
county,  Missouri,  December  i,  1829,  and  was 
about  seventy-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
demise.  His  parents  were  Eli  and  Margaret 
(Myers)  Hubbard.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  was  married  three  times.  He  was 
probably  a  native  of  the  Carolinas.  The  pater- 
nal grandfather  became  a  pioneer  resident  of  Pike 
county,  and  died  upon  his  farm  in  Pleasant  Hill 
township.  When  a  young  man  Eli  Hubbard  re- 
moved to  Missouri,  where  he  met  and  married 
Margaret  Myers,  who  was  probably  born  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Missouri 
at  an  early  day,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  early 


residents  of  Lincoln  county,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  of  a  millwright,  and  at  the  same  time 
superintended  his  farming  interests.  In  1845  "ie 
returned  to  the  Blue  Grass  state,  and  at  a  later 
date  went  to  Texas,  where  his  last  years  were 
spent. 

Eli  Hubbard  spent  his  early  married  life  in  Mis- 
souri, and  when  Pike  county  was  still  a  frontier 
district  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Pleasant  Hill 
township,  becoming  one  of  its  first  settlers.  There 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land,  which  he  con- 
verted into  a  very  productive  farm,  making  his 
home  thereon  until  his  death  in  1853.  In  that  year 
he  crossed  the  plains  with  a  team  to  Oregon, 
where  he  again  purchased  land  and  again  carried 
on  farming.  He  afterward  became  a  minister  of 
the  Baptist  church  and  labored  earnestly  in  behalf 
of  that  denomination  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred upon  the  farm  near  Salem,  Oregon. 

William  G.  Hubbard  lost  his  mother  in  his  in- 
fancy and  was  reared  by  his  maternal  grandpar- 
ents in  Lincoln  county,  Missouri.  Shortly  after 
the  death  of  his  mother  his  father  came  to  Illinois 
and  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war ;  and  William 
Hubbard  frequently  made  visits  to  this  state  to  see 
his  father.  However,  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  with  his  grandparents  in  Lincoln  county, 
Missouri,  until  1845,  when  he  once  more  came  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  spent  the  succeeding 
eighteen  months  with  his  father.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  began  earning 
his  own  livelihood  when  about  sixteen  years  of 
age.  In  his  youth  he  was  employed  in  the  woolen 
mills  at  Barry  and  continued  in  that  position  until 
after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war. 

Putting  aside  business  and  personal  considera- 
tions, Mr.  Hubbard  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Union  and  enlisted  on  the  5th  of  August,  1862, 
as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois 
Infantry,  with  which  he  continued  until  after  the 
close  of  hostilities  in  July,  1865.  He  participated 
in  many  important  engagements,  including  the 
battle  of  Hartsville,  Missouri,  the  siege  and  cap- 
ture of  Vicksburg,  and  also  of  Fort  Blakely  and 
Spanish  Fort.  His  services  took  him  into  the 
states  of  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Texas, 
Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Tennessee,  and  he 
marched  thousands  of  miles  with  his  regiment- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


When  the  war  was  brought  to  a  successful  termi- 
nation and  victory  perched  upon  the  banners  of 
the  north,  he  was  honorably  discharged  in  March, 
1865,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Barry.  In  1868 
he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  sheriff,  prov- 
ing quite  capable  and  reliable  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties,  so  that  he  retired  from  the  position  as 
he  had  entered  it — with  the  confidence  and  trust 
of  all  concerned.'  Following  his  retirement  from 
office  he  purchased  an  interest  in  a  woolen  mill 
but  this  proved  unprofitable,  and  he  then  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  In  1875  he  purchased 
a  fine  farm  and  for  a  long  period  was  active  in  its 
management,  having  eighty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  so 
that  he  annually  harvested  good  crops.  He  also 
had  a  comfortable  residence  there  and  other  sub- 
stantial buildings,  and  he  continued  to  reside  upon 
his  farm  until  1905,  when  he  removed  to  Barry. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  extended  the  boundaries 
of  his  property  until  he  owned  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land. 

In  April,  1867,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Wil- 
liam G.  Hubbard  and  Miss  Sarah  A.  Wike,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Hannah  (Hagy)  Wike. 
She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  her  parents 
were  also  natives  of  the  Keystone  state,  whence 
they  came  to  Pike  county  in  1848,  locating  at  the 
old  Shields  mill  on  Hadley  creek.  Her  father 
died  in  1850,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  children. 
Mrs.  Hubbard  being  at  that  time  nine  years  of  age 
and  the  eldest  child.  In  1862  her  mother  married 
again,  becoming  the  wife  of  Jordan  Freeman,  and 
her  remaining  days  were  passed  in  Pike  county. 
where  she  died  in  April,  1881. 

Mr.  Hubbard  was  an  advocate  of  the  democ- 
racy, and  was  called  to  several  local  offices,  serv- 
ing as  magistrate  for  a  number  of  terms,  and  also 
as  supervisor.  He  was  prominent  in  community 
affairs  and  his  opinion  carried  considerable  weight 
and  influence.  He  was  a  man  whose  friendship 
could  always  be  counted  upon  if  it  was  once 
gained.  He  possessed  an  even  temperament, 
kindly  disposition  and  a  genial  nature,  and  his 
genuine  worth  was  recognized  by  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  He  belonged  to  Barry  lodge, 
No.  34.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  to  Barry  chapter.  No.  88, 
~R.  A.  M.  and  for  twelve  consecutive  years  served 


as  secretary  of  the  lodge.  He  passed  away  on 
the  1 7th  of  December,  1905,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-six years,  and  the  community  mourned  the  loss 
of  one  whom  it  had  come  to  respect  and  honor 
as  a  man  of  sterling  worth. 

Although  his  privileges  in  youth  were  some- 
what limited,  and  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  pro- 
vide for  his  own  support  from  an  early  age,  he 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities  in  life  and  by 
reading  and  observation  became  a  well  informed 
man.  Moreover  his  business  affairs  were  so  di- 
rected that  success  resulted,  and  he  left  his  family 
in  comfortable  financial  circumstances.  In  all  his 
dealings  he  was  honorable  and  upright,  and  his 
traits  of  character  made  him  one  of  nature's  no- 
blemen. Mrs.  Hubbard,  still  residing  in  Barry, 
is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
has  ever  been  a  great  student  of  the  Bible. 


A.  L.  RISER. 

A.  L.  Kiser,  who  is  one  of  the  active  and 
thrifty  farmers  of  Newburg  township,  living  on 
section  23,  owns  and  cultivates  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  connection  with  his 
father,  and  of  this  two  hundred  and  ninety  acres 
is  situated  in  the  home  place,  which  is  a  neat  and 
well  improved  property.  Mr.  Kiser  was  born  in 
Newburg  township,  April  8,  1867,  and  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the 
county.  His  father,  David  F.  Kiser,  was  born 
in  Indiana,  May  17,  1841,  the  grandfather,  Jacob 
L.  Kiser,  having  come  from  Indiana,  his  native 
state,  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  this  portion  of  Illinois.  David 
F.  Kiser  was  reared  and  educated  in  Newburg 
township  and  after  reaching  adult  age  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Janetta  Williams,  who  was  born  in 
Detroit  township  and  is  a  daughter  of  Madison 
Williams,  also  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this 
state,  having  come  to  Pike  county  from  North 
Carolina.  Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Kiser 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Newburg  township,  where  he- 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for  a 
number  of  vears  and  he  now  resides  in  Detroit. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY 


203 


Xo  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to 
vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  A.  L.  Kiser  in 
his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Detroit,  worked  upon  the  old  home- 
stead and  remained  with  his  father  up  to  the 
time  of  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in 
Detroit  on  the  2ist  of  November,  1888,  Miss 
Ora  Esther  Sanderson  becoming  his  wife.  She 
is  the  youngest  daughter  of  Reuben  Sanderson 
and  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Detroit. 
Following  their  marriage  the  young  couple  be- 
gan their  domestice  life  in  Detroit,  where  Mr. 
Kiser  engaged  in  farming  for  two  years,  when 
in  1890  he  located  upon  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides.  He  has  since  added  to  and  remodeled 
the  house  and  has  put  up  about  six  hundred  rods 
of  good  wire  fencing.  He  has  also  made  other 
improvements  and  has  carried  forward  the  work 
of  cultivation  until  he  has  a  splendidly  developed 
property.  In  connection  with  the  tilling  of  the 
soil  he  is  engaged  in  feeding  and  raising  hogs 
and  cattle  for  the  market  and  formerly  also 
handled  sheep. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kiser  have  become  the  parents 
of  four  children :  Lorena  A.,  Paul  Wayne,  Mil- 
dred Marie  and  Lucile  Bernadine.  In  his  polit- 
ical views  Mr.  Kiser  has  been  a  life-long  repub- 
lican and  is  now  serving  as  supervisor.  He 
served  on  the  ferries  committee  of  which  he  was 
chairman  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee on  salaried  offices.  He  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  numerous  conventions  of  his  party  and 
has  served  as  chairman  of  the  township  commit- 
tees of  Detroit  and  Newburg  township.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  Mr. 
Kiser  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  at  Detroit,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  of 
the  chairs  and  is  a  past  grand.  He  also  served 
for  two  terms  as  district  deputy  and  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  grand  lodge  at  one  session.  He  like- 
wise has  membership  relations  with  the  Mutual 
Protective  League,  a  fraternal  insurance  order. 
Mr.  Kiser  is  an  industrious  and  prosperous 
farmer,  a  man  of  good  business  ability  and  of 
sterling  character  and  worth.  He  is  well  known 
in  Pittsfield  and  Pike  county  as  one  of  its  pub- 
lic-spirited citizens.  The  work  which  was  insti- 
tuted by  his  grandfather  and  has  been  carried 


forward  by  his  father  both  along  lines  of  indi- 
vidual business  interests  and  the  public  welfare 
has  also  been  continued  by  him  and  his  value  and 
worth  as  a  citizen  is  widely  acknowledged. 


ALONZO  LEONARD. 

To  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  history  of 
Alonzo  Leonard  it  seems  trite  to  say  that  he  is 
a  self-made  man,  whose  splendid  position  in 
financial  circles  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts,  yet  it  is  but  just  to  say  in  a  history  that 
will  descend  to  future  generations  that  his  busi- 
ness career  is  one  that  has  excited  the  admiration 
and  respect  of  his  contemporaries,  proving  the 
power  of  energy,  enterprise  and  keen  discrimi- 
nation as  forceful  factors  in  business  life.  A  na- 
tive of  Kentucky  he  was  born  in  the  year  1850, 
a  son  of  Samuel  Leonard,  who  in  1852  removed 
to  Missouri,  where  his  son  Alonzo  was  reared. 
He  had  a  charter  from  this  state  for  building  a 
levee  along  the  river  bank  before  the  war.  In 
his  family  were  seven  children,  of  whom  Alonzo 
was  the  youngest. 

Alonzo  Leonard  was  educated  in  Missouri  and 
in  1872  came  to  Pike  county,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  worked  by  the  month  in  the  early 
years  of  his  residence  here  and  when  he  had  ac- 
quired some  capital  embarked  in  business  in 
Pittsfield.  As  the  years  passed  by  he  prospered 
and  eventually  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
brokerage  business  which  he  has  since  followed. 
He  is  now  a  well  known  capitalist  of  Pike  county, 
loaning  money  and  conducting  a  business  that 
has  become  of  considerable  extent  and  impor- 
tance. 

On  the  2ist  of  September,  1873,  Mr.  Leonard 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  I. 
Moore,  a  native  of  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Moore,  a  carpenter  of  Pike  county,  who 
is  still  living  here.  They  have  one  child,  Charles 
A.,  who  was  born  July  4,  1879,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Yale  University  in  the  class  of  1904. 
He  is  now  associated  with  his  father.  The  fam- 
ily home  is  on  East  Washington  street  in  Pitts- 
field,  where  they  have  a  pleasant  residence.  Mr. 


204 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Leonard  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church 
and  in  his  political  views  is  a  republican.  Start- 
ing out  in  life  without  financial  assistance  or  in- 
fluence of  friends  to  aid  him  he  made  steady  ad- 
vancement on  the  road  to  prosperity,  passing 
many  upon  the  highway  of  life  who  started  out 
more  advantageously  equipped.  His  success  has 
been  readily  achieved,  owing  to  his  strong  pur- 
pose that  has  enabled  him  to  overcome  difficul- 
ties and  obstacles,  his  close  application  to  what- 
ever task  he  has  had  in  hand  and  his  capable 
management.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
Pittsfield  and  Pike  county  and  is  popular  with 
his  fellow  townsmen  who  recognize  his  genuine 
worth,  appreciate  his  kindly  spirit  and  admire 
his  consideration  for  others. 


MICHAEL  G.  BAUER. 

Michael  G.  Bauer,  who  is  teacher  in  charge 
of  the  Pleasant  Hill  district  school  of  Pike 
county,  was  born  February  21,  1865,  and  is  a 
son  of  George  M.  and  Katharine  (Reinhardt) 
Bauer,  early  settlers  of  this  county.  The  father 
was  engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits 
throughout  his  entire  life,  his  labors  being  ended 
in  death  on  the  i8th  of  May,  1876,  at  which 
time  he  was  making  his  home  in  Hardin  town- 
ship. His  widow  still  survives  and  now  resides 
in  Pittsfield. 

Michael  G.  Bauer  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm 
lads  of  the  period.  During  the  summer  months 
he  aided  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  his  prelim- 
inary education  was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  near  his  father's  home,  but,  anxious  for 
better  educational  privileges,  he  afterward  at- 
tended the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville  for 
one  year.  In  1882  he  began  teaching,  following 
that  profession  for  several  years,  after  which  he 
rested  for  one  year  and  then  pursued  his  work  in 
Illinois  College.  After  leaving  that  institution 
he  resumed  teaching  in  Pike  county  and  so  con- 
tinued until  1898.  In  1894  he  became  connected 
with  his  brothers,  L.  G.,  J.  A.  and  W.  H.  Bauer, 
in  a  mercantile  enterprise  conducted  under  the 


firm  style  of  Bauer  Brothers,  which  relation  was 
maintained  for  ten  years.  During  the  first  four 
years  of  the  firm's  existence  Mr.  Bauer  continued 
to  teach  school  but  afterward  concentrated  his 
energies  upon  the  conduct  of  his  commercial  af- 
fairs. On  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  the  mer- 
cantile stock  was  exchanged  for  a  farm  in  New 
Salem  township,  Pike  county,  containing  about 
two  hundred  acres  of  good  land  valued  at  about 
fifty  dollars  per  acre.  Mr.  Bauer  on  retiring 
from  commercial  life  resumed  the  work  of  teach- 
ing and  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the  Pleasant 
Hill  district  school. 

In  1898  occurred  the  marriage  of  Michael  G. 
Bauer  and  Miss  Minnie  V.  Hoover,  a  daughter 
of  David  J.  and  Amanda  Hoover.  He  belongs 
to  Robin  Hood  lodge,  No.  415,  K.  P.,  of  Milton, 
and  also  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  No.  922. 
He  justly  deserves  all  the  praise  implied  in  the 
term,  a  self-made  man.  When  the  father  died  he 
left  an  indebtedness  of  two  thousand  dollars 
which  the  sons  paid  off  and  all  that  they  now 
possess  has  been  acquired  through  their  own  la- 
bors. Mr.  Bauer  has  worked  diligently  and  en- 
ergetically and  is  known  as  one  of  the  capable 
teachers  of  the  county,  having  done  much  to  raise 
the  standard  of  public  instruction  in  the  locali- 
ties where  he  has  lived. 


A.  V.  WILLS. 

A.  V.  Wills,  who  is  extensively  engaged  in 
farming  in  Pike  county  and  in  connection  with 
his  sons  is  conducting  a  large  drainage  contract- 
ing business,  utilizing  eight  dredges  in  the  execu- 
tion of  contracts  which  call  him  into  various  parts 
of  the  country,  is  a  native  son  of  this  county, 
born  on  the  I4th  of  February,  1849,  his  par- 
ents being  W.  R.  and  Lucy  D.  (Scott)  Wills. 
The  father  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York 
in  1810,  and  when  eight  years  of  age  accompan- 
ied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  for  eleven  years.  When  a  young  man 
of  nineteen  in  company  with  his  younger  brother. 
A.  V.  Wills,  he  arrived  at  New  Orleans,  where 
they  remained  for  several  months  and  upon  his 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


205 


return  to  Ohio  W.  R.  Wills,  Sr.,  settled  in  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  as  a  laborer 
for  six  years.  In  1836  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  M.  Cowles,  who  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1810.  lie  then  removed  to  Atlas  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  where  he  began  farming  but 
in  July  of  the  same  year  his  wife  died.  He  then 
sold  his  household  effects  and  other  possessions 
and  made  a  trip  to  the  east  but  after  eight 
months  returned  to  Pike  county,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  trading  in  various  ways  until  1838. 
He  then  married  Miss  Lucy  D.  Scott,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  in  1812,  and  was  brought  to 
Illinois  in  1818.  Following  his  second  marriage 
he  settled  in  Florence  on  the  Illinois  river,  where 
he  engaged  in  coopering  for  two  years  and  then 
removed  to  Rockport,  Pike  county,  where  he 
acted  as  general  superintendent  of  coopering, 
milling  and  pork  packing  enterprizes.  For  three 
years  he  was  thus  engaged  and  then  desiring  that 
his  labors  might  more  directly  benefit  himself  he 
purchased  a  farm  near  Summer  Hill,  Atlas  town- 
ship, and  there  engaged  in  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  stock-raising.  After  six  years  he 
sold  that  property  and  bought  a  large  and  valu- 
able tract  of  land  in  Pittsfield  township  on  sec- 
tions 20  and  21,  where  he  resided  for  many  years, 
being  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock-raising.  Difficulties,  ob- 
stacles and  disadvantages  met  him  on  the  jour- 
ney of  life  but  he  overcame  these  by  determined 
and  honorable  effort  and  eventually  became  one 
of  the  large  landowners  of  Pike  county.  He  was 
a  man  of  strong  purpose,  unfaltering  determina- 
tion and  unquestioned  honor.  Throughout  his 
life  he  never  used  intoxicants  and  always  lived  so 
as  to  win  the  respect,  confidence  and  trust  of  his 
fellowmen. 

In  the  common  schools  A.  V.  Wills  acquired 
his  education  and  remained  at  home 'until  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1872.  He  afterwards- pur- 
chased the  home  place  and  has  since  resided 
thereon,  owning  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in 
this  tract,  while  he  and  his  brother,  W.  R.  Wills, 
own  eight  hundred  and  forty  acres  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi bottoms  and  A.  V.  Wills  and  his  family 
own  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  on  the  Illi- 
nois river  bottom  and  one  thousand  acres  in  In- 


diana. He  has  thus  become  an  extensive  land- 
owner, having  made  judicious  investment  in 
property.  He  has  always  been  engaged  in  the 
stock  business,  handling  shorthorn  cattle  and 
blooded  hogs  and  this  has  also  proved  to  him  a 
profitable  source  of  income.  The  firm  of  A.  V. 
Wills  &  Sons  has  become  widely  known  as  drain- 
age contractors.  For  fifteen  years  Mr.  Wills 
has  been  engaged  in  this  business  and  previously 
he  served  for  fifteen  years  on  the  board  of  drain- 
age commissioners.  The  firm  are  now  engaged 
in  the  operation  of  eight  dredges,  five  in  Mis- 
souri and  three  in  Illinois  and  they  have  taken 
large  contracts  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Missouri  and 
in  this  state,  the  business  amounting  to  about  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  annually.  The  firm 
are  experts  in  their  line  giving  special  attention 
to  the  drainage  of  wet  lands  and  their  business 
has  constantly  grown  in  volume  and  importance 
until  it  brings  annually  a  splendid  remunera- 
tion. 

Mr.  Wills  was  married  in  March,  1868,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Halme,  a  native  of  Pike  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Halme,  a  farmer  and 
carpenter,  who  came  to  Illinois  from  England. 
In  1849  ne  went  to  California  across  the  plains 
but  returned  by  the  isthmus  route.  He  then 
gave  his  attention  to  farming  in  Pike  county 
and  was  a  large  stock  dealer,  buying  and  ship- 
ping cattle  on  an  extensive  scale.  In  fact  he  was 
the  largest  stock  shipper  in  the  county  at  that 
time.  Following  his  return  from  California  he 
settled  upon  a  two-hundred-acre  farm  in  Pitts- 
field  township  but  eventually  sold  that  property 
and  bought  four  hundred  acres  just  south  of  it. 
At  one  time  he  made  his  shipments  over  the  Wa- 
bash  but  they  owed  him  three  thousand  dollars 
rebate  which  he  found  difficult  to  collect.  He 
then  went  to  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company  and  contracted  to  ship  one 
hundred  cars  but  his  shipments  amounted  to 
nearly  two  hundred  cars.  The  Wabash  Com- 
pany afterward  gave  him  the  rebate  and  he  fi- 
nally shipped  over  that  line  again.  His  ambitions 
as  a  stock  dealer,  however,  almost  caused  his 
financial  ruin  about  1900.  when  he  was  seventy 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Wills  then  told  him  there  was 
a  place  at  his  table  whenever  he  desired  to  be- 


206 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


come  a  member  of  his  home  but  he  declined  to 
do  this  and  went  instead  to  Adams  county,  Wash- 
ington, where  he  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  began  farming.  Again  pros- 
perity attended  him  and  at  the  end  of  three  years 
he  returned  to  Pike  county  and  paid  all  his  debts. 
The  increase  in  his  land  values  and  the  products 
he  has  raised  there  have  now  made  him  worth 
about  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  dollars  and  at 
this  time  he  is  living  retired  in  California  with 
one  child.  When  he  went  to  Washington  his 
sons,  James  and  Elmore,  born  of  his  second  mar- 
riage, and  his  son,  John,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Wills, 
owned  land  in  Washington  but  lived  in  Illinois. 
The  last  named  gave  his  father  what  he  could 
raise  on  his  land  in  that  frontier  state  and  one 
year  he  produced  forty  thousand  bushels  of 
wheat.  He  is  now  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years.  By 
his  first  marriage  he  had  four  children  and  by 
the  second  union  there  were  six. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wills  have  been  born  nine 
children,  who  are  yet  living  and  they  have  lost 
their  eldest,  John  R.,  who  died  in  October,  1902. 
The  others  are :  William,  who  is  at  home  and 
is  associated  with  his  father  in  business;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Dunham,  living  near  Griggs- 
ville;  Millie  F.,  who  is  the  wife  of  W.  L.  Cham- 
berlain and  resides  near  Bluffs,  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois ;  Malinda,  who  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Dilts, 
and  resides  at  Maiden,  Missouri,  where  she  acts 
as  bookkeeper  for  her  father,  while  her  husband 
is  an  assistant  of  Mr.  Wills  in  his  business  inter- 
ests in  that  state;  E.  S.,  who  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  A.  V.  Wills  &  Sons,  and  married  Ethel 
Ellis,  their  home  being  in  Maiden,  Missouri ; 
Lucy,  Glenn,  Fred  and  Leslie,  all  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wills  is  a  republican  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  office.  In  the  Masonic 
fraternity  he  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar 
degree  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  and  the  Court  of  Honor,  while  in 
former  years  he  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias. His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church.  Mr.  Wills  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  ap- 
pearance, splendid  business  and  executive  ability, 
of  keen  insight  and  of  unfailing  enterprise.  He 


has  never  manifested  a  dilatory  nor  negligent 
spirit  in  any  department  of  his  work  but  has 
brought  to  his  labors  great  energy  and  persever- 
ance and  through  capable  management  has  ex- 
tended his  labors  until  the  breadth  of  his  business 
interests  prove  a  splendid  foundation  for  success 
and  he  has  become  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  Pike  county. 


CAREY  A.  MANKER. 

Carey  A.  Manker,  a  banker  of  Pearl,  Illinois, 
was  born  June  9,  1861,  in  Darlington,  Montgom- 
ery county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and 
Tamnson  (Wright)  Manker.  His  father,  J.  J. 
Manker,  was  the  president  of  the  Bank  of  Elliott, 
now  the  First  National  Bank  at  Elliott,  Iowa,  es- 
tablished in  1884.  His  birth  occurred  in  Hills- 
boro,  Ohio,  in  1818,  and  his  wife  was  there  born 
in  1821.  The  father  died  at  Red  Oak,  Iowa. 
March  13,  1895,  while  the  mother  is  still  living  in 
Red  Oak  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
In  his  day  John  J.  Manker  was  a  well  known  tem- 
perance lecturer  and  was  one  of  those  who  were 
influential  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  prohi- 
bition law  in  Iowa. 

Carey  A.  Manker  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of 
his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  in  1872  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Fre- 
mont county,  Iowa,  where  they  remained  for  five 
years,  and  then  went  to  Red  Oak,  the  county  seat 
of  Montgomery  county,  where  John  J.  Manker 
purchased  a  flour  mill,  continuing  to  operate  it 
until  1883.  when  he  sold  out.  It  was  in  the 
schools  of  Red  Oak  that  Carey  A.  Manker  ac- 
quired the  greater  part  of  his  education,  being 
graduated  from  the  high  school  there  in  the  class 
of  1882.  Following  his  graduation  he  assisted 
his  father  in  the  mill  as  bookkeeper  and  in  con- 
nection with  other  duties  until  the  property  was 
sold.  In  1884  he  became  associated  with  his  fa- 
ther and  brother,  H.  E.  Manker,  in  organizing  the 
Bank  of  Elliott  at  Elliott.  Iowa,  and  also  the 
Louisville  Bank  at  Louisville,  Nebraska.  Carey 
A.  Manker  took  charge  of  the  latter  institution 
and'  his  brother,  H.  E.  Manker,  of  the  bank  of 


C.  A.  MANKER 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


209 


Elliott.  In  1887  Carey  A.  Manker  disposed 
of  his  interests  in  the  Louisville  Bank  and 
in  partnership  with  C.  H.  Parmele  and  J. 
(  ).  McCain  established  the  Bank  of  Com- 
merce at  Louisville  and  in  1891  bought  the  Louis- 
ville Bank,  which  became  merged  into  the  Bank 
of  Commerce.  In  1892,  however,  Mr.  Manker 
disposed  of  his  interests  and  until  1895  was  en- 
gaged in  a  private  loan  business.  In  that  year  he 
went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mort- 
gage, loan  and  real-estate  business  until  1898, 
when  he  came  to  Pearl  and  on  July  I4th  of  the 
same  year  established  the  Bank  of  Pearl.  He  is 
now  president  of  the.  institution  and  jointly  with 
B.  Heavner  owns  the  Hillview  Bank  at  Hillview, 
Greene  county,  Illinois.  He  has  erected  a  nice 
bank  building  in  Pearl  which  was  completed  in 
August,  1905,  and  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  banking  business,  which  he  is  carefully  con- 
ducting, winning  in  the  control  of  his  interests  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success.  In  addition  to  the 
bank  building  he  also  owns  considerable  other 
property  in  Pearl  and  he  has  real-estate  interests  in 
Missouri,  Texas,  Nebraska,  South  Dakota  and 
Virginia. 

Mr.  Manker  was  married  September  25,  1884, 
to  Miss  Florence  Davis,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  P. 
and  Cecelia  (James)  Davis.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Manker  have  been  born  four  children,  three 
daughters  and  a  son.  namely:  Genevieve  M.,  who 
was  born  March  24,  1886.  in  Albion.  Nebraska; 
Arthur  A.,  born  in  Louisville,  Nebraska,  October 
8,  1887 ;  Tamnson  Marie,  born  June  5,  1891 ;  and 
Florence  R..  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  May  4, 
1898. 

Mr.  Manker  is  a  valued  representative  of  va- 
rious fraternal  organizations.  He  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  Mutual 
Protective  League.  In  community  affairs  he  is 
deeply  and  helpfully  interested.  When  he  came 
to  Pearl  he  found  the  town  in  bad  shape.  Streets, 
sidewalks  and  almost  every  other  public  in- 
terest was  in  need  of  repair  and  improve- 
ment. Mr.  Manker  enthused  others  with  his 
own  desire  for  public  advancement  and  progress 
and  his  fellow  townsmen  say  of  him  that  he  has 


done  more  for  Pearl  than  any  other  man  resid- 
ing here.  He  has  labored  persistently  and  earn- 
estly for  the  general  welfare  and  his  efforts  have 
been  crowned  with  a  gratifying  measure  of  suc- 
cess, as  is  shown  in  the  improved  condition  of  the 
streets  and  in  many  other  departments  of  town 
life.  At  the  same  time  in  the  management  of 
his  active  business  interests  Mr.  Manker  has  dis- 
played excellent  ability,  keen  discernment  and  sa- 
gacity and  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  a 
prominent  position  among  the  successful  men  of 
this  part  of  the  state. 


GEORGE  D.  COOPER. 

....George'  D'.'  Cooper  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm 
in  Pike  county"  and  fls  also  extensively  and  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  stock-raising.  He  is  one  of 
the  county's  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Martinsburg  township  on  the  i6th  of  June, 
1858.  His  paternal  great-grandfather,  George  W. 
Cooper,  is  believed  to  have  been  a  native  of 
Georgia  and  removed  from  that  state  to  Tennes- 
see. After  a  time  he  changed  his  residence  to 
Kentucky  and  finally  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Morgan  county,  but  later  removed  to  southwestern 
Missouri  and  afterward  took  up  his  abode  in 
Macon  county,  that  state,  where  his  remaining 
days  were  passed.  He  was  one  of  the  early  resi- 
dents of  Illinois  and  in  the  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  the  state  took  a  helpful  part.  A  gentle- 
man of  deep  religious  sentiment,  he  adhered 
closely  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  and  in  early 
life  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  church, 
while  later  he  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  doctrines 
of  the  Christian  church.  His  political  views  were 
in  accord  with  the  principles  of  democracy. 

Asa  D.  Cooper,  grandfather  of  George  D. 
Cooper,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was  reared  in 
that  state  and  in  Tennessee.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  the  early  '305,  making  his  first  settlement  in 
Morgan  county,  where  he  remained  for  several 
years.  He  then  removed  to  Pike  county  and  re- 
sided in  Pittsfield  for  a  time,  after  which  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  in  Martinsburg  town- 
ship, upon  which  there  were  no  improvements. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


With  characteristic  energy,  however,  he  began 
the  development  of  a  farm  and  after  disposing  of 
•that  property  he  and  his  brother  became  joint  pur- 
chasers of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
section  14,  Martinsburg  township,  which  they 
improved  together.  They  were  associated  in  their 
farming  interests  for  some  time,  but  eventually 
Asa  Cooper  bought  out  his  brother's  interest,  con- 
tinuing to  make  the  place  his  home  until  his  life's 
labors  were  ended  in  death.  In  the  meantime 
he  had  added  to  his  property  until  he  owned  two 
hundred  acres  of  land,  the  gi  eater  part  of  which 
was  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  yielded 
to  him  excellent  crops,  so  that  he  was  enabled  to 
add  annually  to  his  income.  He  was  a  believer  in 
democratic  principles  but  was  without  political 
aspiration  for  office.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Christian  church,  with  which  he  was  long  and 
helpfully  identified,  taking  an  active  interest  in  its 
work.  His  death  occurred  in  December,  1858, 
when  he  was  forty-nine  years  of  age.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eleanor  Goodin  and  was 
born  in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  in  1818,  but  her 
death  occurred  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1855. 
She  was  an  earnest  and  faithful  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  living  in  harmony  with  her 
professions  and  her  life  was  filled  with  many 
good  deeds  and  gracious  acts. 

John  H.  Cooper,  son  of  Asa  and  Eleanor 
(Goodin)  Cooper,  was  born  where  Pittsfield  now 
stands  on  the  loth  of  October  1836,  and  is  one  of 
the  oldest  native  citizens  of  Pike  county.  He  was 
reared  amid  the  refining  influences  of  a  good 
Christian  home  and  it  was  the  aim  of  his  parents 
to  prepare  their  children  to  meet  the  practical  and 
responsible  duties  of  life  and  to  win  respect  and 
confidence  through  honesty  and  well  doing.  He 
attended  the  pioneer  schools  which  were  sup- 
ported by  subscription  and  which  convened  in  a 
primitive  log  schoolhouse  supplied  with  open 
fire  place,  while  a  writing  desk  was  formed  by 
placing  a  slab  upon  pins  driven  into  the  wall.  The 
other  furniture  was  equally  primitive  and  the 
methods  of  instruction  were  crude  as  compared  to 
those  of  the  present  day.  At  that  time  the  teacher 
"boarded  round"  among  the  scholars  and  his  com- 
ing was  an  event  in  any  family,  giving  an  intel- 
lectual tone  to  the  household  and  at  the  same  time 


probably  improving  the  larder,  as  the  mistress  of 
the  home  felt  that  her  reputation  as  a  cook  and 
housewife  was  at  stake.  It  was  under  such  condi- 
tions that  John  H.  Cooper  acquired  his  education. 
He  can  well  remember  seeing  deer  and  turkeys  in 
considerable  numbers  in  Pike  county  during  his 
boyhood.  He  spent  the  winter  months  as  a  stu- 
dent in  the  public  schools  and  in  the  summer  sea- 
sons worked  upon  the  home  farm  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account,  being  employed  first  as  a  farm  hand. 
When  he  attained  his  majority  he  was  married 
and  located  upon  a  rented  farm,  thus  carrying  on 
agricultural  pursuits  for  ten  years.  The  capital 
which  he  saved  during  that  period  enabled  him  to 
purchase  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Martinsburg  township  where  he  now  resides,  the 
so-called  "improvements"  consisting  of  a  small 
house  and  twenty  acres  under  cultivation.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  placing  his  fields 
under  cultivation  and  he  erected  good  buildings 
and  fences.  The  splendid  appearance  of  the  farm 
at  the  present  time  is  due  to  the  efforts  and  energy 
of  John  H.  Cooper,  who  has  led  a  busy,  useful 
and  practical  life  and  his  years  of  industry  have 
been  crowned  with  success.  From  time  to  time 
as  his  financial  resources  permitted  he  would  add 
other  lands  to  his  holdings  until  he  now  owns  five 
hundred  and  seventeen  acres  constituting  a  very 
valuable  property.  He  has  carried  on  farming 
operations  on  an  extensive  scale  and  he  has  han- 
dled a  large  number  of  cattle  and  other  stock.  At 
one  time  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  feeding 
stock  and  his  business  interests  were  carefully 
controlled  and  brought  to  him  a  most  gratifying 
financial  return.  In  1875  he  built  upon  his  farm 
a  nice  residence  which  he  yet  occupies. 

On  the  ist  of  February  1857,  John  H.  Cooper 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Moomaw, 
who  was  born  October  29,  1839,  in  Ohio  but  was 
reared  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  her  parents  having 
come  to  this  county  in  1843.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  Moomaw,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
17116  and  when  a  young  man  went  to  Ohio.  There 
he  resided  and  in  1821  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Ohmart,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Virginia. 
December  16,  1798.  She  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Her  father  was  a 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


farmer  'and  on  removing  to  this  state  made  the 
journey  by  wagon  with  a  four-horse  team,  being 
six  weeks  upon  the  road,  during  which  time  the 
family  camped  out  at  nightfall  by  the  roadside, 
traveling  only  during  the  hours  of  the  day.  At 
length  Mr.  Moomaw  purchased  a  farm  on  section 
n,  Martinsburg  township  and  finally  became  an 
extensive  agriculturist  by  reason  of  his  capable 
management  of  his  business  interests  during  the 
early  days  of  pioneer  development  here.  He  died 
November  16,  1847.  H's  study  of  the  political 
issues  and  questions  of  the  day  led  him  to  give  his 
support  to  the  democratic  party.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Baptist  church  and  was  elected 
to  the  ministry  and  labored  earnestly  in  the  cause. 
The  maternal  great-grandfather  of  George  D. 
Cooper  was  John  Aloomaw,  a  native  of  Germany 
who  was  .brought  to  America  by  his  parents  in  his 
infancy,  but  his  mother  died  on  shipboard  during 
the  passage.  Eventually  he  became  a  farmer,  liv- 
ing in  Virginia  for  many  years,  but  his  death  oc- 
curred in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  at  a  ripe  old  age. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  John  H. 
Cooper  was  Adam  Ohmart,  who  was  born  in 
Maryland  and  was  of  German  parentage.  He  also 
was  a  farmer,  devoting  his  life  to  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  In  Pennsylvania  he  was  married, 
after  which  he  lived  for  a  time  in  Virginia  but 
made  his  final  settlement  in  Logan  county,  Ohio. 
His  wife,  Ann  Weaver,  was  born  in  the  Keystone 
state  and  was  of  German  lineage,  her  parents  hav- 
ing emigrated  to  this  country  from  the  fatherland. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ohmart  had  fifteen  children,  thir- 
teen of  whom  reached  adult  age.  The  mother 
lived  to  an  advanced  age,  dying  in  the  same 
country  as  her  husband. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Cooper  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church,  interested  in  its  work 
and  taking  an  active'  part  in  its  development  and 
progress.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  democrat  and  was 
township  collector  in  1873.  He  has  also  served 
as  road  commissioner  and  in  all  matters  of  citizen- 
ship is  reliable  and  trustworthy.  His  Christian 
character,  intelligent  mind  and  enterprising  habits 
have  secured  for  him  a  high  standing  as  a  farmer 
and  a  citizen  and  won  for  him  the  -respect  of  all 
who  know  him.  Since  his  retirement  from  the 
more  active  labors  of  the  farm  he  has  spent  sev- 


eral winters  in  Texas,  California  and  Colorado. 
In  the  family  were  four  children,  all  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  and  the  parents  both  survive,  their 
home  being  seven  miles  south  of  Pittsfield. 
George  D.  Cooper  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  in  Pittsfield  high  school,  being  thus 
well  equipped  for  life's  practical  and  responsible 
duties.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-one 
years  of  age  and  then  removed  to  a  farm  which 
he  purchased  of  his  father  in  Martinsburg  town- 
ship. He  had  already  become  familiar  with  the 
best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for  the 
crops  and  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  of  his  own 
he  brought  to  his  work  excellent  experience  and 
sound  and  discriminating  judgment,  so  that  as  the 
years  passed  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings. 
Upon  the  first  farm  he  remained  until  1890,  when 
he  bought  the  property  upon  which  he  now  lives 
on  section  29,  Pittsfield  township.  Here  he  owns 
two  hundred  and  five  and  a  half  acres  of  land 
constituting  a  splendid  property,  in  the  midst  of 
which  stands  a  fine  two-story  frame  residence. 
In  the  rear  are  many  good  buildings  including  a 
barn  and  sheds  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock. 
His  land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
Mr.  Cooper  is  well  known  as  a  stockman  and  an 
extensive  shipper.  He  also  owns  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  and  a  half  acres  of  land  adjoining 
the  home  farm  which  was  given  him  by  his 
father  and  from  which  he  derives  the  income, 
but  his  father  still  holds  the  title  to  the  property. 
In  July,  1879,  occurred  the  marriage  of  George 
D.  Cooper  and  Miss  Addie  L.  Barton,  who  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  Missouri,  in  July, 
1862,  and  was  a  daughter  of  M.  A.  and  Mary  F. 
Barton.  The  parents  came  to  Pike  county  in  1864, 
locating  in  Martinsburg  township,  where  they 
owned  five  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres  of  land. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  have  been  born  five 
children.  Virgil  N.,  born  in  1881,  married  Grace 
R.  West,  by  whom  he  has  one  son,  Lindle.  They 
reside  upon  a  farm  in  Pittsfield  township.  Elsie 
W.,  born  in  February,  1883,  is  living  at  home. 
She  was  educated  in  the  high  school  of  Pittsfield 
and  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
four  year's.  Julia  M.  Cooper,  born  in  January, 
1885,  was  educated  in  the  Pittsfield  high  school 
and  is  also  at  home.  Emmett  J.,  born  March  24, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


1887,  was  a  high-school  student  in  Pittsfield.  and 
is  yet  with  his  parents.  Elma  L.,  born  June  10, 
1894,  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  hold  membership  in  the 
Christian  church  and  he  belongs  to  Summer  Hill 
camp.  No.  1053.  M.  W.  A.  He  also  carries  life 
insurance  in  the  Northwestern  Life  Insurance 
Company.  He  votes  with  the  republican  party, 
but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  had 
no  attraction  for  him  and  he  has  preferred  to  con- 
centrate his  attention  and  energy  upon  his  busi- 
ness interests.  He  has  been  very  successful  and 
now  has  a  fine  place.  Moreover  he  is  popular,  be- 
ing well  liked  by  all  who  know  him,  a  fact  which 
indicates  that  his  life  has  shown  those  traits  of 
character  which  everywhere  command  respect, 
confidence  and  good  will.  He  represents  one  of 
the  oldest  pioneer  families  of  Pike  county  and  the 
name  of  Cooper  has  ever  been  a  synonym  for 
business  activity  and  integrity  and  for  good 
citizenship. 


CHARLES  SHADEL. 

Charles  Shade!,  living  in  Pittsfield,  is  one  of 
the  active  business  men  of  the  city  where  for 
thirty-five  years  he  has  carried  on  a  meat  mar- 
ket and  a  representative  of  business  integrity  as 
well  as  commercial  enterprise.  He  dates  his  res- 
idence in  the  county  from  1867  and,  as  the  name 
indicates,  he  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Wurtemberg,  on  the  gth  of 
November,  1840.  There  he  was  reared  to  man- 
hood, receiving  good  educational  privileges  in 
his  native  town  but  in  English  he  is  self-educated. 
He  learned  the  butcher's  trade  in  his  native  land 
and  for  over  fifty  years  has  devoted  his  time  and 
energies  to  the  business,  his  success  being  due  in 
no  small  measure  to  the  fact  that  he  has  perse- 
vered in  the  line  of  business  activity  in  which  he 
embarked  as  a  young  tradesman.  He  emigrated 
to  the  new  world  in  1867,  taking  passage  at  Bre- 
men for  New  York  and  in  the  spring  he 
came  to  Detroit.  Michigan,  arriving  at  his  desti- 
nation on  Easter  Sunday  He  spent  six  months 
in  Jackson,  Michigan,  and  at  Ann  Arbor  and  la- 
ter made  his  way  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked 


in  meat  markets.  In  1867  he  arrived  in  Pitts- 
field  and  afterward  spent  one  fall  and  winter  in 
Milton.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
moved to  St.  Joseph,  Logan  county,  where  he 
established  a  shop,  conducting  the  business  for 
about  two  years,  when  in  1871  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Pittsfield.  Here  he  purchased  a  business 
and  has  since  been  a  representative  of  the  trade 
in  the  county  seat.  He  had  soon  secured  a  good 
patronage  and  many  of  his  patrons  have  given 
him  their  business  support  for  years — a  fact 
which  indicates  that  his  methods  have  ever  been 
honorable  and  his  dealings  straightforward  and 
reliable. 

In  1872  Mr.  Shadel  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Louisa  Yaeger,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Yae- 
ger  and  a  sister  of  John  Yaeger  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shadel  have  nine  children  who  are  living : 
Laura,  at  home ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Sav- 
ior, of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  who  is  with  the  Sim- 
mons Hardware  Company ;  William,  at  home ; 
Ida,  a  stenographer  in  Dallas  City,  Illinois ;  Ro- 
sella,  Albert,  Helen,  Flora  and  Frank,  who-  are 
also  under  the  parental  roof.  They  also  lost  a 
daughter,  Clara,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
months. 

Politically  Mr.  Shadel  is  a  stanch  democrat  but 
has  never  had  aspiration  for  office,  giving  his 
time  and  attention  in  undivided  manner  to  his 
business  interests  in  which  he  has  met  with  grati- 
fying success.  •  He  has  erected  his  business 
house,  which  is  a  good  brick  block,  and  has  also 
built  an  attractive  residence  in  the  town  and  in 
addition  owns  three  other  buildings  here.  He 
also  owns  two  farms  adjoining  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  city,  comprising  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  one  and  eighty  acres  in  another. 
He  commenced  life  empty-handed  but  has  stead- 
ily progressed  and  his  valuable  property  holdings 
are  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed 
and  earnest  effort  crowned  with  successful  ac- 
complishment. He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity in  which  he  has  taken  the  degrees  of  the 
lodge,  chapter  and  commandery  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  has  served  as  treasurer  of  both  the 
lodge  and  chapter.  He  likewise  belongs  to  Pitts- 
field  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he  and  his  wife  are 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


213 


members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  having  been 
reared  in  that  faith.  They  are  highly  esteemed 
and  worthy  residents  of  the  community  and  Mr. 
Shadel  stands  as  a  splendid  type  of  the  German- 
American  citizen  who  has  brought  to  America 
the  strong  and  commendable  characteristics  of 
his  race,  and  through  the  improvement  of  oppor- 
tunity in  the  new  world  has  steadily  advanced, 
winning  a  competence  and  an  honorable  name. 


JAMES  L.  TERRY. 

James  L.  Terry,  whose  life  of  activity  has  been 
crowned  with  success  so  that  he  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Barry,  is  a  native  of  Richmond. 
Virginia,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  I7th 
of  January,  1828.  During  his  infancy  his  par- 
ents, Archibald  and  Nancy  (Tombs)  Terry,  re- 
moved from  the  Old  Dominion  to  Kentucky. 
They  were  also  natives  of  Virginia,  both  born 
in  1799  and  the  father  died  in  1851,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-two  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1846.  They  had  been  married  in  the  state  of 
their  nativity  and  they  reared  a  family  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  James  L.  Terry  is  the  only 
one  now  living.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation and  following  his  removal  to  Kentucky 
in  1829  he  there  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil 
and  raising  of  tobacco  on  an  extensive  scale.  He 
was  also  active  and  influential  in  community  af- 
fairs and  served  as  constable  for  some  time.  He 
held  membership  in  the  Methodist  church  and 
his  life  was  upright  and  honorable,  being  in 
strict  conformity  with  his  professions. 

James  L.  Terry  was  practically  reared  in  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  remained  until  1848.  when,  at 
the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  came  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois.  Here  he  worked  in  a  woolen  mill  for  a 
year  and  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  under 
the  direction  of  his  wife's  father.  Throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  business  career  he  was 
identified  with  building  operations  and  assisted 
in  the  construction  of  thirteen  mills.  lie  was  also 
connected  with  the  building  of  residences  in  his 
part  of  the  county  and  on  many  sides  are  seen 
evidences  of  his  handiwork  and  skill.  To  his 


energy  and  capability  in  this  direction  is  attribu- 
table the  acquirement  of  a  competence  that  now 
enables  him  to  live  retired. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1851,  Mr.  Terry 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alzina  Liggett, 
who  was  born  in  Griggsville,  August  9,  1835, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Blair  and  Mar- 
garet (Phillips)  Liggett,  the  former  a  native  of 
Dayton,  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky. They  were  married  in  Griggsville  and 
unto  this  union  were  born  thirteen  children,  four 
of  whom  are  now  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Alzina 
Terry ;  George  W.  Liggett,  who  resides  in  Barry ; 
Mrs.  Chloe  Coleman,  the  wife  of  James  Cole- 
man  ;  and  Mrs.  Clara  Tower,  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Tower.  The  father  was  a  contractor  and  builder 
and  at  an  early  day  engaged  in  building  steam- 
boats as  well  as  house  building.  In  later  years  he 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Kinderhook  and 
throughout  his  life  was  an  energetic,  enterpris- 
ing citizen,  whose  activity  contributed  to  the  in- 
dustrial and  commercial  progress  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  he  made  his  home.  He  belonged 
to  Barry  lodge,  No.  34.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Barry 
chapter,  No.  88,  R.  A.  M.,  and  also  to  the  council. 
His  early  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Metho- 
dist church  but  in  later  years  he  joined  the  Bap- 
tist church.  Politically  he  was  a  democrat.  He 
died  very  suddenly  at  Kinderhook  in  1871,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age 'of  sixty  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Terry  have  become  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Helena,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Watson,  of  Griggsville: 
Lucile,  who  is  living  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Mrs. 
Margaret  Yokem.  who  resides  at  Atlas,  Illinois  ; 
Eugene,  living  in  Oklahoma:  Mrs.  Anna  Meyer, 
of  St.  Louis ;  George,  of  Barry :  Alice,  the  wife 
of  James  B.  Allen,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  and  a 
member  of  the  Eastern  Star :  and  Frank,  who  is 
living  in  St.  Louis. 

James  L.  Terry  votes  with  the  democracy  and 
held  the  office  of  assessor  for  seven  consecutive 
years,  while  for  two  terms  he  was  collector  of 
Barry  township.  His  fellow  townsmen,  recogniz- 
ing his  worth  and  ability,  called  him  to  office  and 
he  proved  most  faithful  to  the  trust  reposed  in 
him  by  reason  of  his  prompt  and  capable  dis- 


214 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


charge  of  duty.  He,  too,  is  a  worthy  and  exem- 
plary Mason,  belonging  to  Barry  lodge,  No.  34, 
A.  F.  •&  A.  M.,  which  he  joined  in  1849.  He  is 
now  the  oldest  Mason  in  Barry,  the  lodge  here 
having  been  organized  in  October,  1845.  ^n 
1850  he  became  a  charter  Mason  of  Barry  chap- 
ter, No.  88,  R.  A.  M.  and  for  nineteen  years  he 
has  been  tyler  of  the  lodge.  He  also  held  the 
same  office  in  Eastern  Star  lodge.  He  is  thor- 
oughly informed  concerning  the  teachings  of 
Masonry  and  in  his  life  has  displayed  the  spirit 
of  brotherly  kindness  and  mutual  helpfulness 
which  constitutes  the  basic  elements  in  this  or- 
organization.  He  has  long  since  passed  the 
Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten,  hav- 
ing in  fact  reached  the  seventy-eighth  milestone 
on  life's  journey.  In  a  review  of  his  career  we 
find  many  commendable  qualities  and  personal 
traits  which  have  made  his  life  an  upright  one. 
He  has  displayed  conscientious  zeal  and  activity 
in  citizenship  and  fidelity  in  friendship  and  now 
in  the  evening  of  life  he  receives  the  veneration 
and  respect  which  should  ever  be  accorded  one 
who  has  advanced  thus  far  upon  life's  journey. 


GEORGE  E.  PRATT. 

George  E.  Pratt,  who  is  now  living  retired, 
after  close  connection  with  industrial  interests 
in  which  his  indefatigable  industry  brought  him 
a  gratifying  measure  of  success,  makes  his  home 
in  Griggsville  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  His 
birth  occurred  March  19,  1839,  in  the  city  which 
is  still  his  home,  his  parents  being  George  and 
Elizabeth  (Wilson)  Pratt,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Massachusetts.  The  father  was  born 
in  Cohasset.  Massachusetts.  August  5,  1812,  and 
was  descended  from  New  England  ancestors  who 
settled  in  this  country  at  an  early  period  in  its 
colonization,  the  first  of  the  name  in  America  be- 
ing Phineas  Pratt,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  on 
the  third  ship  which  came  to  the  new  world  after 
the  Mayflower  made  the  famous  voyage  in  1620. 
He  had  been  armor  bearer  to  the  king.  His  son, 


who  also  bore  the  name  of  Phineas  Pratt,  was  a 
surveyor  of  the  early  government  and  a  noted 
lawyer  of  his  day.  Zadoc  Pratt  was  a  descendant 
in  direct  line  of  'Phineas  Pratt,  and  his  son  was 
the  distinguished  Judge  Pratt,  of  New  York  city. 

Thomas  Pratt,  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  farmer  in  the  old  town  of  Co- 
hasset, Massachusetts,  and  in  early  manhood 
wedded  Miss  Betsy  Neil.  They  reared  a  family 
of  twelve  children,  including  Jobe  Pratt,  who 
became  a  farmer  and  lived  and  died  on  a  tract  of 
land  given  to  him  by  his  father  at  Cohasset.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Lucretia  Oaks, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Haugh  and  Susan  (Lath- 
rop)  Oaks,  the  former  a  major  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  afterward  was  commissioned  in 
the  navy.  He  became  captain  of  a  vessel  and  on 
one  occasion  captured  a  supply  ship  of  the 
enemy,  his  portion  of  the  salvage  amounting  to 
two  thousand  dollars.  With  this  money  he  pur- 
chased a  homestead.  His  wife  was  a  daughter 
of  Colonel  Lathrop,  also  a  Revolutionary  officer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lathrop,  the  maternal  great- 
grandparents  of  Mr.  Pratt,  reared  five  daughters, 
three  of  whom  married  and  settled  in  Vermont. 

Jobe  and  Lucretia  (Oaks)  Pratt  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  of  whom  George  Pratt, 
father  of  our  subject,  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth.  Of  the  others,  James  became  a  seaman 
and  was  promoted  until  he  was  an  officer  of  a 
vessel  when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  was 
master  of  a  ship  before  he  was  thirty.  He  died 
at  sea..  Sarah  Pratt  is  the  deceased  wife  of 
Thomas  -  Brown,  of  Cohasset.  Massachusetts. 
Jobe  was  a  mechanic  in  the  service  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  made  his  home  in  Cambridge,  Mas- 
sachusetts, up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Thomas 
Pratt  is  now  living  in  Alabama.  He  was  a  gov- 
ernment official  during  the  Civil  war,  was  cap- 
tured by  the  rebels  and  being  offered  the  posi- 
tion of  nurse  of  the  rebel  prisoners  on  a  parole 
he  took  care  of  a  young  man  who  proved  to  be 
the  son  of  a  rich  planter  and  thus  won  the  good 
graces  of  the  family.  They  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing the  money  which  had  been  taken  from  him 
at  the  time  of  his  capture  and  also  hospitably 
entertained  them  in  their  home.  He  was  a  pris- 
oner of  war  for  a  long  time  but  finally  was  ex- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


changed  and  came  north,  returning  to  the  south 
some  years  later  to  engage  in  business. 

After  losing  his  first  wife  Jobe  Pratt  was 
married  to  Patience  Cole,  and  they  had  one  son, 
Harvey,  who  responded  to  the  president's  call 
for  troops  soon  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  serving  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment 
throughout  the  period  of  hostilities,  taking  part 
in  many  of  the  most  sanguinary  engagements. 
He  was  at  one  time  wounded.  He  entered  the 
service  as  a  private  but  after  being  paroled  be- 
came" a  non-commissioned  officer.  Prior  to  the 
war  he  engaged  in  farming  and  after  his  mili- 
tary experience  turned  his  attention  to  speculat- 
ing and  other  business  ventures. 

George  Pratt,  father  of  George  E.  Pratt,  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  state  and  aided  in  the  farm  work  until  six- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  sea,  spending, 
the  succeeding  six  years  on  shipboard.  He  then 
located  in  Cambridgeport,  Massachusetts,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1837  started  for  Alton,  Illinois. 
He  made  the  journey  by  stage  to  Albany,  New 
York,  by  canal  to  Buffalo  and  thence  by  way  of 
the  Great  Lakes  to  Chicago  and  by  stage  to  his 
destination.  It  was  his  intention  to  engage  in 
the  pork  and  beef  packing  business  in  Alton  but 
not  being  pleased  with  the  city  and  its  outlook 
he ,  came  to  Griggsville,  Pike  county,  where1  he 
established  a  meat  packing  business,  also  doing 
his  own  cooperage.  He  here  felled  trees  to  majce 
his  barrels  and  formed  and  cut  the  hooppoles  and 
he  not  only  manufactured  barrels  for  his  own  use 
but  also  sold  to  other  packers.  In  1845  ne  joined 
J.  D.  P>attles  in  a  mercantile  enterprise  and  as 
he  found  opportunity  made  investment  in  real 
estate  and  before  long  became  extensively  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  property,  in  making 
loans  and  buying  bonds  and  other  securities.  He 
thus  continued  until  about  1880,  after  which  he 
retired  from  active  life,  enjoying  a  well  earned 
rest  throughout  his  remaining  days. 

In  public  affairs  Mr.  Pratt  was  quite  promi- 
nent, acting  as  supervisor  for  many  years  and  do- 
ing effective  service  for  the  county  as  a  member 
of  the  board.  He  was  also  county  commissioner 
and  acted  on  the  school  board  for  several  years, 
discharging  all  his  official  duties  with  credit  to 


himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  An 
active  and  earnest  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  he  served  as  deacon  in  Griggsville  for 
many  years,  joining  the  church  here  on  its  or- 
ganization. He  contributed  most  generously  to 
its  support  and  in  fact  was  liberal  in  his  dona- 
tions to  all  church  and  benevolent  work.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy 
Until  Abraham  Lincoln  became  the  candidate  of 
the  republican  party,  after  which  he  espoused 
the  principles  of  the  latter  organization.  He  died 
•May  25»  J893>  m  m°s  eighty-first  year,  and  thus 
passed  away  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  the  county  whose  labors  contributed  to 
public  progress  and  improvement  as  well  as  to 
individual  success.  On  the  I2th  of  June,  1838, 
George  Pratt  had  been  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  B.  Wilson,  the  wedding  taking 
place  in  Griggsville.  Mrs.  Pratt  was  a  native 
of  Boston,  and  died  in  March,  1849,  leaving  a 
son  and  daughter :  George  E.,  who  is  living  re- 
tired in  Griggsville;  and  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
E.  W.  Plummer,  of  Scio,  Rollins  county,  Kan- 
sas. After  losing  his  first  wife  he  was  again 
married,  Emeline  J.  Battles,  a  native  of  Boston, 
becoming  his  wife.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
J.  D.  and  Catherine  (Johnson)  Battles.  Her 
death  occurred  June  28,  1868,  and  she  is  sur- 
vived by  two  sons:  Albert  J.,  now  of  Jackson- 
ville; and  Franklin  Pierce,  of  Griggsville.  On 
the  i8th  of  November,,  1869,  Mr.  Pratt  married 
Miss  Anna  M.  Tyler,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  Ty- 
ler, who  was  born  in  Bath.  Maine,  and  passed 
away  in  July,  1887. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Griggsville  George  E. 
Pratt  acquired  his  education  and  in  his  youth  he 
learned  the  cooper's  trade,  thus  working  with  his 
father  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  when  he  be- 
gan clerking  in  a  store  for  seven  dollars  per 
month.  He  was  advanced  in  recognition  of  his 
capability  and  faithful  service  until  he  was  paid 
one  hundred  dollars  per  month.  He  continued 
in  this  business  until  1880.  when  he  went  into 
business  for  himself,  erecting  one  of  the  best 
store  buildings  in  the  town.  This  he  still  owns 
and  he  conducted  his  store  until  1893.  His  part- 
ner. E.  W.  Baxter,  died  in  1892  and  the  •follow- 
in";  year  Mr.  Pratt  retired  from  business  and  has 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY 


since  enjoyed  a'  well  earned  ease.  He  is  the  vice 
president  of  the  Griggsville  National  Bank,  presi- 
dent of  the  Opera  House  Company,  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Illinois  Valley  Fair  Association, 
and  a  trustee  of  the  Griggsville  cemetery  but  is 
not  active  in  the  management  of  any  of  these 
enterprises. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1864,  Mr.  Pratt  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Bennett,  who  was 
born  July  12,  1844,  in  New  York,  a  daughter 
of  Emanuel  and  Martha  (Burdick)  Bennett,  the 
former  a  native  of  Maine  and  the  latter  of  New 
York.  Both  are  now  deceased.  The  father 
came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  date,  casting  in  his 
lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Griggsville  town- 
ship in  the  '405.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  was  one  of  the  in- 
dustrious agriculturists  and  stock-raisers  of  the 
community,  carefully  managing  his  farming  in- 
terests until  within  twenty  years  of  his  death, 
when  he  lived  retired  in  Griggsville.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
in  politics  was  a  democrat.  His  son,  Dr.  Mor- 
gan Bennett,  now  deceased,  was  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  minister.  In  his  family  were  three 
sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  four  are  now 
living:  Mrs.  Pratt;  Joseph,  who  married  Ann 
Patton  and  resides  in  Griggsville ;  Lucy,  who  is 
the  widow  of  Richard  Wade  and  is  living  in 
Griggsville ;  and  Minnie,  the  wife  of  William 
Russell,  a  resident  of  Denver.  Colorado. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  have  been  born  six 
children  but  only  two  are  now  living:  Minnie 
A.,  born  January  26,  1865.  is  the  wife  of  M.  M. 
Lasbury,  of  Griggsville.  Fay  M.,  born  March 
8.  1883,  is  the  wife  of  Don  C.  Sanders,  living  in 
Fort  Worth,  Texas. 

Mr.  Pratt  has  served  as  alderman  of  Griggs- 
ville for  twenty  years,  a  record  equalled  by  no 
other  citizen,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one 
has  rendered  more  effective  and  valuable  service 
in  behalf  of  community  interests.  He  was  also 
school  director  for  twenty  rears.  He  holds 
membership  in  Griggsville  lodge.  No.  45,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  was  made  a  Mason  in  1863.  For 
a  long  period  he  was  treasurer  of  the  lodge  and 
has  ever  been  most  faithful  to  its  teachings.  In 
politics  he  has  always  been  a  democrat.  A  life 


of  activity  has  been  crowned  with  a  gratifying 
measure  of  success.  He  is  wholly  worthy,  the 
respect  which  is  freely  tendered  him  and  his 
name  is  synonymous  with  honorable  dealing  and 
with  all  that  is  beneficial  to  the  city  and  county. 


WILLIAM  B.  GRIMES. 

Among  the  residents  of  Pittsfield  who  are  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  development  of  Pike 
county  and  have  been  prominently  associated  with 
its  progress  and  improvement  for  many  years  is 
William  B.  Grimes,  at  one  time  county  judge  for 
four  years,  having  been  elected  in  1894.  He  has 
filled  other  public  offices  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents  and  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  Masons  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  .took  up  his  abode  in  Pike  county  when 
only  eight  years  of  age. 

His  father,  James  Grimes,  who  was  born  in 
County  Down,  Ireland,  on  the  8th  of  January. 
1779,  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
when  a  youth  of  five  years.  The  grandfather  set- 

.tled  'first  in  South  Carolina  but  afterward  re- 
moved to  Kentucky.  In  the  latter  state  James 
Grimes  attained  adult  age  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Nancy  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Bar- 
ton county,  Kentucky,  in  February,  1797.  In 
1822  he  removed  with  his  family  to  White  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  resided  on  a  farm  about  twelve 
years  and  then  took  up  his  abode  in  Greene 
county,  this  state.  In  February,  1836,  he  came  to 
Pike  county,  settling  in  the  midst  of  the  forest, 
five  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Milton.  There 
he  began  the  development  and  improvement  of  a 

•  farm  but  after  some  years  took  up  his  abode  in 
the  village  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days, 
passing  away  September  9,  1873,  when  he  had 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  He 
held  a  lieutenant's  commission  during  the  Black 
Hawk  war  and  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for 
twenty  years.  In  his  family  were  nine  children : 
T.  Martin,  John  D..  Milton.  Lucinda.  Marv  J., 
Elizabeth  H.,  Louisa,  Francis  M.,  and  William 
B.  All  are  now  deceased  with  exception  of  Mil- 
ton and  William  B. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


219 


William  B.  Grimes  was  born  near  Carmi. 
White  county,  Illinois,  November  25,  1828,  and 
was  but  eight  years  of  age  when  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Pike  county.  He  mastered  the  branches 
of  learning  taught  in  the  early  schools  of  that  day. 
The  schoolhouses  were  built  of  logs,  were  fur- 
nished in  a  crude  manner  and  the  methods  of  in- 
struction were  equally  primitive.  In  the  summer 
months  Mr.  Grimes  worked  at  farm  labor  and  he 
remained  at  home  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity, when  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California  in 
1850,  spending  the  succeeding  two  years  in  min- 
ing. He  met  with  a  fair  measure  of  success  while 
there  and  then  returned  to  Pike  county,  settling 
at  Milton,  where  he  built  the  first  sawmill  at  that 
place.  He  was  associated  in  this  enterprise  with 
James  L.  Grimes,  the  partnership  continuing  for 
about  two  years,  when  they  abandoned  the  mill, 
deciding  that  the  venture  had  proved  an  unwise 
investment.  Not  long  after  this  Mr.  Grimes  be- 
came a  hardware  merchant  in  Milton,  carrying 
both  shelf  and  heavy  hardware  and  tinware.  In 
this  business  he  was  more  successful  and  con- 
ducted the  store  until  1869,  when  he  was  called 
to  public  office  by  the  vote  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
Having  been  elected  county  clerk  he  removed  to 
Pittsfield  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office 
in  December,  1869.  He  faithfully  served  in  that 
capacity  for  four  years  and  upon  his  retirement 
from  office  re-entered  commercial  circles,  this  time 
as  proprietor  of  a  lumberyard  in  Pittsfield.  In 
1877  he  was  appointed  county  clerk  and  after- 
ward filled  the  office  of  deputy  county  treasurer 
for  four  years,  while  in  1886  he  resumed  his  posi- 
tion in  the  county  clerk's  office  under  V.  A. 
Grimes.  For  two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  and  was  also  chairman  of  the 
body.  He  likewise  held  the  office  of  township 
treasurer  of  Montezuma  for  a  number  of  years 
and  the  various  duties  that  devolved  upon  him 
have  been  performed  so  capably  and  promptly  that 
he  has  won  high  encomiums  from  people  of  both 
parties.  In  politics  he  is  an  earnest  democrat, 
unfaltering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party  princi- 
ples. He  is  a  gentleman  of  courteous  bearing,  of 
kindly  spirit  and  of  strong  intellectuality,  and  has 
stored  his  mind  with  useful  knowledge.  He  also 
possesses  superior  musical  talent  and  has  devoted 


considerable  attention  to  teaching  vocal  music, 
many  residents  of  the  county  having  been  his 
pupils. 

Mr.  Grimes  has  also  attained  prominence  in 
connection  with  his  work  in  behalf  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity.  He  joined  Pittsfield  lodge,  No. 
56,  A.  F.  &  A.  M'.,  in  1852,  later  was  worshipful 
master  and  afterward  became  a  charter  member 
and  worshipful  master  of  Milton  lodge,  No.  275, 
while  subsequently  he  became  a  charter  member  of 
Pittsfield  lodge,  No.  790,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  During 
his  long  connection  with  the  fraternity  he  has  con- 
ferred degrees  upon  a  large  number  of  Masons 
and  has  taken  great  pleasure  in  this  work.  In 
1875  he  was  appointed  deputy  grand  lecturer  of 
the  state  and  in  1879  was  made  a  member  of  the 
board  of  examiners  and  was  elected  president  of 
that  board  in  1892.  In  1858  he  received  the  Mark 
Master  degree  in  Union  chapter.  No.  10,  and  in 
1859  was  exalted  to  the  degree  of  Royal  Arch 
Mason.  In  1868  he  became  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  chapter  at  Milton,  where  he  was  elected 
king  and  later  high  priest.  After  coming  to  Pitts- 
field  he  was  an  active  member  of  Union  chapter. 
Xo.  TO,  serving  for  a  long  time  as  principal  so- 
journer  and  for  several  terms  as  high  priest.  In 
1870  he  received  the  council  degrees  in  Barry 
council.  No.  23,  R.  &  S.  M.,  and  in  1872  he  as- 
sisted in  organizing  M.  J.  Noyes  council.  No.  59, 
R.  &  S.  M.,  and  was  its  first  thrice  illustrious 
master.  In  1889  he  was  elected  master  of  the 
first  veil  of  the  grand  chapter,  since  which  time 
he  has  held  the  office  of  king.  In  1898  he  was 
elected  grand  high  priest  of  the  state  and  served 
for  one  year,  while  for  twenty.-one  years  he  was 
grand  examiner  and  is  still  grand  lecturer.  He 
is  now  one  of  the  grand  stewards,  having  been 
appointed  in  1892  with  three  other  venerable  men, 
their  ages  being  seventy-four,  seventy-six  and 
eighty-five  years  while  Mr.  Grimes  is  seventy- 
seven  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Grimes  has  been  married  twice.  In  1853 
he  wedded  Miss  Alice  A.  Shock,  at  that  time  a 
resident  of  Milton.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Margaret  (Rep- 
sher)  Shock,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  had 
three  children:  Mrs.  Delia  Hanes;  Ira  A.:  and 
H.  W..  who  died  when  five  months  old.  The 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


wife  and  mother  departed  this  life  in  May,  1861, 
and  in  October,  1862,  Mr.  Grimes  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Nancy  J. 
Greathouse,  who  was  born  in  April,  1841,  a 
daughter  of  Bonaparte  Greathouse,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  county,  who  died  in  1850.  By 
the  second  marriage  there  were  three  children : 
Ida,  the  wife  of  William  H.  Allen ;  Alice,  who 
married  Benton  Colvin  but  both  have  passed 
away,  leaving  one  son,  Raymond,  who  resides  in 
East  St.  Louis,  Illinois ;  and  Laura,  the  wife  of 
A.  C.  Bentley,  editor  of  the  Times  of  Pittsfielcl. 

Mr.  Grimes  is  now  living  retired  in  Pittsfielcl, 
where  he  is  most  highly  esteemed  by  reason  of  his 
honorable  business  record,  his  devotion  to  the 
general  welfare  while  in  office  and  his  fidelity  to 
his  professions  as  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. He  is  a  man  of  pleasing  address,  of  un- 
flinching principle  and  unquestioned  integrity,  and 
yet  withal  possesses  that  practical  common  sense 
which  never  runs  to  extremes  and  it  is  no  won- 
der that  wherever  he  goes  he  has  won  friends. 
His  life  has  been  well  spent  and  his  honorable  and 
useful  career  is  worthv  of  emulation. 


J.  D.  HESS. 

J.  D.  Hess,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Pike  county 
residing  in  Pittsfield,  was  born  near  Milton  in  this 
county  in  1856,  a  son  of  William  and  Catherine 
(Wagner)  Hess.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
David  Hess,  came  to  Illinois  from  Brown  county, 
Ohio,  in  1828,  and  settled  in  Greene  county,  this 
state.  He  was  a  fermer  by  occupation,  and  was 
very  successful  in  the  management  and  control 
of  his  business  affairs.  In  1836  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  locating  in  Pearl  township.  He 
owned  and  operated  five  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  this  county,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  and 
prosperous  agriculturists  here.  His  death  oc- 
curred about  1881,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  seventy-two  years. 

His  son,  William  Hess,  father  of  our  subject, 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  from 
Greene  county  to  Pike  county  and  was  here  reared 
to  manhood,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  com- 


mon schools.  He  has  followed  farming  through- 
out his  entire  life  and  is  still  actively  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  owns  about  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  in  Pike  county,  and  also  some 
outside  the  county,  a  fact  which  indicates  his  ex- 
cellent business  ability,  judicious  investment  and 
careful  control  of  his  property.  In  1849  he  drove 
an  ox  team  across  the  plains  to  California,  re- 
maining for  three  years  on  the  Pacific  coast,  after 
which  he  made  his  way  homeward  by  the  isthmus 
route,  bringing  with  him  forty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars in  gold,  which  he  had  saved  as  the  result  of 
his  labors  in  the  mines.  When  he  was  a  young 
man  he  taught  school,  but  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
he  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers 
of  this  part  of  .the  state.  He  is  also  prominent  in 
public  affairs,  and  has  exerted  considerable  influ- 
ence in  political  circles.  He  has  been  prominent 
and  influential  in  community  affairs,  having 
served  for  several  terms  as  supervisor  of  his  town- 
ship, and  he  has  also  been  the  candidate  for  county 
treasurer  on  the  populist  ticket.  He  was  one  of 
the  building  committee  at  the  time  of  the  erection 
of  the  county  courthouse.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  Masonic  lodge,  and  religiously  with 
the  Christian  church.  He,  lost  his  first  wife  in 
1857  and  in  1862  was  married  again,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Minerva  Smith,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Pearl  township,  Pike  county, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Constantine  Smith,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  and  one  of  the  first 
officials  of  Pearl  township.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage there  were  nine  children  born,  of  whom  one 
died  in  infancy,  the  others  being:  L.  C.,  an  at- 
torney and  now  assistant  United  States  attorney 
at  Fairbanks,  Alaska :  W.  H.,  who  was  a  fanner 
and  died  in  September,  1903  ;  Lee,  who  is  living  at 
home  with  his  father;  Sarah  A.,  the  wife  of  W. 
L.  Coley,  a  lawyer  .of  East  St.  Louis,  Illinois  :  Eva 
B.,  who  was  the  wife  of  Sidney  Crawford,  a 
fanner,  and  died  in.  1905  ;  Ada  B.,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  San  Antonio,  Texas;  Blanche,  who 
married  Clyde  Arance,  a  farmer  near  Milton ;  and 
Yerda  June,  the  wife  of  William  Dillon,  also  a 
farmer  near  Milton. 

Reared    under   the   parental   roof.   J.    D.    Hess 
continued  as  a  student  in  the  common  schools  of 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Montezuma  township  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
after  which  he  spent  one  year  in  the  Pittsfield  high 
school  and  five  years  in  Illinois  College  at  Jack- 
sonville, where  he  was  graduated  with  honors  in 
the  class  of  1882.  He  pursued  a  classical  course 
and  won  the  degrees  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  and 
Master  of  Arts.  He  entered  college  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  same  class  to  which  William  Jennings 
Bryan  belonged,  but  his  collegiate  course  was  in- 
terrupted by  one  year  spent  as  a  teacher,  so  that 
he  did  not  graduate  until  a  year  after  the  Ne- 
braska statesman  had  completed  his  course.  Fol- 
lowing his  graduation,  Mr.  Hess  took  up  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching  and  spent  two  years  as  super- 
intendent of  the  schools  of  Perry.  During  the 
second  year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  A. 
Rentchler,  who  had  just  graduated  from  the 
Woman's  Academy  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  com- 
pleting the  course  in  1883.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  John  Rentchler,  who  died  before  her  birth. 

After  teaching  at  Perry  Mr.  Hess  spent  three 
years  as  superintendent  of  the  schools  in  Griggs- 
ville  and  in  1887  came  to  Pittsfield,  where  he 
began  reading  law  under  the  direction  of  Judge 
Jefferson  Orr.  In  1890  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  Mount  Vernon,  Illinois,  and  has  since 
practiced  his  profession  and  has  also  been  a  real- 
estate  and  loan  agent.  He  practices  in  all  of  the 
courts  and  is  a  lawyer  of  broad  and 'Comprehen- 
sive knowledge  who  presents  his  cause  with  clear- 
ness and  force,  who  is  logical  in  argument  and 
strong  in  his  reasoning. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess  have  been  born  two 
sons  and  two  daughters:  Stanley  R.,  born  De- 
cember 16,  1885;  Terrence  W.,  June  21,  1887^ 
Catherine,  December  31,  1891  ;  and  Eloise,  May 
16,  1894.  Mrs.  Hess  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  and  Mr.  Hess  is  serving  as  one  of 
its  trustees.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity at  Milton  and  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge,  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  the  Mutual 
Protective  League  and  to  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur, 
all  of  Pittsfield.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
Pike  County  Mutual  and  Loyal  Americans.  In 
politics  he  is  a  populist  and  was  a  member  of 
the  national  committee  of  the  party  from  1892 
until  1900  and  has  been  a  delegate  to  various 
conventions.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  pop- 


ulist party  in  this  state.  His  attention,  however, 
is  largely  given  to  his  legal  practice  and  his  devo- 
tion to  his  clients'  interests  is  proverbial.  In  the 
county  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  he 
has  made  a  creditable  record  at  the  bar  and  is 
rcognized  as  a  prominent  and  able  attorney. 


FRANK  JOHNSTON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Frank  Johnston,  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Milton, 
is  one  of  Pike  county's  native  sons,  his  birth 
having  occurred  upon  a  farm  in  Montezuma  on 
the  8th  of  February,  1873.  His  parents  were 
Solomon  T.  and  Susan  Johnston,  the  former  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Catharine  Johnston  and  the 
latter  a  daughter  of  John  Heavner,  who  was  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  She  was  born  Au- 
gust 3,  1834,  and  died  January  22,  1904,  while 
Solomon  T.  lohnston  is  still  living  in  Pike  county, 
being  one  of  its  representative  citizens  and  early 
settlers. 

In  the  district  schools  near  his  father's  home 
Dr.  Johnston  of  this  review  acquired  his  educa- 
tion and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  began 
teaching  school,  which  profession  he  followed  for 
four  years  in  Pike  county.  During  the  periods 
of  vacation  he  attended  the  county  normal 
schools  and  thus  promoted  his  efficiency  as  an 
educator.  On  retiring  from  his  work  as  a  pub- 
lic instructor  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  George  E.  Harvey, 
of  Pittsfield,  and  in  the  fall  of  1894  matricu- 
lated in  the  Missouri  Medical  College  at  St. 
Louis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1897,  having  pursued  the  regular  three  years' 
course.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Milton,  where  he  has  re- 
mained continuously  since  and,  having  soon  dem- 
onstrated his  ability  to  cope  with  the  intricate 
problems  that  continually  confront  the  physician, 
he  has  been  accorded  a  liberal  and  gratifying  pat- 
ronage. 

Dr.  Johnston  was  married  May  6,  1896,  to 
Miss  Vinnie  G.  Hoover,  a  daughter  of  Smith  and 
Izora  Hoover,  of  Pearl,  Pike  county,  Illinois, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


both  of  whom  are  deceased.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John- 
ston have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Virginia  F. 
Johnston. 

Dr.  Johnston  is  a  member  of  Milton  lodge,  No. 
277,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Milton,  also  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  and  the  Court  of  Honor  and 
was  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge  at  Pittsfield  until  it  was  disbanded.  He  is 
likewise  connected  with  the  Pike  County  Mutual 
Life  Association  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
League.  His  entire  life  has  been  spent  in  this 
county  and  the  fact  that  many  of  his  warmest 
friends  are  those  who  have  known  him  from 
his  boyhood  days  to  the  present  is  an  indication 
of  an  honorable  life  actuated  by  manly  principles 
and  characterized  by  upright  conduct. 


'     COLONEL  WILLIAM  ROSS. 

Colonel  William  Ross  was  born  in  Monson. 
Massachusetts,  April  24,  1792,  where  he  resided 
until  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  His  father,  Mi- 
cah  Ross,  was  a  man  of  limited  means,  though  he 
was  known  and  termed  a  good  liver,  but  the  edu- 
cation of  his  children  was  not  the  best.  In  1805 
the  elder  Ross  removed  to  Pittsfield,  Massachu- 
setts, where  the  subject  of  this  notice  dwelt  with 
him  until  he  reached  his  twentieth  year,  gaining 
among  the  townspeople  a  reputation  for  industry 
and  perseverance,  and  likewise  success  in  every- 
thing he  undertook. 

Upon  the  declaration  of  war  in  1812,  William 
Ross  obtained  a  commission  as  e,nsign-lieutenant 
in  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  United  States  In- 
fantry, commanded  by  Colonel  E.  W.  Ripley,  and 
was  soon  afterward  ordered  on  recruiting  service. 
In  the  spring  of  1813  he  was  directed  to  unite  his 
men  with  those  of  his  brother.  Captain  Leonard 
Ross,  of  the  same  regiment,  at  Greenbush.  New 
York,  and  was  subsequently  detached  to  join  the 
command  of  Major  Aspinwall.  About  five  hun- 
dred infantry  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  had  been 
ordered  to  take  up  a  forced  march  for  Buffalo, 
then  threatened.  Arriving  at  Utica,  the  troops 
were  met  by  an  express,  informing  them  of  the 
capture  and  destruction  of  Buffalo,  and  directing 


immediate  march  to  Sackett's  Harbor.  Accord- 
ingly, proceeding  to  Oswego  on  Lake  Ontario, 
they  embarked  in  fifty  open  row-boats,  and  set 
out  for  the  Harbor,  but  hardly  had  they  made 
Stony  Island  than-  they  heard  the  roar  of  can- 
non and  discovered  the  British  fleet  of  gun- 
boats and  Indian  canoes  in  the  river.  They  at 
once  attempted  to  run  the  guantlet  of  the  ene- 
my's armed  vessels,  and  rushing  amid  the  fire  of 
the  gun-boats,  twenty-five  of  their  frail  craft  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  harbor,  the  remainder  be- 
ing captured  by  the  British.  Captain  Ross  and 
his  brother  William  were  among  the  successful 
ones,  with  their  commands.  The  next  day,  the 
29th  of  May,  1813,  took  place  the  memorable 
battle  of  Sackett's  Harbor,  in  which  the  brothers 
led  about  one  hundred  men,  and  in  which  ^ve 
hundred  Americans  drove  back  thirteen  hundred 
British  soldiers.  Of  the  detachment  commanded 
by  the  Rosses,  one-third  was  either  killed  or 
wounded  in  the  conflict.  The  Rosses  conducted 
themselves  most  gallantly  in  this  engagement. 
Soon  after  they  were  transferred  into  the  Fortieth 
Regiment,  and  ordered  to  the  seaboard,  where 
Captain  Leonard  Ross  took  command  of  Fort 
Warren  in  Boston  Harbor,  and  William  Ross 
was  detached  to  Marblehead  to  drill  the  troops  at 
that  point ;  was  subsequently  removed  to  Gurnet 
Fort,  near  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  then  return- 
ing to  Pittsfield. 

In  the  spring  of  1820,  in  company  with  four 
brothers  and  a  few  other  families,  he  started  for 
what  was  then  known  as  the  "Far  West."  the 
state  of  Illinois.  They  arrived  safely  at  the  head 
of  the  Allegheny  river,  and  there  procuring  boats 
for  their  families,  horses  and  wagons,  set  out  to 
descend  the  stream.  Difficulties  here  began  to 
assail  the  little  band.  Again  and  again  their  little 
boats  ran  aground,  rendering  it  necessary  for  the 
sturdy  emigrants  to  rush  into  the  water,  and  wield 
their  pries  and  levers  to  get  their  boats  afloat. 
However,  they  were  not  disheartened,  but  by  dint 
of  perseverance,  reached  Pittsburg  after  fifteen 
days.  Here  they  entered  the  Ohio  river :  in  a  few 
weeks  they  arrived  at  Shawneetown,  situated 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  in  Illinois,  at  which 
point  they  left  their  water  palaces,  and  started 


COL.  WILLIAM  ROSS 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


225 


with  teams  for  their  places  of  destination  near  the 
Mississippi  river.  At  Upper  Alton,  which  they 
reached  in  due  season,  there  was  but  one  house 
where  the  city  now  stands.  It  was  occupied  by 
Major  Hunter,  afterward  General  Hunter,  and 
here  the  company  secured  quarters  for  their  fam- 
ilies while  they  went  in  search  of  their  intended 
location. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  they  came 
across  an  Indian  camp,  where  they  secured  ca- 
noes, -split  puncheons  of  plank  and  laid  across 
them,  and  thus  safely  ferried  over  their  wagons. 
The  horses  were  made  to  swim  beside  the  canoes. 
They  passed  across  the  bluffs  and  proceeded  to 
the  Mississippi  bottoms,  at  the  point  where  Gilead 
(Calhoun  county)  is  now  situated;  then  con- 
tinued up  the  bottom,  making  the  trees  as  they 
went,  for  there  were  no  roads  and  nothing  to 
guide  them  but  an  occasional  Indian  trail.  At 
length  they  arrived  in  township  6  south,  5  west, 
about  six  miles  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  near 
what  is  now  the  town  of  Atlas.  No  time  was  lost 
in  throwing  up  four  rude  log  houses,  intended  to 
form  the  immediate  settlement,  for  there  were  not 
more  than  five  white  men  within  fifty  miles  cast 
of  the  river  at  that  time.  The  houses  being  pre- 
pared, they  returned  to  their  families,  and  shortly 
afterward  took  permanent  possession  of  their  lo- 
cation. 

Soon  after  this  time  on  the  meeting  of  the  legis- 
lature at  Vandalia.  learning  of  these  emigrants, 
the  legislature  took  measure  to  lay  off  and  form 
the  county  of  Pike,  embracing  all  the  territory 
north  and  west  of  the  Illinois  river,  and  includ- 
ing what  is  known  as  the  city  of  Chicago.  At 
the  first  election  held  in  this  vast  territory,  there 
were  but  thirty-five  votes  polled  including  those 
of  the  French  at  Chicago.  This  vast  territory  is 
now  the  most  populous  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 
For  a  while  the  prospects  of  our  settlers  were 
most  flourishing,  but  afterward  sickness  and  death 
entered  their  ranks. 

Colonel  Ross  lost  his  wife,  one  brother  and 
several  of  the  company  the  first  year.  Subse- 
quently Colonel  Ross  visited  New  York  and  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Edna  Adams,  after  which  he  returned 
to  the  state  of  Illinois,  laid  out  the  town  embrac- 
ing his  first  location,  and  named  it  Atlas.  There 


had  previously  been  established  a  postoffice  called 
Ross  Settlement,  but  this  designation  gave  way  to 
the  one  adopted  by  Colonel  Ross,  who  soon  com- 
menced improving,  built  a  mill,  which  was  much 
needed  at  this  time  and  was  afterward  fairly  suc- 
cessful. He  arrived  in  Illinois  a  poor  man,  but 
speedily  began  to  increase  in  property  and  noto- 
riety. He  became  judge  of  probate  for  the  county 
of  Pike,  which  office  he  held  for  many  years,  en- 
joying the  confidence  of  the  people.  He  also 
served  as  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  and  among 
others  was  designated  by  the  governor  as  colonel 
of  the  militia  in  that  locality.  In  April,  1832,  at 
the  commencement  of  the  Black  Hawk  war, 
"Cd!t>n<$  Ross'1  Was  ordered  to  raise  a  company  out 
of  his  regiment  ahtr  join  his  forces  in  Beardstown. 
He  received  the  order  on  Friday,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing Tuesday  presented  himself  at  Beardstown 
with  double  the  number  of  men  mentioned  in  the 
order.  He  was  selected  aide  to  the  commanding 
general,  and  served  with  much  popularity  during 
the  campaign,  and  then  returned  once  more  to 
private  life.  In  1835  he  was  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature of  Illinois,  and  while  a  member  of  that 
body  did  much  for  this  part  of  the  state.  We  are 
assured  that  he  possessed  as  much  influence  in  the 
legislature  as  any  other  member.  Colonel  Ross 
was  subsequently  chosen  to  -the  senate  five  or  six 
times,  and  at  one  time,  during  the  illness  of 'the 
lieutenant  governor,  was  elected  and  served  as 
speaker  pro  tern. 

He  was  successfully  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits for  many  years ;  was  always  distinguished 
for  promptness,  reliability  and  sound  judgment ; 
punctual  in  his  business  relations,  governed  by 
strict  integrity,  and  zealous  in  all  his  labors,  he 
won  the  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was 
wont  to  remark  that  his  father's  advice  to  his 
children  in  their  youth  was  to  be  prompt  and  true 
in  all  their  dealings  with  their  fellowmen  and 
he  endeavored  studiously  to  carry  out  in  his  life 
this  excellent  parental  precept.  He  established 
the  first  bank  ever  established  in  the  county,  at 
Pittsfield.  Illinois.  This  was  in  1854  or  1855. 
which  was  known  as  the  Banking  House  of  Wil- 
liam Ross  &  Company.  The  company  was  Mar- 
shall Ayers,  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  The  panic 
of  1857  having  passed,  he  closed  his  bank  and  re- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


tired  to  private  life.  They  were  banking  on  Illi- 
nois bonds,  which  made  their  circulation  per- 
fectly good,  and  enabled  them,  when  the  panic 
came,  to  pay  every  cent  they  owed  in  gold. 

The  coming  of  Colonel  Ross  to  the  west  was 
followed  by  a  long  line  of  vigorous,  well- 
informed,  hardy  people  from  New  England,  de- 
scendants of  whom  today  form  a  very  consider- 
able percentage  of  our  leading  citizens.  He  moved 
.  to  Pittsfield  from  Atlas,  and  when  the  commis- 
sioners who  selected  the  capital  gave  him  the 
honor  of  naming  the  city,'  he  did  so,  after  Pitts- 
field,  Massachusetts. 

During  his  retirement  he  always  took  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs  ;  he  was  a  warm  supporter 
of  the  construction  of  railroads  and  schools 
through  this  county,  and  while  a  large  taxpayer, 
he  always  insisted  upon  voting  support  to  the 
railroads  to  the  end  that  they  might  be  utilized 
for  business  at  the  earliest  day  possible.  There 
was  hardly  a  house  of  any  considerable  dimen- 
sions built  in  Pittsfield  that  did  not  in  some  man- 
ner receive  his  attention.  He  always  had  posi- 
tive views  about  what  ought  to  be  done  in  public 
matters,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  them. 
The  houses  that  he  built,  and  now  stand  in  good 
service,  are  sufficient  in  number  and  importance, 
if  they  were  collected,  to  make  a  good  sized 
village. 

He  was  a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  hav- 
ing served  with  him  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  came  to  Pittsfield  to  deliver  a 
speech,  and  remained  all  night,  he  was  the  guest 
of  Colonel  Ross.  During  the  Civil  war  he  visited 
Washington  on  two  occasions,  and  had  confer- 
ences with  Mr.  Lincoln  about  public  affairs,  and 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  remarked  to  him.  "Colonel,  I 
expected  you  to  be  here  and  take  a  hand  in  this 
trouble  before  this  time,"  he  answered.  "I  have 
been  blind.  Mr.  President,  for  three  years,  or  I 
would  have  been  here."  He  offered  $200  to  the 
first  company  that  should  be  raised  in  Pittsfield 
under  the  call  of  1862,  which  he  paid  at  once,  and 
in  a  thousand  and  one  ways  during  the  Civil  war 
showed  his  devotion  to  his  country,  and  his  will- 
ingness to  aid  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability. 

He  was  a  whig  in  politics,  but  on  the  muster- 
out  of  that  party  he  joined  the  republican  party. 


and  was  Vice-president  of  the  first  state  conven- 
tion of  the  republican  party,  which  was  held  May 
29,  1856,  at  BloomingtOh,  and  which  was  at- 
tended by  Lincoln,  Palmer,  O.  H.  Browning, 
Wentworth,  Yates,  Lovejoy,  Oglesby  and  others. 
General  John  M.  Palmer  was  president  of  the 
convention.  This  convention  has  become  historic 
and  is  well  known  in  Illinois  history.  He  was  a 
delegate  from  the  fifth  congressional  district  to 
the  national  convention  which  nominated  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, held  in  Chicago  on  the  i6th  of  May,  1860, 
and  did  what  he  could  to  secure  the  nomination 
of  that  great  man.  His  acquaintance  with  eastern 
people,  and  especially  with  the  friends  of  Gov- 
ernor Seward,  enabled  him  to  render  efficient  serv- 
ice in  that  regard.  The  eastern  people  very  much 
desired  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Seward,  but  the 
attention  of  the  delegates  was  turned  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  on  the  third  ballot  he 
received  two  hundred  and  thirty-one 'votes,  Mr. 
Seward  receiving  one  hundred  and  eighty,  and 
was  declared  nominated. 

William  Ross  connected  himself  with  the  First 
Congregational  church  of  Pittsfield,  and  from 
the  time  of  his  connection  to  his  death  he  was  a 
steadfast,  hard-working,  earnest  supporter  of  the 
cause  he  had  espoused,  and  the  church  with  which 
he  connected  himself  at  that  time.  He  built  a 
church  from  his  own  means,  -decorated  it  with  a 
bell,  and  deeded  it  to  the  trustees  of  the  church. 
Since  his  death  the  old  building  has  been  removed 
and  a  more  stately  and  commodious  building  has 
been  located  on  the  same  lot. 

At  his  death  he  left  surviving  him  two  sons. 
Marcellus  Ross,  who  resides  in  Tacoma.  Wash- 
ington ;  William  Ross,  residing  at  San  Jose.  Cali- 
fornia ;  and  two  daughters.  Mrs.  D.  F.  Kellogg, 
a  resident  of  Chicago ;  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  Matthews, 
who  lives  at  the  old  homestead  near  Pittsfield.  Illi- 
nois. They  all  have  families  and  are  respected 
citizens  in  their  several  places  of  residence. 

Colonel  Ross  was  much  more  than  the  average 
citizen  in  point  of  energy  and  never-tiring  indus- 
try. He  hnd  splendid  judgment,  correct  percep- 
tions, unlimited  energy,  and  moved  forward  in 
the  line  of  enterprise  that  he  conceived  to  be  right 
until  its  full  consummation.  Like  the  early  pio- 
neers of  Pike  county,  he  never  stopped  to  inquire 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


227 


into  any  disaster,  but  moved  forward  to  new  lines 
and  better  fields.  H<;  died  on  the  3ist  day  of 
May.  1873,  aged  eighty-one  years,  and  was  buried 
in  Pittsfield,  in  the  West  cemetery,  near  the  grave 
of  his  wife,  who  had  preceded  him  a  few  years. 


J.  D.  NIGHBERT,  D.  V.  S. 

Dr.  J.  D.  Nighbert,  who  in  the  practice  of  vet- 
erinary surgery  is  winning  merited  success  in 
Pittsfield  and  Pike  county,  is  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois, born  October  20,  1856.  His  father,  Na- 
thaniel A.  Nighbert,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
born  in  1827,  and  removing  westward  to  Illi- 
nois became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  state. 
He  was  engaged  extensively  in  farming  and 
stock-raising  in  Macoupin  county,  conducting  a 
prosperous  business  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1903.  His  wife  is  now  living. 
In  their  family  were  seven  children,  six  of  whom 
yet  survive. 

Dr.  Nighbert  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  in  Blackburn  University,  while  later 
he  was  graduated  from  Toronto  College,  in  1889, 
with  a  class  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  members. 
He  was  one  of  five  who  were  called  to  compete 
for  a  gold  medal  given  by  the  Ontario  Veter- 
inary Medical  Association  and  at  his  graduation 
he  received  honors  for  the  best  general  examina- 
tion, also  in  written  and  oral  anatomy  and  in 
microscopy.  Splendidly  equipped  for  his  chosen 
life  work  he  came  to  Pittsfield  in  1889  ar>d  nas 
since  engaged  in  practice  here.  Since  that  year 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  state  veterinary 
board  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  American  Vet- 
erinary Association  and  the  Illinois  State  Asso- 
ciation. He  has  contributed  articles  to  numerous 
medical  journals  in  America  and  some  of  these 
have  been  copied  in  English  publications.  Dr. 
Nighbert  has  made  a  study  of  veterinary  sur- 
gery and  he  receives  letters  from  nearly  every 
state  seeking  his  advice  and  opinions  upon  sub- 
jects connected  with  the  profession.  He  is  con- 
sidered an  expert  on  animal  dentistry  and  sur- 
gery and  his  business  has  therefore  reached  ex- 
tensive proportions.  He  practices  both  in  Illi- 


nois and  Missouri  and  his  labors  when  viewed 
from  both  a  financial  and  professional  stand- 
point have  been  very  successful. 

Dr.  Nighbert  was  married  in  1881  to  Miss  Lil- 
lie  Malone,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter 
of  M.  C.  Malone,  a  mechanic.  They  have  two 
children :  Maynard,  who  was  born  in  1882  and 
is  now  a  student  in  the  Veterinary  College  at 
Toronto,  Canada;  and  Vida,  who  was  born  in 
1884,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  of 
Pittsfield.  She  was  also  educated  in  music  and 
is  at  home  with  her  parents.  Dr.  Nighbert  owns 
a  fine  residence  in  Pittsfield  and  also  has  other 
buildings  and  property  in  this  city,  having  pur- 
chased considerable  real  estate— which  is  the 
safest  of  all  investments.  He  votes  with  the  re- 
publican party  and  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian church.  Thoroughly  qualified  for  the  pro- 
fession which  he  has  undertaken  as  a  life  work, 
he  has  long  since  passed  through  the  ranks  of 
mediocrity  to  stand  with  the  more  successful 
few  in  his  profession  and  his  large  business  is 
at  once  an  indication  of  his  skill  and  of  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him  by  the  public. 


RAY  N.   ANDERSON. 

Ray  N.  Anderson,  a  prominent  attorney  of 
Pittsfield,  practicing  in  all  the  courts,  was  born 
in  Pike  county,  in  1874,  a  son  of  H.  L.  and  Eliza 
fStebbins)  Anderson,  of  Summer  Hill,  of  this 
county.  The  father,  a  native  of  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut, came  to  Illinois  prior  to  the  Civil  war 
and  began  business  as  a  merchant  in  Summer 
Hill,  Illinois,  but  is  now  a  farmer  and  grain  mer- 
chant. Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living. 

Ray  N.  Anderson  attended  the  common 
schools  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he 
entered  upon  a  preparatory  course  of  study  in 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  later  was  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Michigan,  completing  the 
law  course  in  1899.  Going  to  the  Pacific  coast  he 
practiced  at  Seattle.  Washington,  until  1901, 
when  he  returned  to  Pittsfield,  where  he  has 


228 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


since  been  located.  He  is  now  associated  with 
Colonel  Matthews,  the  oldest  member  of  the 
Pittsfield  bar,  and  is  already  winning  success, 
having  secured  a  good  clientage  which  connects 
him  with  important  litigated  interests  of  his  dis- 
trict. 

On  the  i8th  of  October,  1905,  Mr.  Anderson 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Helen  Gray  Bush, 
a  daughter  of  William  C.  and  Mollie  Bush,  and 
a  granddaughter  of  Merrick  Bush.  Her  par- 
ents were  eastern  people  and  her  father  is  now 
connected  with  the  Pike  County  Democrat.  Mrs. 
Anderson  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  of 
Pittsfield  and  of  the  business  college  at  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ander- 
son is  a  prominent  republican,  active  in  the  local 
ranks  and  is  now  serving  as  one  of  the  city  al- 
dermen. He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity  and  the  Masonic  lodge.  In  citizenship 
he  is  influential,  being  the  champion  of  prog- 
ress and  improvement  along  lines  of  practical 
and  permanent  good.  In  his  law  practice  he  is 
found  as  an  earnest  worker  in  that  preparation 
which  is  so  necessary  before  the  active  work  of 
the  court  is  done  and  in  the  presentation  of  a 
cause  he  is  clear  and  cogent  in  reasoning  and  log- 
ical in  his  deductions. 


CHARLES  T.  KENNEY. 

Charles  T.  Kenney.  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  who  for  many  years  was  a  prominent 
factor  in  commercial  circles  in  Griggsville  but  is 
now  living  a  retired  life,  was  born  in  this  city 
December  4,  1841,  a  son  of  Hon.  Charles  and 
Mary  G.  (Carnahan)  Kenney.  The  father  was 
born  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  7, 
i8ir,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  James  and  Rachel 
Kenney,  who  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that 
state  and  when  twenty-five  years  of  age  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  G.  Carnahan,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Margaret  (Carnahan).  of 
Wilmington,  Delaware.  In  1837  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Illinois,  becoming  a  resident  of 
Griggsville  two  years  later.  Here  he  embarked 


in  merchandising  and  also  was  engaged  in  the 
grain  trade,  continuing  in  those  lines  of  business 
until  his  retirement  from  further  business  cares  in 
1866.  He  was  then  succeeded  by  his  son  and  son-in 
law  under  the  firm  style  of  Kenney  &  Clark.  A  pio- 
neer settler  of  Pike  county,  he  took  an  active  and 
helpful  interest  in  its  development  and  while  pro- 
moting his  individual  success  also  contributed  in 
large  measure  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the 
community  in  which  he  made  his  home.  He  was 
in  limited  financial  circumstances  on  his  removal 
to  Illinois  but  gradually  he  worked  his  way  up- 
ward to  a  creditable  position  on  the  plane  of  afflu- 
ence. He  also  figured  prominently  in  public  af- 
fairs and  was  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of 
the  democratic  party,  on  which  ticket  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  legislature.  There  he  gave 
earnest  and  thoughtful  consideration  to  every 
question  which  came  up  for  settlement  and  was 
connected  with  important  constructive  legislation. 
The  cause  of  temperance  found  in  him  a  stanch 
advocate  and  he  held  membership  with  the  Sons 
of  Temperance.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  loyal 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  their 
many  excellent  traits  of  character  won  them  the 
love  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  they  were  asso- 
ciated. Mr.  Kenney  continued  to  live  retired  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  well  earned  rest  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Griggsville,  No- 
vember 9,  1880.  His  widow,  who  was  born  in 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  Inly  28,  1814,  survived 
him  for  about  twenty  years,  passing  away  March 
4,  1900.  They  were  married  in  Sadsburyville, 
Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  by  the  Rev.  John 
Wallace,  on  the  i8th  of  February,  1836. 

In  their  family  were  ten  children,  as  follows : 
William  W.  Kenney,  who  was  born  in  Sadsbury- 
ville, Pennsylvania,  November  20,  1837,  married 
Alice  Pritchard  and  is  now'  living  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  Mary  H.,  born  in  Naples,  Illinois,  Oc- 
tober 5,  1838,  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Clark,  a  resi- 
dent of  Griggsville.  Charles  T.  is  the  next  of  the 
family. .  Robert  M..  born  in  Griggsville.  Febru- 
ary 3,  1843,  was  married  here  to  Mary  Shinn  and 
died  in  California  in  October,  1900.  Harriet  E.. 
born  in  Griggsville,  February  3,  1845,  died  in  this 
city,  November  21,  1860.  Preston  H.,  born  in 
Griggsville,  June  n,  1847,  died  here  October  4, 


CHARLES  T.  KENNEY 


CHARLES  KENNEY 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


231 


1849.  Samuel  C.,  born  in  Griggsville,  October 
20,  1849,  was  married  to  Ella  Cunningham  and 
is  now  living  in  Los  Angeles,  California.  Sallie 
B.,  born  in  Griggsville,  October  16,  1851,  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  L.  J.  Harvey,  of  Griggsville,  and 
died  June  I,  1894.  James  C.,  born  in  Griggsville, 
July  27,  1855,  married  Nellie  Turnbull,  of 
Griggsville,  and  now  makes  his  home  in  Kansas 
City.  Ed  L.,  born  in  Griggsville,  October  15, 
1857,  died  in  this  city,  August  31,  1886. 

Charles  T.  Kenney,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  is  indebted  to  the  public-school  system  of 
his  native  town  for  the  educational  privileges  he 
enjoyed  and  in  his  youth  he  secured  a  clerkship 
in  a  dry-goods  store,  where  he  remained  until 
after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he 
put  aside  business  cares  in  order  to  respond  to 
the  country's  call  for  aid.  He  enlisted  from  Pike 
county,  August  18,  1861,  to  serve  for  three  years 
or  during  the  war  and  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  at  Camp  Butler  in  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  September  3,  1861.  He  was  a  pri- 
vate under  command  of  Captain  William  W.  H. 
Lawton,  of  Company  I,  Thirty-third  Illinois  In- 
fantry, Colonel  Charles  E.  Hovey,  commanding. 
This  regiment  was  organized  in  the  month  of 
September  at  Camp  Butler  and  on  the  2Oth  of  that 
month  proceeded  southward  by  way  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  to  Ironton,  that  state,  where  the  troops 
went  into  winter  quarters  but  occasionally  did 
scouting  duty  in  the  surrounding  country.  The 
first  battle  in  which  the  regiment  participated  was 
at  Fredericktown,  Missouri,  and  soon  afterward 
was  engaged  at  Big  Black  Bridge,  Missouri.  Sub- 
sequently the  Thirty-third  Illinois  was  assigned 
to  the  First  Brigade  of  the  First  Division,  Thir- 
teenth Army  Corps,  with  which  it  remained  un- 
til March,  1865,  when  it  was  transferred  to  the 
Sixteenth  Corps.  The  members  of  that  regiment 
participated  in  the  engagements  at  Cotton  Plant, 
Cache  Creek,  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Big 
Black  River,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  siege 
of  Jackson,  after  which  they  embarked  on  steam- 
boats and  went  down  the  Mississippi  river  to 
New  Orleans",  there  taking  part,  in  October,  1863. 
in  the  campaign  under  General  Ord  up  the  Bayou 
Teche  and  returning  to  New  Orleans  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year.  The  regiment  afterward  moved 


by  way  of  Arkansas  Pass  to  Brownsville,  Texas, 
and  disembarked  on  St.  Joseph  Island,  whence 
they  marched  over  Matagorda  Island  to  Saluria, 
participating  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Esperanza 
They  then  removed  to  Indianola  and  later  to  Port 
Lavaca,  Texas,  and  afterward  the  regiment  was 
chiefly  engaged  on  guard  duty  in  Louisiana  until 
ordered  to  take  part  in  the  expedition  to  Mobile. 
Alabama,  during  which  the  members  of  the 
Thirty-third  Illinois  did  loyal  service  in  the 
siege  of  Mobile  and  in  the  capture  of  Spanish 
Fort  and  Fort  Blakely,  also  participating  in  a 
number  of  minor  engagments,  skirmishes  and 
raids.  The  regiment  lost  during  its  service  three 
hundred  and  nine  officers  and  men  by  death.  In 
recognition  of  his  valor  and  meritorious  conduct 
on  the  field  of  battle  Charles  T.  Kenney  was  pro- 
moted from  the  'fariks'  to  orderly  sergeant,  was 
commissioned  second'  fieu'tefianV  March  18,  1862, 
and  first  lieutenant  June  3,  1863.  He  was  wounded 
at  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  May  2,  1863,  by  a  gun- 
shot in  the  right  leg  six  inches  above  the  knee. 
He  was  removed  to  a  private  house  for  treat- 
ment and  about  three  inches  of  the  bone  was  cut 
from  the  limb.  He  was  one  of  the  only  two  men  of 
eighty  who  were  similarly  wounded  in  the  battle 
of  Vicksburg  who  survived.  When  able  to  travel 
he  was  granted  a  furlough  and  spent  several 
weeks  at  home,  after  which  he  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment at  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  to  receive  his 
final  pay  and  discharge.  With  the  exception  of 
this  period  he  was  always  with  his  command, 
doing  active  service,  and  he  made  a  splendid  rec- 
ord for  soldierly  conduct  and  fearlessness  in  face 
of  danger.  Upon  a  surgeon's  certificate  of  disa- 
bility he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  August  19,  1864,  owing  to  the  wounds 
which  he  sustained  in  action. 

Returning  to  Griggsville.  Mr.  Kenney  was  for 
twenty-three  years  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness with  J.  B.  Morrison  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  period  the  partnership  was  dissolved  and 
Mr.  Kenney  has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  He 
was  widely  known  as  an  enterprising  and  reli- 
able merchant  and  enjoyed  a  good  business,  so 
that  as  the  years  passed  by  he  added  continually 
to  his  capital  until  he  had  acquired  means  suffi- 
cient to  enable  him  to  put  aside  further  business 


23- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


cares  and  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest  throughout 
his  remaining  days. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1865,  in  Griggsville,  Mr. 
Kenney  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  M.  Green, 
a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Abbie  D.  (Worcester) 
Green.  Her  parents  were  married  May  7,  1840. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Pepperell,  Massachu- 
setts, February  20,  1814,  and  died  June  7,  1878, 
while  his  wife,  who  was  born  May  26,  1821,  in 
Stoddard,  New  Hampshire,  is  now  living  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenney  at  the  age  of  eighty-four 
years.  They  resided  in  the  east  until  1857,  when 
they  came  to  Illinois  and  Mr.  Green  first  clerked 
for  R.  P>.  Hatch  &  Company  at  Griggsville. 
From  that  time  until  his  death  he  was  connected 
with  the  dry-goods  business  in  this  city,  con- 
ducting a  store  of  his  own  for  a  long  period. 
He  never  cared  for  public  office  nor  public  noto- 
riety of  any  kind  but  was  always  found  reliable 
in  his  business  transactions  and  honorable  in  all 
life's  relations.  He  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  he  held  mem- 
bership in  Griggsville  lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  while  his  political  support  was  given  to  the 
republican  party.  In  their  family  were  four  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  a  daughter,_the  latter  being 
Mrs.  Fannie  M.  Kenney,  who  was  born  in  Stod- 
dard, New  Hampshire,  December  n,  1843.  Her 
brothers  were:  George  W.,  who  was  born  at  Mar- 
low,  New  Hampshire,  August  I,  1846,  and  died 
October  20,  1851  ;  Charles  O.,  who  was  born  in 
Plattsburg,  New  York,  October  2,  1853,  and  is 
now  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Denver, 
Colorado ;  and  Fred  E.,  who  was  born  in  Platts- 
burg, October  9,  1855,  and  is  a  druggist  in  Oska- 
loosa,  Iowa. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenney  have  been  born 
six  children.  Jessie  Elizabeth,  born  June  i,  1866, 
was  married  to  Ernest  E.  Williamson.  April  2, 
1891,  and  resides  in  Griggsville;  Alice,  born 
January  i.  1868.  died  March  9,  1869.  Willie 
Morrison,  born  February  2,  1870,  died  January 
27,  1871.  Freddie,  born  February  27,  1872.  died 
on  the  I4th  of  March  of  the  same  year.  Helen 
Frances,  born  April  19,  1874,  is  the  wife  of  Har- 
vey E.  Baxter,  to  whom  she  was  married  Novem- 
ber 29.  1898,  and  their  home  is  in  Chicago.  Marie 


Louise,  born  September   18,   1881,  completes  the 
family  and  is  at  home  with  her  parents. 

Long  a  resident  of  Griggsville,  Mr.  Kenney 
has  figured  prominently  in  public  affairs  and  has 
been  the  champion  of  many  movements  for  the 
genernl  welfare  and  upbuilding.  He  has  filled 
tl;r  office  of  city  clerk  for  fifteen  years  and  was 
a  member  of  the  school  board  for  a  similar  period. 
He  belongs  to  Griggsville  lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  to  W.  W.  H.  Lawton  post,  No. 
438,  G.  A.  R.  His  life  has  in  many  respects  been 
a  commendable  one  and,  as  has  been  shadowed 
forth  between  the  lines  of  this  review,  he  was 
found  a  brave  and  loyal  soldier  in  the  hour  of 
his  country's  danger,  has  been  a  reliable  and 
trustworthy  business  man  and  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  while  in  his  home  and  social  relations  he 
has  commanded  the  respect  and  friendship  of 
many  by  reason  of  the  possession  of  those  traits 
of  character  which  awaken  warm  personal  regard. 


WILLIAM   M.   BROWN. 

The  history  of  commercial  progress  in  Milton 
would  be  incomplete  without  mention  of  Wil- 
liam M.  Brown,  a  leading  and  prominent  mer- 
chant of  that  city.  He  was  born  November  29, 
1840,  in  Carrollton,  Greene  county,  Illinois,  his 
parents  being  Isaac  S.  and  Catharine  (Hay) 
Brown,  who  became  early  residents  of  Pike 
county,  where  they  took  up  their  abode  in 
March,  1850.  The  father  purchased  a  farm  a 
mile  and  a  half  south  and  a  half  mile  east  of  Mil- 
ton and  upon  that  place  William  M.  Brown  was 
reared,  having  been  a  youth  of  nine  years  at  the 
time  of  the  removal  to  the  old  homestead.  He 
acquired  his  education  in  the  district  schools  near 
by  and  he  still  owns  the  farm,  which  comprises 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  as  rich  soil  as 
can  be  found  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  During  the 
periods  of  vacation  he  aided  in  the  work  of  the 
fields  and  remained  upon  the  old  homestead  until 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The 
journey  consumed  twenty-four  days  from  the 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


233 


time  he  left  New  York  city  until  his  arrival  at 
San  Francisco  in  March,  1859.  He  remained 
up.  in  the  Pacific  coast  for  three  years  engaged 
in  mining  and  ranching  and  he  was  fairly  suc- 
cessful in  his  work,  but  lost  much  of  what  he  pos- 
sessed in  his  first  mining  ventures  in  prospecting 
for  greater  results  at  a  later  date.  In  1863  'le 
returned  to  the  old  homestead  near  Milton,  Illi- 
nois, and  leased  the  farm  from  his  father  in  con- 
nection with  his  brother,  James  A.  The  father 
went  to  the  war,  becoming  a  member  of  a  com- 
pany of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Regiment  com- 
manded by  Captain  J.  G.  Johnson.  He  served 
for  three  years  as  wagon  master  and  was  killed 
in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  on  the  22d  of  May, 
1863.  There  was  a  very  sad  incident  in  connec- 
tion with  his  death.  In  the  heat  of  battle  he 
heard  the  Masonic  cry  for  help  from  one  of  his 
comrades  and,  facing  almost  certain  death  amidst 
a  hail  of  bullets,  he  picked  up  his  comrade  and 
while  carrying  him  off  the  field  away  from  dan- 
ger a  bullet  passed  through  his  comrade's  body, 
killing  him,  and  entered  Mr.  Brown's  thumb, 
passing  out  through  the  hand.  This  occasioned 
blood  poisoning,  which  caused  Mr.  Brown's 
death  a  few  days  later.  At  his  request  his  re- 
mains were  interred  upon  the  battle-field  but 
were  afterward  removed  to  the  National  Sol- 
diers' Cemetery  at  Vicksburg.  In  March.  1869. 
William  M.  Brown,  accompanied  by  his  mother, 
made  a  pilgrimage  to  Vicksburg  to  discover  his 
father's  grave  and  place  a  monument  over  it. 
They  had  no  trouble  in  finding  the  place  of  inter- 
ment, which  was  on  the  topmost  circle,  he  being 
the  eighth  soldier  buried  in  the  beautiful  Union 
Soldiers'  National  Cemetery  at  that  place.  The 
monument  was  erected  according  to  the  plans 
and  after  performing  this  act  of  love  and  duty 
over  the  grave  of  husband  and  father  they  re- 
turned home. 

On  the  2d  of  December,  1868,  Mr.  Brown 
was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Strawn,  a  daughter 
of  Alvis  and  Joanna  Strawn.  Unto  them  were 
born  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 
William  Edmund,  born  December  13,  1869,  died 
March  26,  1870.  Fred  S..  born  in  Milton.  April 
2,  1873,  is  now  a  physician  and  druggist  of  Wich- 
ita. Kansas.  Helen  A.,  born  December  25,  1887. 
in  Milton,  is  at  home. 


Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp,  No.  922,  and  in  his  political  views 
he  is  a  liberal  republican.  He  has  been  associ- 
ated with  business  interests  in  Milton  through 
a  long  period  and  is  a  self-made  man,  whose 
prosperity  has  resulted  entirely  from  his  enter- 
prise and  capable  efforts. 


MAJOR  WILFRED  I.  KLEIN. 

Major  Wilfred  I.  Klein,  of  Barry,  is  one  of  the 
native  sons  of  that  town  and  has  won  distinc- 
tion as  a  lawyer  and  legislator.  He  is  the  third 
son  of  Joseph  and  Agnes  (Spalding)  Klein,  the 
latter  a  daughter  of  Judge  Spalding,  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  The  father,  was  born  at  Cats- 
kill,  New  York,  in  February,  1809,  and  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  St.  Louis,  in  1818. 
In  his  boyhood  days  Joseph  Klein  accompanied 
his  father  on  his  removal  to  Springfield,  Illinois. 
At  one  time  he  owned  a  large  amount  of  land, 
covering  the  present  site  of  the  fair  grounds  in 
Springfield.  It  was  in  that  city  that  the  grand- 
father spent  his  last  years.  In  1840  Joseph  Klein 
removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  married, 
and  in  1846  he  came  to  Barry.  In  the  former 
city  he  purchased  the  Little  St.  Louis  saw  and 
grist  mill,  which  he  operated  for  about  six  years 
and  he  would  drop  bran  in  the  creek  when  he 
could  not  sell  it.  On  disposing  of  his  mill  and 
removing  to  Barry  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  law,  in  which  he  continued  for  twenty  years, 
his  ability  and  comprehensive  knowledge  win- 
ning him  prominence  in  his  profession.  He  was 
a  well  educated  man,  strong  minded  and  became 
recognized  as  a  distinguished  and  leading  resi- 
dent of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  died  at  his 
home  in  Barry.  February  28.  1869.  As  a  citizen, 
father  and  friend  he  had  no  superior,  manifest- 
ing in  his  life  splendid  traits  of  character  which 
won  for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all 
who  knew  him.  He  left  a  large  circle  of  friends 
througout  the  county.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
1897.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  all 
of  whom  are  now  living:  Walter  S.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  general,  merchandising  in  Time  ;  Charles 


234 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


H.,  who  is  living  a  retired  life  at  Elmdale,  Chase 
county,  Kansas ;  Willie  L.  and  Wilfred  I.,  twins, 
the  former  living  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota, 
where  he  is  editor  of  the  Northwestern  Medical 
Journal ;  and  Julia  R.,  the  wife  of  T.  C.  Long,  of 
Texas. 

Major  Klein  was  educated  in  Barry,  where  he 
engaged  in  teaching  school  for  seven  years.  He 
entered  upon  that  profession  when  sixteen  years 
of  age  and  taught  at  Pittsfield,  Rockport  and 
New  Salem.  He  afterward  entered  the  Univer- 
sity at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  where  he  pursued 
a  course  in  law,  being  graduated  in  1878.  The 
following  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  en- 
tered upon  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession 
in  his  native  town.  The  same  year  he  was  elected 
city  attorney,  which  office  he  has  held  almost 
continuously  since  save  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  years  which  he  spent  as  a  legislator.  He 
entered  the  race  for  the  legislature  from  the 
thirty-ninth  district  in  1894,  receiving  the  en- 
dorsement of  his  county  and  was  nominated  and 
elected  by  a  large  majority.  He  proved  a  useful 
and  valuable  member  of  the  house,  in  which  he 
served  during  1895-6,  giving  to  each  question 
careful  consideration  an  proving  untiring  in  his 
support  of  the  men  and  measure  which  he 
deemed  of  greatest  good  to  the  commonwealth. 
In  his  profession  he  has  won  honorable  position 
by  reason  of  his  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence,  his  close  application 
and  his  strong  presentation  of  each  cause  before 
court  or  jury. 

Major  Klein  was  married  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, ^n  1878,  to  Miss  Jennie  M.  Klein,  who  was 
born  in  that  city  in  1858  and  was  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Cynthia  Klein,  residents  of  Springfield, 
who  are  now  deceased.  One  child  was  born  of 
this  marriage,  Madge  Estella  Klein,  who  was 
born  in  1881.  She  attended  the  public  schools  of 
P>arry  and  was  educated  in  music,  her  father  se- 
curing for  her  the  best  teachers  that  money  could 
obtain.  She  was  a  beautiful  Christian  girl,  dis- 
playing a  sweet  disposition,  kindly  purpose  and 
genial  nature  and  was  greatly  loved  by  all,  but  on 
the  ist  of  May.  1900,  she  was  called  from  this 
life.  Mrs.  Klein  survived  for  about  two  years 
and  then  passed  away  on  the  igth  of  August, 


1902.  Major  Klein  has  thus  seen  sad  times,  but 
he  has  ever  attempted  to  keep  up  a  hopeful  spirit. 
In  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen  he  is  directed 
by  broad  sentiment  relating  to  his  duties  by  a 
charitable  nature  and  kindly  purpose.  He  still 
keeps  his  home  just  as  his  wife  and  daughter 
left  it,  employing  a  housekeeper,  white  he  boards 
at  the  hotel.  Major  Klein  is  very  prominent  in 
the  organization  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  was  state  consul  in  1894.  He  has 
also  held  other  offices  in  that  organization  and  is 
now  state  lecturer.  He  likewise  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  to  the 
Pike  County  Mutual  Association.  In  his  pro- 
fession he  has  attained  prominence  by  reason  of 
broad  and  comprehensive  study  and  he  possesses 
a  statesman's  grasp  of  affairs,  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  onward  progress  of  thought  and  action 
relating  to  the  country's  history. 


G.  W.  FULLER. 

G.  W.  Fuller,  who  is  engaged  in  dealing  in  coal 
in  Pittsfield,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1845, 
and  is  descended  from  ancestors  who  came  to 
America  on  the  Mayflower.  In  both  the  paternal 
and  maternal  lines  he  is  descended  from  Revolu- 
tionary ancestry ;  and  from  the  same  branch  came 
President  Monroe,  the  mother  of  Mr.  Fuller  being 
an  own  cousin  of  the  president.  She  spent  her 
entire  life  within  twenty  miles  of  Plymouth  Rock, 
and  a  sister  of  Mr.  Fuller  is  yet  living  there.  In 
fact,  our  subject  is  the  only  representative  of  the 
name  who  has  gone  so  far  away  from  the  ancestral 
home.  He  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1878, 
and  has  since  been  identified  with  the  interests  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  In  the  common  schools 
of  Massachusetts  he  acquired  his  education,  and 
after  locating  in  Pike  county  he  engaged  in  pros- 
pecting for  coal.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has 
been  engaged  in  dealing  in  coal,  being  the  only 
exclusive  merchant  in  this  line  in  the  city.  His 
business  is  extensive,  owing  to  his  honorable 
methods,  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons 
and  his  promptness  and  fidelity  in  all  things. 

In  1879  Mr.  Fuller  was  united  in  marriage  to 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


235 


Miss  Mary  E.  Stitzer,  of  Pittsfield,  a  daughter  of 
George  W.  Stitzer,  of  Virginia,  who  came  to 
Pike  county  in  1837,  thus  casting  his  lot  with  its 
earliest  settlers  for  the  work  of  improvement  and 
progress  had  scarcely  begun  here  at  that  time. 
He  followed  the  business  of  teaming.  In  his 
family  were  three  children :  Mrs.  Fuller ;  William 
A.,  who  is  living  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  and  Mrs. 
Virginia  Armstrong,  who  resides  at  Rich  Hill, 
Missouri.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuller  have  become  the 
parents  of  four  children :  G.  W.,  who  is  occupy- 
ing a  position  with  the  Arrriour  Packing  Com- 
pany, of  Chicago;  Frank  L.,  residing  at  home; 
and  John  W.  and  Emma  E.,  who  are  also  with 
their  parents.  Mr.  Fuller  owns  the  home  where 
he  resides  together  with  four  acres  of  land.  In 
politics  he  is  a  republican,  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  party  because  of  the  principles  which 
it  embodies,  yet  never  seeking  office  for  himself. 
His  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  while  his  son  Frank  holds  a 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  Mr.  Fuller 
has  resided  in  Pittsfield  and  the  success  he  has 
achieved  during  this  period  has  come  as  a  direct 
result  of  his  own  labors  for  he  had  little  capital 
when  he  made  his  way  westward.  Here  he  has 
improved  his  opportunities  and  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  has  made  substantial  progress,  be- 
ing to-day  in  possession  of  a  comfortable  com- 
petence as  the  result  of  his  earnest  and  well  di- 
rected labors. 


HIRAM  RUSH. 

Hiram  Rush,  devoting  his  time  and  energies 
to  farming  and  stock-raising  in  Detroit  township, 
is  associated  with  his  four  brothers  in  the  owner- 
ship and  operation  of  about  six  hundred  acres  of 
land,  comprised  in  three  well  improved  and  valu- 
able farms,  adjoining  the  village  of  Detroit.  He 
was  born  in  this  township,  April  28.  185^.  his 
father  being  James  Rush,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
born  in  1816.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Elijah 
Rush,  removed  to  Illinois  with  his  family  in  1827, 
and  settled  in  Detroit  township,  Pike  county.  He 


both  entered  and  bought  land  and  cleared  and 
improved  a  good  farm,  assisted  in  the  early  pio- 
neer development  and  progress  of  the  country. 
James  Rush  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  he 
arrived  in  this  county  and  here  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  Having  arrived  at  adult  age  he 
was  married  here  to  Margaret  Dinsmore,  a  native 
of  Illinois,  born  in  Pike  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Dinsmore,  one  of  the  early  settlers  here, 
who  came  up  the  Illinois  river  on  a  keel  boat. 
From  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  per- 
mitted James  Rush  purchased  more  land  and  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm.  He  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  active,  enterprising  and 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  county  and  was 
accorded  a  place  among  the  valued  and  repre- 
sentative citizens.  In  addition  to  rearing  six 
children  of  his  own,  all  sons,  he  also  gave  a  home 
to  a  number  of  orphan  children,  his  family  num- 
bering thirteen  children  in  all.  His  kindly  spirit, 
his  broad  humanitarianism  and  his  generous 
disposition  made  him  a  man  whom  to  know  was 
to  respect  and  honor.  He  died  August  2,  1888, 
while  his  wife,  who  still  survives,  yet  resides 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm. 

Hiram  Rush  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in 
a  family  of  five  sons,  who  are  yet  living,  while 
one,  James  Rush,  has  passed  away.  He  reached 
mature  years,  however,  and  died  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  in  1900.  The  others  are:  Perry  and 
Otis;  living  on  the  old  home  farm ;  R.  E. ;  and 
Clay.  All  are  married  with  the  exception  of  the 
youngest  and  all  are  farmers,  being  associated  in 
business  interests. 

Hiram  Rush  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  early  became  familiar  with  the  duties 
and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist. 
He  remained  with  his  father  in  his  youth  and 
assisted  in  carrying  on  the  home  farm  until  the 
father's  death.  The  brothers  now  continue  the 
work  and  their  business  associations  are  most 
harmonious. 

Mr.  Rush,  of  this  review,  was  married  in 
Griggsville,  January  29,  1880,  to  Miss  Emma 
Dean,  who  was  born  in  Griggsville  township  and 
spent  her  girlhood  days  there.  Her  father,  A.  H. 
Dean,  was  a  native  of  Litchfield,  Connecticut, 
born  in  1831,  and  was  brought  to  Pike  county, 


236 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Illinois,  in  1836.  Following  his  marriage  Mr. 
Rush  located  upon  the  home  farm,  where  he  re- 
sided for  a  number  of  years,  when  he  purchased 
property  in  the  village  of  Detroit,  taking  up  his 
abode  there  in  the  fall  of  1891.  He  has  a  good 
substantial  home,  supplied  with  many  of  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  of  life.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rush  have  been  born  seven  children :  Pearl, 
now  the  wife  of  Virgil  Scarborough,  a  farmer  of 
Detroit  township,  by  whom  she  has  a  daughter, 
Ila;  Opal,  the  wife  of  John  Ellis,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Detroit,  by  whom  she  has  a  son,  Dean ; 
Mattie,  who  is  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Griggs- 
ville ;  Varina,  Jessie  and  Dewy,  all  at  home ;  and 
one  son,  Harvey  Dean,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  months. 

Politically  Mr.  Rush  is  a  stalwart  democrat 
and  is  a  good  friend  of  the  public  schools.  He 
served  on  the  school  board  for  eighteen  years, 
acted  as  its  clerk  and  its  president  and  the  cause 
of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  and  helpful 
friend.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  he  belongs  to  Detroit  lodge, 
No.  883,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  while  his  wife  is  connected 
with  the  Rebekah  lodge.  He  likewise  belongs  to 
the  Pike  County  Fraternal  Insurance  Associa- 
tion. Having  always  lived  in  Detroit  township 
he  has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  is  recognized  as 
a  substantial  farmer  and  business  man  to  whom 
trust  and  confidence  are  uniformly  given.  He 
and  his  estimable  wife  have  many  friends  in  the 
hospitality  of  their  own  pleasant  home  in  Detroit 
is  greatly  enjoyed  by  those  who  know  them.  The 
Rush  brothers  work  together  in  the  utmost  har- 
mony and  in  the  control  of  their  business  af- 
fairs are  meeting  with  gratifying  prosperity,  be- 
ing recognized  as  representative  agriculturists  of 
Pike  county. 


F.  M.  THURMON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  F.  M.  Thurmon,  who  in  the  active  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery  has  shown  his  thorough 
understanding  of  the  -great  scientific  principles 
which  underlie  his  work,  was  born  in  Montezuma 
township  near  Milan  on  the  23d  of  August,  1872, 
and  is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  nine  children, 


four  of  whom  are  practicing  physicians  at  the 
present  time,  namely:  Dr.  C.  E.  Thurmon,  of 
Milton ;  Dr.  W.  T.  Thurmon,  of  Detroit,  Illinois, 
Dr.  J.  D.  Thurmon,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
our  subject.  He  was  reared  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Pike  county.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  years  he  engaged  in  teaching  school 
in  Scott  county  and  followed  that  profession  for 
seven  years.  In  1899  he  accepted  a  position  with 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company  as  night 
watchman  on  the  bridge  at  Pearl,  Illinois,  acting 
in  that  capacity  for  one  year  and  in  the  spring  of 
1900  he  went  to  the  Red  River  valley  in  North 
Dakota,  accepting  a  position  with  the  Salzer 
Lumber  Company  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota, 
which  he  represented  as  bookkeeper  until  in  Au- 
gust of  the  same  year.  He  then  severed  his  con- 
nection with  that  company  and  returned  home. 
Having  determined  upon  the  practice  of  medicine 
as  a  life  work,  he  commenced  studying  with  that 
end  in  view  in  September,  1900,  matriculating 
in  the  medical  department  of  the  Barnes  Univer- 
sity at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1904.  During  the  three 
summers  intervening  between  the  college  courses 
he  served  in  the  capacity  of  ballast  inspector  for 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company,  his 
revenue  from  this  position  enabling  him  to  pay 
his  way  through  college. 

Returning  to  Pearl,  Dr.  Thurmon  purchased 
the  practice  and  property  of  Dr.  B.  P.  Bradburn 
and  now  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  patronage 
in  Pearl  and  vicinity.  He  is  well  qualified  for  his 
chosen  profession  and  is  continually  promoting 
his  proficiency  by  reading  and  investigation, 
while  in  the  faithful  performance  of  each  day's 
duties  he  finds  courage  and  strength  for  the 
labors  of  the  succeeding  day. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1896.  Dr.  Thurmon 
was  married  to  Miss  E.  Maude  Davis,  a  daughter 
of  John  W.  and  Mary  E.  (Stephenson)  Davis. 
By  this  marriage  there  have  been  born  two  sons : 
Francis  M..  who  was  born  November  18,  1898; 
and  William  M.,  who  was  born  July  14,  1902. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thurmon  occupy  an  enviable  social 
position  and  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Mutual  Protective 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


237 


League  and  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security, 
in  all  of  which  lodges  he  is  examining  physician. 
A  young  man  of  laudable  ambition  and  with  a  na- 
ture that  could  never  be  content  with  mediocrity, 
he  is  continually  advancing  in  his  chosen  field  of 
labor  and  has  already  left  the  ranks  of  the  many 
to  stand  among  the  successful  few. 


G.  W.  DOYLE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  G.  W.  Doyle,  now  deceased,  was  classed 
with  the  representative  citizens  of  Pike  county 
for  many  years.  He  was  born  in  Knox  county, 
Ohio,  in  1836,  and  about  1859  removed  to  Gham- 
paign  county,  Illinois,  being  at  that  time  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three  years.  He  watched  with  in- 
terest the  prpgress  of  events  leading  'up  to  the 
inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  noting  the  threat- 
ening attitude  of  the  south,  reading  with  interest 
the  accounts  of  the  anti-slavery  movements,  felt 
the  growing  hostility  and  spirit  of  rebellion 
among  the  southern  states  and  with  the  opening 
of  the  war  his  patriotic  spirit  was  thoroughly 
aroused  and  he  fearlessly  announced  his  advocacy 
of  the  Union  cause.  Soon  he  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  C,  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry  and  served  for  three  years.  He  was 
first  under  command  of  Captain  Summers  and 
later  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major.  Dur- 
ing his  services  he  was  twice  severely  wounded, 
once  in  the  shoulder  and  again  through  the  leg, 
and  he  carried  the  marks  of  the  rebel  lead  to 
the  grave.  He  participated  in  many  hotly  con- 
tested battles  and  for  forty  consecutive  days  was 
under  fire.  Soon  after  his  return  from  the  army 
he  entered  the  Eclectic  Institute  of  Medicine  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
same  in  due  time,  after  which  he  located  for  prac- 
tice in  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  entering  upon 
the  active  work  for  which  he  had  prepared.  Two 
years  later  he  came  to  Barry,  where  he  located 
permanently  and  soon  he  had  secured  a  large  and 
gratifying  practice  in  the  city  and  vicinity.  His 
ability  was  earlv  recognized  and  his  labors 
were  crowned  with  a  measure  of  success  that  is 
only  possible  to  the  capable  physician  who  com- 


bines with  his  scientific  knowledge 
manitarian  spirit. 

Dr.  Doyle  was  married  in  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  October  29,  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  Bart- 
ley,  whose  birth  occurred  in  that  county  on  the 
i8th  of  May,  1847.  Her  father,  James  Bartley, 
is  still  living  in  that  county  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-nine  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Doyle  en- 
tered upon  what  proved  to  be  a  most  happy  mar- 
ried relation,  possessing  genial  natures  that  made 
their  home  life  one  of  much  joy.  Unto  them 
were  born  a  daughter  and  son :  Sadie,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Frank  M.  McNeal,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  stock  business  with  his  wife's  brother, 
while  they  make  their  home  with  her  mother  ;  and 
Charles  Doyle,  who  is  night  operator  at  the  de- 
pot at  Barry  and  is  engaged  in  the  stock  business 
with  his  brother-in-law.  In  March,  1894,  the 
the  town  of  Barry  was  largely  destroyed  by  fire 
and  on  the  3ist  of  that  month  Dr.  Doyle,  whose 
home  had  been  completely  consumed  in  the 
flames,  and  who  was  stopping  temporarily  with 
his  friend,  W.  I.  Klein,  started  out,  after  eating 
breakfast,  to  make  his  morning  round  of  visits 
to  his  country  patients.  He  got  into  his  cart,  in 
which  he  usually  drove  and  stopped  at  the  post- 
office  and  on  attempting  to  enter  his  cart  again 
he  missed  his  footing,  fell  backward  and  pulled 
his  horse  over  on  him,  receiving  injuries  from 
which  he  died  on  the  4th  of  April,  1894.  The  ac- 
cident occurring  on  the  public  street  was  wit- 
nessed by  a  number  of  people,  many  of  whom 
sprang  to  his  relief.  He  was  picked  up  and  car- 
ried into  the  office  of  W.  I.  Klein  and  Dr.  Mc- 
Kinney  was  immediately  summoned.  The  prac- 
ticed eye  of  the  physician  saw  at  a  glance  that  the 
injury  was  a  serious  one  and  upon  his  order  Dr. 
Doyle  was  taken  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Klein,  where 
every  resource  of  medical  skill  and  knowledge 
was  brought  to  bear,  but  without  avail.  His 
brother  Theodore  Doyle,  of  Kansas  City,  was 
telegraphed  for  and  arrived  at  the  bedside  of  his 
brother  on  Sunday  morning,  never  leaving  him 
until  he  had  breathed  his  last.  Another  brother. 
Dr.  Anthony  Doyle,  arrived  only  in  time  to  at- 
tend the  funeral. 

Dr.  Doyle  was  widely  recognized  as  a  man  of 
many  splendid  traits  of  character,  of  strong  in- 


238 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


tellectuality,  kindly  spirit  and  generous  disposi- 
tion. In  all  life's  relations  he  was  straight- 
forward and  reliable.  In  his  home  he  was  a  de- 
voted husband  and  father,  who  counted  no  per- 
sonal sacrifice  on  his  part  too  great  if  it  would 
enhance  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  his  wife 
and  children.  In  community  interests  he  was  a 
co-operant  factor,  giving  his  support  to  all  meas- 
ures which  he  deemed  of  public  benefit.  At  the 
time  of  his  demise  the  expression  was  heard 
from  many  lips,  "a  worthy  man  has  ended  his 
race  and  his  mourners  go  about  the  streets.''  The 
funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Mc- 
Kendree  McElfresh  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  the  residence  of  W.  I.  Klein  on  the  5th 
of  April,  1894,  after  which  the  Masonic  lodge  of 
Barry,  assisted  by  their  brethren  of  all  different 
lodges,  took  charge  of  the  services  and  with  a 
band  in  the  lead  marched  to  the  cemetery,  where 
the  last  sad  rites  were  conducted.  The  large 
concourse  of  people  gathered  on  that  occasion 
testified  fully  to  the  respect  and  esteem  in  which 
Dr.  Boyle  was  uniformly  held.  He  belonged  not 
only  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  of  which  he  was 
an  exemplary  and  faithful  member,  but  also  to 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  to  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  sought  to 
do  good  and  his  profession  gave  him  ample  op- 
portunity in  that  direction.  Many  benefited 
through  his  charitable  nature  and  he  never  re- 
fused to  respond  to  a  call  even  when  he  knew 
that  pecuniary  reward  could  not  be  expected.  He 
possessed,  moreover,  a  genial,  kindly  nature  that 
rendered  him  a  popular  and  much  loved  citizen. 
"His  life  was  gentle  and  the  elements 
So  mixed  in  him  that  Nature  might  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  this  was  a  man." 


BETHUEL  H.  ROWAND. 

Bethuel  H.  Rowand,  a  druggist  of  Barry,  was 
born  August  18,  1844,  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  a  son  of  Josiah  and  Ellen  B. 
(Haines)  Rowand.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Gloucester,  New  Jersey,  born  April  15,  1813,  and 
his  father,  Thomas  Rowand,  was  also  born  in  that 


place.  The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Rowand, 
is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  New  Jersey, 
and  it  is  definitely  known  that  he  was  descended 
from  some  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  state.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and 
reared  his  children  in  that  faith.  His  entire  life 
was  passed  in  New  Jersey. 

Thomas  Rowand  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade  in  his  native  state,  and  followed  it  at  Had- 
donfield  of  Rowandtown,  being  connected  with 
that  industry  during  the  years  of  an  active  busi- 
ness career.  He  spent  his  last  days  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth 
Sharp,  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  died 
in  Philadelphia  in  1846.  They  reared  a  family 
of  nine  children:  Joseph  T.,  Charles,  John  R., 
Hannah  A.,  Mary,  Hamilton,  Emma,  Weston  and 
Josiah  S. 

The  last  named,  Josiah  S.  Rowand,  father  of 
our  subject,  resided  in  New  Jersey  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Philadelphia,  and  soon 
after  he  entered  business  life  as  an  employe  in 
a  sash  factory,  where  he,  remained  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  until  seventen  years  of  age.  He 
then  began  working  for  his  brother,  Joseph  T. 
Rowand,  in  the  drug  business,  and  in  1832  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  his  brother,  John  R.  Rowand, 
in  compounding  a  tonic  mixure  and  also  the 
manufacture  of  blackberry  root  syrup.  In  1850 
he  embarked  in  the  retail  drug  business  on  his 
own  account  in  Philadelphia,  the  capital  for  the 
business  being  furnished  by  Warden  Morris.  He 
continued  the  conduct  of  his  store  there  until 
1854.  Two  years  later  he  came  to  Barry,  but  the 
same  year  went  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he  en- 
tered the  drug  business.  In  1859,  however,  he 
again  came  to  Barry  and  opened  a  drug  store  in 
this  city,  conducting  the  establishment  until  1863, 
when  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Philadelphia. 
He  remained  in  the  east,  however,  for  only  one 
hundred  days  and  then  again  came  to  Barry, 
where  he  once  more  resumed  business  operations 
as  a  druggist,  continuing  in  the  trade  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  1876  he  erected  a 
good  brick  business  block,  installed  his  store 
therein  and  carried  on  the  trade  with  constantly 


JOSIAH  ROWAND 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


241 


increasing  success.  He  was  married  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  1834,  to  Miss  Ellen  B.  Haines,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  but  Bethuel 
H.  Rowand  of  this  review  is  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing. The  parents  were  strongly  attached  to  the 
Baptist  church,  and  were  active  workers  in  its 
interest.  Mr.  Rowand  was  likewise  a  stalwart 
republican ;  and  he  belonged  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was  a  man  of  frank, 
open  manner,  of  a  generous  and  jovial  disposi- 
tion, and  was  a  favorite  with  all  who  knew  him. 
He  died  January  25,  1902,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
almost  eighty-nine  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  May  19,  1891. 

Bethuel  H.  Rowand  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  was  trained  to  business  life  in  his 
father's  store,  where  he  acted  as  a  clerk  from  the 
age  of  twelve  years  until  the  ist  of  October, 
1897.  He  then  purchased  the  interest  of  his  fa- 
ther and  brother  John  R.  in  the  drug  business  and 
has  since  been  closely  associated  with  the  conduct 
of  this  enterprise  in  Barry. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  he  rendered  valu- 
able aid  to  his  country  in  the  dark  days  of  the 
Civil  war,  enlisting  in  the  Union  Army  from  Pike 
county  on  the  27th  of  May,  1862,  to  serve  for 
three  months.  He  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  at  Camp  Butler,  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, June  20,  1862,  as  a  corporal  in  Company  B, 
of  the  Sixty-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun- 
teers under  command  of  Captain  Daniel  F.  Cof- 
fey  and  Colonel  Elias  Stewart.  The  regiment  was 
enlisted  in  response  to  a  call  made  by  Governor 
Yates  in  the  early  summer  for  troops  to  serve 
three  months  in  connection  with  the  state  militia, 
and  the  muster  of  the  regiment  was  effected  early 
in  June.  Soon  afterward,  however,  the  Sixty- 
eighth  Illinois  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service,  and  after  the  rendezvous  at 
Springfield  left  Camp  Butler,  July  5,  1862,  pro- 
ceeding by  rail  to  Wheeling,  West  Virginia, 
where  the  troops  arrived  on  the  7th.  Two  days 
later  they  moved  on  to  Washington,  D.  C.  re- 
maining at  the  so-called  "soldiers'  retreat"  until 
the  nth,  when  they  proceeded  by  boat  down  the 
Potomac  to  Alexandria,  Virginia.  They  then 
marched  about  two  miles  to  Camp  Taylor,  where 
they  remained  for  two  weeks,  when  they  were 


transferred  to  a  more  healthful  location  upon 
higher  ground  about  two  miles  above  Alexandria 
near  the  Potomac.  The  regiment  was  later  de- 
tailed on  provost  guard  duty  in  the  city  of  Alex- 
andria, and  became  proficient  in  the  manual  of 
arms,  battalion  and  company  movements.  Al- 
though never  under  fire,  the  men  performed  the 
duties  assigned  them  with  alacrity,  and  not  a  man 
of  the  regiment  would  have  hesitated  had  they 
been  called  upon  to  face  the  enemy  on  the  battle- 
field. The  Sixty-eighth  Illinois  was  assigned  the 
duty  of  caring  for  the  wounded  as  they  were  sent 
into  Alexandria  after  the  sanguinary  battle  of 
Bull  Run.  On  the  I7th  of  September  they  were 
ordered  to  Camp  Butler  to  be  mustered  out, 
whjch  occurre^.  on  the  26th  of  September,  1862, 
the  troops  receiving  their  final  pay  on  the  ist  of 
October.  Mr'.- .Rowand  was  constantly  with  his 
command  during  h'is'Stervice  and  received  an  hon- 
orable discharge  at  Camp  Butler,  but  he  still  felt 
that  he  owed  a  duty  to  his  country,  and  on  the  5th 
of  May,  1864,  he  re-enlisted  from  Pike  county 
for  one  hundred  days,  being  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  on  the  5th  of  June  as  ser- 
geant of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain Robert  B.  Robison  and  Colonel  John  Wood. 
This  regiment  was  organized  in  response  to  Gov- 
ernor Yates's  call  for  volunteers  to  relieve  the 
veteran  troops  stationed  on  duty  at  the  front.  Re- 
cruiting for  this  regiment  was  begun  in  May, 
1864,  and  the  organization  was  completed  at 
Camp  Wood  in  Quincy  by  Colonel  John  Wood, 
who  was  mustered  into  the  service  with  the  regi- 
ment June  5,  1864,  as  its  commander  to  serve  for 
one  hundred  days.  On  the  gth  of  June,  1864,  this 
command  left  Quincy  and  proceeded  to  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  where  it  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth 
Brigade,  district  of  Memphis,  Colonel  B.  L.  Bait- 
wick  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Wisconsin  Infantry 
commanding.  On  the  gth  of  July  the  regiment 
was  assigned  to  the  Third  Brigade  with  Colonel 
|ohn  Wood  in  command  and  was  stationed  on 
picket  duty  on  the  Hernando  road,  and  eight 
miles  north.  This  regiment  was  actively  engaged 
in  Forrest's  raid  on  Memphis,  Tennessee,  losing 
several  men  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  Its 
officers  and  men  evinced  the  highest  soldierly 


-4-' 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY 


qualities,  making  a  creditable  military  record  as 
supporters  and  defenders  of  the  Union,  and  Pres- 
ident Lincoln  tendered  them  the  thanks  of  the 
government  and  the  people  for  their  services, 
each  member  of  the  regiment  receiving  a  personal 
letter  from  the  president.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Springfield,  September  24,  1864,  and 
Mr.  Rowand  was  again  at  liberty  to  return  to  his 
home. 

On  the  nth  of  June,  1866,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Bethtiel  H.  Rowand  and  Miss  Charlotte 
Gray,  a  native  of  Pike  county  and  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  T.  and  Frances  (Crandall)  Gray.  The 
father  was  born  in  Rensselaer  county,  New  York, 
in  1812,  and  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  thir- 
teen children.  The  wife  was  born  in  the  same 
county  in  1820.  They  reared  seven  daughters 
and  three  sons,  namely :  Eugene,  Melissa, 
Henry,  Charlotte,  Josephine,  Fannie,  Florence, 
Gertrude,  Halbert  and  Hattie.  Of  this  number 
Eugent  served  in  the  Sixty-eighth  and  the  Twen- 
ty-eighth regiments  of  Illinois  Infantry,-  and 
Henry  in  the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteers. 
The  parents  came  to  Pike  county  with  their  re- 
spective parents  and  were  married  here ;  and  Mr. 
Gray  was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Barry 
for  many  years. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowand  was  born  a  daugh- 
ter, Maie,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Captain  John 
T.  Nance,  commanding  Company  I,  Ninth  Cali- 
fornia Regiment  of  the  United  States  Regulars, 
located  at  Berkeley,  California.  He  is  also  in- 
structor in  the  State  University  there  and  has 
served  on  the  staff  of  General  McArthur  and 
Fred  Grant  and  General  Chaffee.  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Nance  have  one  son,  Curtis  H., 
who  has  recently  graduated  from  the  State 
University.  In  1891,  Mr.  Rowand  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on 
the  2Qth  of  July  of  that  year.  On  the  ist  of 
September,  1892,  he  married  Mrs.  Ella  H.  Mc- 
Clain,  nee  Hoyle,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county, 
May  31,  1859.  By  her  first  husband  she  had  one 
son,  George  Montgomery  McClain,  who  was 
born  in  1833  and  is  now  assisting  in  the  Rowand 
drug  store.  Mrs.  Rowand  is  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Elizabeth  (Hillman)  Hoyle,  the 
former  a  native  of  England,  and  the  latter  of 


Ohio,  in  which  state  she  was  reared  by  a  family 
of  Friends  or  Quakers.  In  his  boyhood  clays 
George  Hoyle  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  family  afterward  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  casting  in  their  lot  with  the  pio- 
neer settlers  here.  Mr.  Hoyle  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming,  continuing  his  connection 
with  agricultural  pursuits  in  Pike  county  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Rowand  has  been  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  in  Barry  on  his  own  account  since  he 
purchased  his  father's  store  in  1897.  He  is  now 
proprietor  of  the  best  establishment  of  this  char- 
acter in  the  city,  the  store  being  neat  and  tasteful 
in  its  appointments  and  equipped  with  a  large  line 
'of  drugs  and  kindred  supplies.  He  also  owns  a 
fine  home  on  Diamond  Hill,  where  he  resides. 
Recognized  as  a  stalwart  advocate  and  earnest 
worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  republican  party  in  his. 
county,  he  has  been  called  to  public  office  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  city  council,  also  city  clerk 
and  clerk  of  Barry  township.  He  is  prominent 
in  fraternal  circles,  belonging  to  Barry  lodge,  No. 
34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Barry  chapter,  No.  88, 
R.  A.  M.,  while  both  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
connected  with  New  Canton  Militant,  thus  re- 
ceiving the  highest  rank  in  Odd  Fellowship.  He 
has  been  noble  grand,  and  has  occupied  all  of  the 
chairs  in  the  order.  A  charter  member  of  John 
Tucker  post,  No.  154,  G.  A.  R.,  he  has  served  as 
its  commander  for  the  past  three  years,  and  has 
recently  been  re-elected  to  that  office.  His  wife 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps 
and  qf  the  Eastern  Star.  His  interest  and  activity 
thus  touch  many  lines  relating  to  material,  social 
and  moral  progress,  and  the  legal  and  political 
status  of  the  community. 


PERRY  C.  ALLEN. 

Perry  C.  Allen,  district  agent  for  the  Phoenix 
Insurance  Company  of  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
agent  for  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of 
New  York,  of  the  Royal  Insurance  Company  of 
Liverpool,  England,  the  Northern  Assurance 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


243 


Company  of  London,  England,  and  the  Insurance 
Company  of  North  America  at  Philadelphia,  was 
born  in  Harrison  county,  Kentucky,  on  the  2Qth 
of  September,  1867,  his  parents  being  Joseph  M. 
and  Ruth  A.  (Wells)  Allen,  of  Pike  county.  The 
father  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was  a  son  of 
David  Allen,  also  a  native  of  that  state.  In  Ken- 
tucky he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming 
until  1865,  when  he  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
settling  near  Pittsfield  upon  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  six  acres,  which  he  purchased.  Subse- 
quently he  sold  that  property  and  later  bought 
one  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres  near  Pleasant 
Hill,  carrying  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
there  until  1891,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  was  born,  in  order  that  he 
might  take  care  of  his  aged  father.  He,  however, 
became  ill  and  died  before  his  father.  He  passed 
away  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty-sixyears,  while 
Joseph  M.  Allen  died  in  1891, at  the  age  of  fifty- 
four  years.  His  widow  is  still  living  and  makes 
her  home  in  Pittsfield.  In  their  family  were 
four  sons:  Perry  C.\  Will  E.,  who  married 
Mamie  Hoyl  and  lives  in  Pueblo,  Colorado,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  mining;  George  W.,  living  in 
Pittsfield ;  and  Joseph  C.,  also  of  this  city. 

Perry  C.  Allen  acquired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  this  county  and  in  the  Gem 
City  Business  College  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  en- 
tered business  life  for  himself  when  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  becoming  proprietor  of  a  livery 
stable  which  he  conducted  for  three  years,  when 
on  account  of  losing  his  right  arm  as  the  result 
of  a  fall  he  was  obliged  to  sell  out.  After  going 
to  St.  Louis,  however,  and  having  his  arm  am- 
putated he  resumed  business  as  a  liveryman  and 
continued  in  that  line  for  two  years,  when  failing 
health  again  obliged  him  to  sell  out  and  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  insurance  business  in 
1897.  To  this  he  has  since  given  his  time  and 
energies.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the  Phoenix 
Insurance  Company,  and  was  so  successful  that 
in  1904  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  dis- 
trict agent  in  association  with  his  former  partner, 
G.  H.  Wike,  of  Barry,  Illinois.  He  is  now  dis- 
trict agent  for  the  Phoenix  Insurance  Company 
for  western  Illinois,  appointing  agents  and  super- 
intending their  work  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He 


also  represents  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  New  York,  the  Royal  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  Liverpool,  England,  the  Northern  Assur- 
ance Company  of  North  America  and  writes  a 
large  amount  of  business  each  year.  He  is  also 
coal  oil  inspector  for  Pike  county. 

In  1892  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Minnie  Sitton,  of  Nebo,  Illinois,  and  they 
had  two  children:  Merrill,  born  in  1894;  and 
Minnie  in  1896.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  the 
latter  year,  and  Mr.  Allen  has  again  been  mar- 
ried, Miss  Daisy  Hawkins,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
becoming  his  wife  ii>  1903.  They  have  one  child, 
Marion,  born  in  1904. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Allen  is  a  democrat 
and  for  four  years  has  held  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace.  He  belongs  to  Pericles  lodge,  No. 
428,  Knights  of  Pythias,  at  Perry,  Illinois,  is  a 
member  of  the  Fraternal  Mystic  Circle  of  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  the  tribe  of  Ben  Hur  at  Craw- 
fordsville,  Indiana.  His  religious  faith  is  indi- 
cated by  his  membership  in  the  Christian  church, 
while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  He  owns  a  beautiful  home  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Pittsfield,  standing  in  the  midst 
of  a  half  block  of  land.  It  is  indeed  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  attractive  residences  of  the  city, 
pleasantly  situated  about  two  blocks  from  the 
public  square.  He  has  his  office  on  the  west  side 
of  the  square  with  the  Pike  County  Abstract 
Company,  and  is  justly  regarded  as  a  most  ener- 
getic, enterprising  man,  who  in  his  business  ex- 
emplifies the  typical  spirit  of  the  west. 


GEORGE  W.  SMITH 

George  W:  Smith,  who  carries  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  on  section  35,  Hardin  town- 
ship, and  is  also  well  known  as  a  stock-raiser  and 
feeder,  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres,  which  is  well  improved.  It  is  a  valuable 
tract  of  land,  responding  readily  to  the  care  and 
labor  bestowed  upon  it.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a 
lifelong  representative  of  agricultural  interests 
in  Pike  county.  His  birth  occurred  in  Hadley 
township,  September  24,  1868,  his  parents  being 
Jesse  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Robertson)  Smith.  The 


244 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTS. 


father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  was  a  son 
of  Jesse  B.  Smith,  whose  birth  also  occurred  in 
the  Old  Dominion,  whence  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Illinois  about  1847,  settling  in  Pike 
county.  Here  Jesse  A.  Smith  on  arriving  at  years 
of  maturity  wedded  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Robertson, 
nee  Montgomery.  He  chose  fanning  as  a  life 
work  and  improved  a  tract  of  land  in  Hadley 
township,  where  he  lived  for  some  years,  after 
which  he  removed  to  Pleasant  Hill  township..  He 
afterward  began  the  development  of  another  farm, 
upon  which  he  continued  for  several  years,  and 
reared  his  family  there.  Eventually  he  disposed 
of  that  '  property  and  bought  the  place  upon 
which  his  son,  George  W.  Smith,  now  resides, 
owning  there  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
rich  and  arable  land.  He  continued  the  work 
of  farming  and  further  improving  the  property 
and  he  built  to  and  remodeled  his  house.  In 
all  of  his  labor  he  was  energetic  and  progressive 
and  the  splendid  appearance  of  his  property  was 
indicative  of  his  life  of  activity  and  unfaltering 
determination.  He  spent  his  remaining  days 
upon  the  old  farm  homestead,  here  passing  away 
in  1899,  while  his  wife  died  the  year  previous. 
In  the  family  were  three  children :  George  W., 
of  this  review ;  Jesse,  a  resident  farmer  of  Hardiri 
township ;  and  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Samuel  Windmiller,  but  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

George  W.  Smith  largely  passed  his  youth 
in  Pleasant  Hill  township,  where  he  acquired  a 
common-school  education.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  assisted  in 
carrying  on  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  Fol- 
lowing his  father's  demise  he  took  charge  of  the 
property  and  business,  succeeding  to  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead.  On  the  3ist  of  August,  1894,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Lord,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  Martinsburg  township, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Curtis  Lord,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  from  Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have 
had  no  children  of  their  own  but  have  reared  the 
two  children  of  a  deceased  sister,  Anna  and  C. 
Bliss  Windmiller.  The  latter  is  a  student  in  the 
home  school. 

Politically  Mr.  Smith  is  a  democrat  and  cast 
his  first  presidential  ballot  for  William  Jennings 


Bryan.  He  was  elected  and  served  for  two  terms 
as  assessor  and  is  recognized  as  an  active  worker 
in  the  ranks  of  his  party,  serving  as  a  delegate  to 
county  conventions  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  democratic  successes.  His  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of  Christ  of  Martinsburg.  Mr. 
Smith  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  active,  pros- 
perous and  well-to-do  agriculturists  of  Hardin 
township,  carefully  carrying  on  the  work  of 
the  fields  as  well  as  stock-raising.  His  entire 
life  has  been  passed  in  Pike  county,  where  he  is 
recognized  as  a  man  of  good  business  ability, 
having  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  commu- 
nity. His  home  is  one  of  hospitality  and  good 
cheer  and  he  and  his  estimable  wife  have  a  large 
circle  of  warm  friends. 


JAMES   A.   FARRAND. 

James  A.  Farrand,  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Illinois  Valley  Bank  of  Griggsville  and  now 
serving  as  second  vice-president  of  that  institu- 
tion, was  born  in  this  city,  September  16,  1854. 
The  Farrands  were  descended  from  a  French  Hu- 
guenot family,  whose  estates  were  forfeited  in  the 
persecution  of  the  sixteenth  and  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  centuries.  Some  of  the  family,  es- 
caping from  France,  appear  to  have  settled  in 
England  on  the  border  of  Wales,  while  others 
went  to  the  north  of  Ireland  and  tradition  says 
that  the  branch  of  the  family  to  which  our  subject 
belongs  was  descended  from  those  who  became 
residents  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  In  France  the 
name  was  sometimes  spelled  Ferrand.  James  A. 
Farrand  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Nathaniel, 
who  became  a  resident  of  Milford,  Connecticut, 
in  1645  and  comes  on  down  the  line  through 
Nathaniel  Farrand,  second;  Samuel  Farrand,  who 
toward  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  settled 
in  Newark,  New  Jersey ;  Ebenezer  Farrand,  who 
lived  in  Bloomfield,  New  Jersey,  to  Bethuel  Far- 
rand, who  lived  in  Parsippany,  Morris  county, 
New  Jersey,  and  who  was  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject.  He  was  enrolled  among  the  Jersey- 
provincials,  held  a  lieutenant's  commission  and 


J.  A.  FARRAND 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


247 


commanded  a  company  of  troops  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  serving  with  honor  and  distinction. 
His  wife,  Rhoda  SmitU  Farrand,  was  the  heroine 
of  a  ballad  written  by  her  great-granddaughter, 
Eleanor  A.  Hunter,  celebrating  her  arduous  and 
heroic  work  in  behalf  of  the  soldiers  in  response 
to  a  letter  from  her  husband,  who  told  of  the  hard 
conditions  which  the  army  were  undergoing  at 
Morristown,  that  many  of  the  men  were  bare- 
footed and  were  walking  with  bleeding  feet  in  the 
snow.  He  sent  his  letter  with  a  request  for  stock- 
ings and  immediately  setting  her  daughters  to 
work  at  the  task  of  knitting  them  she  instructed 
her  son  Dan  to  hitch  the  horses  to  the  wagon  and 
drive  to  the  neighbors  to  solicit  their  aid  and  on 
the  way  Mrs.  Farrand,  seated  in  a  chair,  also  con- 
tinued the  work  of  knitting.  She  took  her  famous 
ride  on  Saturday  and  on  Monday,  owing  to  the 
untiring  industry  of  the  women  and  girls  of  the 
neighborhood,  she  was  able  to  carry  one  hundred 
and  thirty-three  pairs  to  the  soldiers  at  Morris- 
town.  The  marriage  of  Bethuel  Farrand  and 
Rhoda  Smith  occurred  in  1762  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  eleven  children. 

Samuel  Farrand,  the  seventh  child  of  this  fam- 
ily, was  born  September  7,  1781,  and  was  married 
in  1806  to  Mary  Kitchel,  who  was  born  June  14, 
1789.  They  removed  to  Leoni,  Michigan,  in  1835 
and  there  shared  in  the  hardships  of  frontier  life. 
Samuel  Farrand  died  in  1848,  while  his  wife's 
death  occurred  in  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  in  1856. 

Their  son,  Elbridge  Gerry  Farrand,  was  the 
father  of  James  A.  Farrand  and  was  born  in  Ad- 
dison  county,  Vermont,  November  13,  1814.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mc- 
Williams,  a  daughter  of  James  McWilliams,  who 
was  born  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  March  12, 
1802,  and  was  a  son  of  Alexander  McWilliams, 
who  was  born  on  shipboard  while  his  parents 
were  en  route  to  America  in  1776.  He  was  of 
Scotch  descent  and  the  family  home  was  estab- 
lished at  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  where  Alex- 
ander McWilliams  acquired  his  education.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Paxton,  of  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
unto  them  were  born  three  children,  of  whom 
James  was  the  youngest.  The  mother  died  in 
1803  and  the  father  afterward  married  again,  hav- 


ing eleven  children  by  the  second  union.  He  died 
at  his  home  in  Ohio  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 

James  McWillams.  the  maternal  grandfather  of 
James  A.  Farrand,  acquired  the  greater  part  of 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Ohio  and  in  his 
youth  was  largely  employed  on  his  father's  farm. 
In  1824  he  married  Margaret  Latimer,  a  daughter 
of  Alexander  Latimer,  formerly  of  Scotland.  They 
had  a  family  of  eight  children  and  in  1834  Mr. 
McWilliams  removed  to  Illinois,  spending  the 
succeeding  winter  at  Naples.  In  the  spring  of 
1835  he  took  up  his  abode  on  a  farm  near  Griggs- 
ville,  Pike  county, -and  on  the  28th  of  December. 
1838,  his  w1fe.died'there.  In  June,  1839,  he  mar- 
ried Lucretia  Prescott,.a  native  of  Groton,  Massa- 
chusetts. In  1838  Mr.*M«Williams  was  elected 
to  the  Illinois  legislature  from  Pike  county  on  the 
democratic  ticket,  serving  during  the  last  session 
held  at  Vandalia  and  the  first  session  held  in 
Springfield.  In  1848  he  engaged  in  the  lumber 
trade,  which  business  he  carried  on  for  many 
years.  During  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  he  was 
a  stanch  supporter  of  Lincoln's  administration  and 
his  son,  Captain  John  McWilliams,  served  for 
ninety  days  in  the  Eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers,  commanded  by  Colonel  Richard 
Oglesby.  Immediately  after  returning  home  he 
re-enlisted  and  was  with  Sherman  on  the  cele- 
brated march  to  the  sea. 

Elbridge  G.  Farrand  left  his  native  state  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  and  went  to  Michigan, 
where  he  remained  until  1845,  m  which  year  he 
removed  to  Morgan  county,  Illinois.  In  1849  ne 
went  to  California,  where  he  remained  until  1852, 
when  he  returned  to  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  but 
soon  afterward  came  to  Griggsville.  Here  he  was 
a  member  of  the  mercantile  firm  of  R.  B.  Hatch  & 
Company,  who  erected  a  business  block  and  for  a 
number  of  years  conducted  a  leading  mercantile 
enterprise  of  this  city.  In  1861  he  embarked  in 
the  lumber  business  at  Griggsville  Landing  in 
connection  with  his  father-in-law,  Hon.  James 
McWilliams,  and  they  dealt  in  doors,  sash,  blinds, 
etc.,  carrying  a  stock  valued  at  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Farrand  was  asso- 
ciated with  his  father-in-law  till  the  latter's  death, 
after  which  he  continued  the  business  alone  until 
March,  1885,  when  he  sold  out  with  the  intention 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  living  retired,  but  he  passed  away  soon  after- 
ward on  the  2d  of  May  of  that  year. 

Following  his  marriage  Elbridge  Gerry  Far- 
rand  became  a  resident  of  Griggsville,  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  May  2,  1885.  He  had  four  chil- 
dren :  James  A. ;  Mulford  K.,  who  was  born  De- 
cember 28,  1856,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in 
Pittsfield  township;  Harvey  L.,  who  was  born 
September  27,  1859,  and  is  a  mining  broker  re- 
siding in  Joplin,  Missouri ;  and  Frederick  H.,  who 
was  born  April  24,  1871,  and  is  cashier  of  the 
Illinois  Valley  Bank  at  Griggsville.  Mr.  Farrand 
was  well  known  as  a  man  of  modest  retiring  dis- 
position but  of  firm  convictions  and  of  untarnished 
integrity  and  those  most  closely  connected  with 
him  in  his  business  relations  throughout  all  the 
years  of  his  residence  in  Griggsville  never  had 
occasion  to  doubt  his  honor  nor  honesty.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  at  Scotch  Ridge,  Belmont 
county,  Ohio,  July  3,  1827,  survived  him  for  a 
number  of  years,  passing  away  January  23,  1903.. 
The  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Mc- 
Williams, she  came  with  her  parents  during  the 
fall  of  1834  to  Illinois,  the  prospective  point  of 
settlement  being  Tremont  in  Tazewell  county,  but 
the  closing  of  the  Illinois  river  prevented  farther 
progress,  and,  November  20,  the  family  landed 
at  Naples,  where  the  winter  was  spent.  Being  at- 
tracted by  the  agricultural  features  of  this  section 
of  the  country,  Mr.  McWilliams  came  to  Griggs- 
ville, purchasing  the  farm  now  owned  by  John 
Craven,  and  many  will  recall  the  interesting  rem- 
iniscences of  the  pioneer  life  of  that  time  which 
Mrs.  Farrand  never  tired  of  relating.  Possessing 
a  marvelous  memory,  her  mind  was  a  store  house 
of  information,  especially  concerning  the  early 
history  of  this  place,  and  none  questioned  the  ac- 
curacy of  her  statements.  December  28,  1838, 
the  family  removed  to  the  town,  and  the  following 
year  the  house,  which  by  a  strange  coincidence,  is 
now  the  home  of  Mr.  Craven,  was  erected  and  for 
seventeen  years  was  the  family  residence.  Eliza- 
beth J.  McWilliams  was  married  October  25, 
1853,  to  Mr.  Elbridge  Gerry  Farrand,  and  in  1854 
the  house  was  built  under  whose  roof  were  reared 
the  four  sons,  James  Alexander,  Mulford  Kitchel, 
Harvey  Latimer  and  Frederick  Heman.  Her 


generosity  was  so  quietly,  so  unostentatiously  be- 
stowed, that  many  a  benefaction  escaped  notice. 
Beneath  a  somewhat  rugged  exterior  beat  a  warm, 
sympathetic  heart,  overflowing  with  love  for  her 
four  boys,  which  manifested  itself  in  tenderest 
care  extending  also  to  all  boys  for  their  sake. 
Many  a  man  now  in  middle  life  will  recall  the  time 
spent  with  the  "Farrand  boys"  around  the  even- 
ing lamp,  while  school  task  and  game,  story  and 
jest  filled  the  quickly  flying  hours.  The  house 
remains,  but  the  home  has  gone  with  the  strong 
character  which  was  its  center.  Only  a  memory 
is  left — the  memory  of  a  kind  neighbor,  a  trusted 
friend  and  a  loving  mother. 

Phineas  Farrand,  a  brother  of  Elbridge  G.  Far- 
rand, was  born  at  Bridgeport,  Vermont,  and  was 
married  in  1836  in  that  state  to  Harriet  Wheelock. 
The  same  year  he  removed  to  Jackson,  Michigan, 
and  became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Farrand, 
Higbee  &  Johnson,  which  was  the  first  law  firm 
in  that  place.  Following  his  death  in  1855,  his 
widow  removed  to  Lansing,  where  she  died  in  her 
seventieth  year.  She  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church  for  nearly  forty  years. 

James  A.  Farrand  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  worked  in  his  father's  lumber- 
yard until  August  i,  1873,  on  which  date  the 
Griggsville  National  Bank  was  organized  and  he 
became  bookkeeper  and  assistant  cashier  in  that 
institution.  Later  he  was  promoted  to  the  posi- 
tion of  cashier  in  1893  and  so  continued  until 
1901,  when  he  and  his  brother  Frederick  organ- 
ized the  Illinois  Valley  Bank,  which  opened  its 
doors  for  business  on  the  24th  of  September,  1902. 
He  is  now  the  second  vice  president  of  the  insti- 
tution, which  constitutes  his  connection  with  the 
business  interests  of  Griggsville  at  the  present 
time. 

Mr.  Farrand  was  married  in  Quincy,  Illinois, 
April  29,  1903,  to  Miss  Annie  Craven,  the  wed- 
ding being  celebrated  in  the  cathedral  by  the  Rev. 
Walter  H.  Moore,  dean  of  the  diocese.  Mrs.  Far- 
rand was  born  in  Griggsville  township,  February 
26,  1869,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Henrietta 
(George)  Craven,  who  are  mentioned  on  another 
page  of-  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farrand  now 
have  one  child,  Henrietta  Crowther,  who  was 
born  February  10,  1905.  Mr.  Farrand  belongs  to 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


249 


Griggsville  lodge,  No  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
to  the  Royal  Arch  chapter  at  Perry  and  Ascalon 
commandery,  No.  49,  K.  T.,  at  Pittsfield.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  stalwart  republican  and  has  been  reg- 
ognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  for 
many  years.  He  has  acted  as  supervisor  of 
Griggsville  township  for  seven  years,  has  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  eighteen  years 
and  was  the  first  city  treasurer  of  Griggsville,  be- 
ing chosen  to  the  office  on  the  isth  of  April,  1879. 
His  wife  is  eligible  to  membership  in  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  Revolution  on  the  Farrand  side  of  the 
family.  Since  Elbridge  Gerry  Farrand  came  to 
Griggsville  at  an  early  day  the  family  name  has 
figured  prominently  in  connection  with  public  af- 
fairs, with  business  progress  and  with  the  work 
of  general  improvement  and  advancement  here 
and  Mr.  Farrand  is  to-day  one  of  the  prominent 
and  influential  business  men  and  leading  citizens, 
his  capability  and  genuine  personal  worth  well 
entitling  him  to  the  high  position  which  he  occu- 
pies in  the  public  regard. 


H.  B.  ANDREW,  M.  D. 

H.  B.  Andrew,  a  successful  medical  practitioner 
of  New  Salem,  was  born  in  New  Salem,  Pike 
county,  in  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  H.  L. 
(Fisher)  Andrew.  The  father  was  born  in  Lin- 
colnshire, England,  February  26,  1840,  and  was 
fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  United  States,  becoming  a  resident  of 
Lockport,  Will  county,  Illinois.  In  December, 
1855,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Pike  county,  and 
at  New  Canton  received  the  rudiments  of  a  good 
English  education.  In  early  manhood  he  devoted 
several  years  to  farming  and  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war  put  aside  all  business  and  personal 
considerations  to  become  a  member  of  Company 
K,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Bailey,  in  June,  1862.  The  regiment 
soon  went  to  the  front  and  he  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hill  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  joined  the  army  as  a 
private  but  was  at  once  made  sergeant,  afterward 
orderly  and,  subsequent  to  the  charge  at  Vicks- 


burg, was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant 
and  was  in  command  of  a  company  throughout 
the  greater  part  of  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He 
was  mustered  out  in  August,  1863,  and  following 
his  return  home  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
New  Salem,  Illinois.  He  has  been  engaged  almost 
continuously  since  in  merchandising  in  New 
Salem  and  now  carries  a  large  and  well  selected 
line  of  general  goods  and  is  very  successful  in 
the  control  and  management  of  his  business.  When 
he  arrived  in  New  Canton,  Illinois,  he  was  a  poor, 
uneducated  youth  of  sixteen  years  of  age  who, 
desirous  of  acquiring  broader  knowledge,  entered 
school  there  and  eventually  became  a  teacher  of 
that  same  school.  As  a  merchant  he  is  widely 
known  because  of  his  reliability  in  business  af- 
fairs, his  enterprise  and  keen  discrimination.  He 
was  married,  in  October,  1863,  to  Miss  Martha 
A.  Temple,  also  of  New  Salem,  and  they  had  one 
son.  The  mother  died  about  two  years  after  her 
marriage  and  the  son  survived  the  mother's  death 
for  only  two  weeks.  About  three  years  later  Mr. 
Andrew  wedded  Miss  H.  L.  Fisher,  also  of  New 
Salem,  and  to  them  were  born  six  children :  H.  B. 
Andrew,  of  this  review;  Charles  F.,  who  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Missouri  Medical  College,  of 
St.  Louis,  and  is  now  a  professor  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Colorado  and 
also  chairman  of  the  state  commission  for  insane 
in  Colorado ;  John,  who  is  a  graduate  of  Lombard 
College  and  is  now  in  Longmont,  Colorado ;  W. 
B.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  same  school  of  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois,  and  is  now  jn  Denver,  Colorado; 
Mary  Maud,  who  was  also  graduated  in  Gales- 
burg  and  is  now  engaged  in  teaching  school ;  and 
Alice,  who  is  at  home. 

H.  B.  Andrew  pursued  his  early  education  in 
the  schools  of  New  Salem  and  afterward  attended 
Lombard  University,  at  Galesburg,  Illinois.  Sub- 
sequently he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  two 
.years,  from  1890  until  1892,  and  then  entered  the 
Missouri  Medical  College  at  St.  Louis  in  1893, 
being  graduated  therefrom  in  1896.  He  entered 
the  active  practice  of  his  profession  in  Colorado, 
remaining  for  two  years  at  Longmont,  after 
which  he  came  to  New  Salem,  Illinois,  where  he 
has  since  remained.  He  lias  a  large  and  gratify- 
ing practice,  his  business  bringing  to  him  a  good 


250 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


financial  return  annually.  He  practices  along 
scientific  lines,  keening  in  touch  with  modern  re- 
search and  his  efforts  have  been  attended  with  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1898,  Dr.  Andrew 
was  married  to  Miss  Jennette  Ramsay,  who  was 
born  on  PrinceEdward  Island  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  her  parents  in  early  childhood.  Her  father 
located  in  Colorado  and  was  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business  for  many  years  at  Longmont,  but 
is  now  giving  his  attention  to  the  commission 
business.  The  marriage  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew 
was  celebrated  in  Illinois  and  has  been  blessed 
with  two  children :  John  Ramsay,  born  Septem- 
ber 3,  1899;  and  Helen,  born  April  18,  1901. 

Dr.  Andrew  is  a  republican  but  has  never  held 
any  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  his  professional  duties.  In  addition  to  a 
large  private  practice  he  is  acting  as  examiner  of 
several  old-line  insurance  companies,  including 
the  New  York  Mutual,  the  New  York  Life,  the 
Equitable  and  the  Manhattan.  He  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  New  Salem  and  in  the  line  of 
his  profession  is  connected  with  the  Pike  County 
Medical  Association.  He  is  interested  in  all  that 
tends  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  medical  practi- 
tioners and  in  his  chosen  work  has  rendered  valu- 
able aid  to  his  fellowmen. 


AUGUSTUS  DOW. 

Augustus  Dow,  a  leading  representative  of 
commercial  and  industrial  interests  in  Pittsfield 
and  also  a  prominent  factor  in  public  life,  having 
been  honored  by  election  to  the  state  legislature, 
where  his  official  services  reflected  honor  upon 
the  constituency  that  had  called  him  to  office,  was 
born  in  South  Coventry,  Tolland  county,  Connec- 
ticut, on  the  gth  of  October,  1841.  His  parents, 
Cyrus  and  Charity  A.  (Chapman)  Dow,  were  of 
Scotch  descent.  The  father  was  born  in  the  year 
1800  and  died  in  1855,  when  scarcely  past  the 
prime  of  life,  but  the  mother  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-three  years,  passing  away 
in  Connecticut  on  the  I2th  of  March,  1905. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  Au- 
gustus Dow  began  his  education  and  afterward 


attended  an  academy,  pursuing  a  good  practical 
course  of  study.  He  entered  upon  his  business 
career  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk  at  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  but  wisely  thinking  the  great  west, 
which  Illinois  was  then  considered,  would  offer 
better  opportunities  to  a  young  man  of  energy 
and  determination  than  could  be  secured  in  the 
older  towns  of  the  east,  he  came  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  in  1858,  bringing  with  him  good  busi- 
ness habits,  laudable  ambition  and  strong  deter- 
mination. He  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  a 
store  in  Pittsfield  and  was  employed  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  1862,  when  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  government,  being  appointed  paying  clerk 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  under  Major  W. 
E.  Norris  with  headquarters  at  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky. There  he  remained  until  1865.  During 
the  time  that  he  was  connected  with  this  depart- 
ment he  paid  to  the  troops  nine  million  dollars 
and  carried  as  much  as  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars  at  one  time.  He  was  then  about  twenty- 
two  years  of  age — a  young  man  for  such  respon- 
sibility— but  his  duties  were  most  faithfully  dis- 
charged and  not  a  cent  was  lost  in  the  transac- 
tions. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Dow  returned 
to  Pittsfield  and  established  himself  as  a  dry- 
goods  merchant,  continuing  in  the  business  until 
1872,  when  he  joined  C.  P.  Chapman  in  the  mill- 
ing business.  He  has  devoted  himself  strictly 
to  the  work,  soon  gaining  a  full  understanding 
of  milling  in  all  of  its  details,  and  as  the  years 
passed  developed  a  large  and  profitable  enter- 
prise. In  1898  Mr.  Chapman  died  and  Mr.  Dow 
admitted  Mr.  Chapman's  son-in-law,  M.  D.  King, 
to  a  partnership,  so  that  the  firm  is  now  Dow 
&  King.  The  mill  which  they  owned  and  op- 
erated was  built  in  1870  and  therein  their  prod- 
ucts were  manufactured  until  1900,  when  the 
mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  firm  then  rebuilt 
as  soon  as  the  insurance  was  adjusted.  The  new 
mill  has  a  greater  storage  capacity  than  the  old 
one  and  is  one  of  the  most  modern  and  best 
equipped  plants  of  the  kind  in  the  state,  its  ca- 
pacity being  six  hundred  barrels  per  day.  The 
old  plant  was  built  as  a  burr  mill,  but  in  1883 
the  roller  process  was  installed.  In  March,  1902, 
the  elevator  was  burned,  but  was  immediately 


AUGUSTUS  DOW 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


253 


rebuilt  on  a  more  expensive  scale,  its  capacity 
exceeding  the  old  one  by  forty  thousand  bushels, 
its  present  capacity  being  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand.  The  principal  brands  of  flour  manu- 
factured by  the  firm  are  Crystal  Gem,  Principia, 
Superlative  and  Dow's  Dew  Drop.  The  capacity 
of  the  mill  is  six  hundred  barrels  of  flour  and  the 
company  manufactures  all  of  its  barrels,  having 
a  large  brick  cooper  shop  in  the  rear.  They  fur- 
nish employment  to  about  fifty  men  altogether, 
so  that  the  enterprise  is  a  most  creditable  one 
to  the  city  as  well  as  a  source  of  gratifying  in- 
come to  the  proprietors, 

Mr.  Dow  has  figured  prominently  in  public  af- 
fairs and  in  1892  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature for  a  two-years'  term.  While  acting  as 
a  member  of  the  house  he  served,  on  the  com- 
mittees on  canals,  river  improvements,  commerce, 
drainage,  state  municipality,  indebtedness,  and 
on  the  visiting  committee  to  charitable  institutions, 
and  he  gave  to  each  question  which  came  up  for 
settlement  his  careful  consideration  and  he  ably 
represented  his  constituents,  his  course  reflecting 
honor  upon  the  county  that  honored  him.  In 
1894  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Illinois  Institution  for  the  Blind  at  Jacksonville 
and  served  for  four  years,  during  which  time 
Hon.  N.  W.  Branson  was  president,  while  Hon. 
Augustus  Dow  and  Hon.  Edward  Rew,  of  Chi- 
cago, were  trustees  and  Frank  H.  Hall,  superin- 
tendent of  the  institution.  Mr.  Dow  is  widely 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  republicans  of 
Pittsfield  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  central 
committee.  He  has  also  figured  prominently  in 
municipal  politics,  being  mayor  of  Pittsfield  for 
four  years  and  president  of  the  central  board  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  has  likewise  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  county  board  of  supervisors,  and  his 
excellent  business  talents  and  executive  ability 
made  him  an  enviable  official.  He  is  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pitts- 
field  and  was  one  of  the  trustees  that  built  the 
Opera  House  in  this  city.  He  has  been  con- 
nected with  all  of  the  improvement  of  a  local 
nature  and  his  name  stands  high  in  financial  cir- 
cles far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Dow  has  been  married  three  times.  He 
first  wedded  Miss  Jennie  E.  Winans  in  1865.  She 


was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  in  1841,  and 
her  death  occurred  in  1870.  In  1872,  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  Mr.  Dow  was  married  to  Judith  W. 
Morton,  who  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1840, 
and  they  had  one  son,  Harry  A.,  who  spent  two 
years  as  a  student  in  the  Illinois  College,  four 
years  at  Yale  and  three  years  in  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Ar- 
bor. He  is  now  private  secretary  and  attorney 
for  N.  W.  Harris  &  Company,  of  Chicago,  the 
largest  bond  house  in  the  United  States.  On 
the  2ist  of  September,  1904,  he  married  Miss 
Florence  Bachelder,  of  Ypsilanti,  and  they  now 
reside  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Dow,  in  company  with 
his  son  Harry,  traveled  abroad,  visiting  England, 
Ireland,  Scotland  and  France.  Following  the 
death  of  his  second  wife,  in  1887,  Mr.  Dow  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Bates,  who  had  one 
daughter,  Sarah,  now  the  wife  of  Fred  Utt,  a 
druggist  residing  at  Glen  Ellyn,  Illinois. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dow  hold  membership  in  the 
Congregational  church,  in  which 'he*  has  been 
a  trustee  for  many  year*:  "*He  .owns  a  beautiful 
home  in  Pittsfield  and  has  been  a  residerif  of  this 
city  since  1858.  He  is  not  only  well  known  in 
Pike  county,  but  throughout  this  section  of  Illi- 
nois. His  trade  extends  over  a  wide  territory, 
and  in  this  connection  he  has  been  the  promoter 
of  what  has  become  one  of  the  leading  industrial 
enterprises  of  Pittsfield.  His  success  has  been 
the  result  of  honest,  persistent  effort  in  the  line 
of  honorable  and  manly  dealing.  His  aims  have 
been  to  attain  to  the  best,  and  he  has  carried  for- 
ward to  successful  completion  whatever  he  has 
undertaken.  His  life  has  marked  a  steady  growth 
and  now  he  is  in  possession  of  an  ample  com- 
petence and,  more  than  all,  has  that  contentment 
that  comes  from  a  consciousness  of  having  lived 
for  an  honorable  purpose. 


WILLIAM  OLIVER  SKINNER,  M.  D. 

Dr.  William  Oliver  Skinner,  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Griggsville,  whose  ability  in  the  line 
of  his  profession  has  gained  him  a  constantly 
growing  practice,  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 


254 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Pennsylvania,  January  i,  1848,  a  son  of  John 
and  Ann  E.  (Barclay)  Skinner.  Both  were  natives 
of  the  Keystone  state,  the  former  born  in  1815. 
He  was  a  tanner  and  farmer  and  conducted  a 
tannery  at  Fannettsburg,  Pennsylvania,  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  prominent  and  influential  resi- 
dent of  that  community  and  his  last  days  were 
spent  upon  his  farm  in  Franklin  county, where  he 
passed  away  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years. 
His  wife  long  survived  him  and  died  in  1892,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  In  the  family 
of  this  worthy  couple  were  nine  children,  of  whom 
five  are  now  living :  David  H.,  who  resides  in 
Belleville,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Mollie  Elder,  a  resident 
of  Dry  Run,  Pennsylvania;  Sadie,  living  at  Blair's 
Mills,  Pennsylvania;  Mattie,  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Shope,  of  Dry  Run,  Pennsylvania,  and  Wil- 
liam O. 

Dr.  Skinner  supplemented  his  early  education 
by  an  academic  course  and  prepared  for  his  pro- 
fession as  a  medical  student  in  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1874.  He  located  for  practice  in 
Harrisonville,  Pennsylvania,  and  afterward  fol- 
lowed his  profession  in  Dry  Run,  Pennsylvania, 
until  1876,  when  he  came  to  Griggsville, 
where  he  has  practiced  continuously  since 
the  spring  of  1877.  He  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  pension  examiners,  fill- 
president  of  the  board  of  pension  examiners,  fill- 
ing the  position  under  President  Cleveland,  and 
he  has  had  a  large  private  practice,  which  has 
brought  him  a  good  financial  return.  Conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  and  manifesting 
strict  conformity  to  a  high  standard  of  profes- 
sional ethics,  he  has  won  the  trust  of  the  general 
public  and  the  respect  of  his  professional  brethren. 

On  the  loth  of  June,  1874,  Dr.  Skinner  was 
married  to  Miss  Fannie  Brown,  who  was  born  in 
Griggsville  township,  May  17,  1852,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  R.  Brown,  who  first  married  Harriet 
Parks.  There  was  one  child  of  that  marriage 
but  the  mother  and  child  both  died  and  Mr. 
Brown  afterward  married  Elizabeth  Jane  Chap- 
man. They  became  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  now  living:  John, 
a  resident  of  Kansas;  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Wat- 
kins,  who  is  living  in  Pike  county ;  Mrs. 
Skinner;  C.  W.,  who  is  now  living  in  Kansas; 


and  William  W.,  who  resides  upon  the  old  home- 
stead. The  father,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
died  in  1902,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  while  Mrs.  Brown,  a  native  of  South  Caro- 
lina, is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  being  the  last  survivor 
of  a  family  of  twenty  members.  Mr.  Brown,  hav- 
ing come  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  at  an  early 
date,  started  in  life  with  little  capital,  but  made 
a  success  at  farming  and  stock-raising  and  be- 
came the  owner  of  land  in  both  Kansas  and  Illi- 
nois, and  at  his  death  left  an  estate  valued  at 
about  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  Such  a  rec- 
ord should  serve  to  inspire  and  encourage  others, 
showing  what  can  be  accomplished  through  de- 
termined and  earnest  purpose.  He  never  cared 
for  public  office,  but  voted  with  the  republican 
party  and  gave  his  earnest  support  to  the  Bap- 
tist church,  with  which  he  long  held  membership. 

Unto  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner  have  been  born 
three  children :  Harry  R.,  who  was  born  June  30, 
1875,  and  married  Blanche  Wade;  Floyd  L.,  born 
June  7,  1879;  and  William  K..  who  was  born 
June  24,  1884,  and  is  now  attending  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Illinois. 

In  his  political  views  Dr.  Skinner  is  a  demo- 
crat and  upon  the  party  ticket  was  elected  mayor 
of  Griggsville,  giving  to  the  city  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  administration  during  his  two 
years'  incumbency.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
man  whose  devotion  to  the  general  good  is  mani- 
fest in  tangible  effort  for  all  that  tends  to  promote 
the  material,  intellectual  and  social  progress  of 
the  city. 


THOMAS  B.  ELLIS." 

Thomas  B.  Ellis,  a  retired  farmer  who  was 
formerly  closely  associated  with  agricultural  in- 
terests in  Detroit  township  but  now  resides  in 
Pittsfield,  was  born  in  Lockport,  Erie  county, 
New  York,  November  8,  1832,  his  parents  being 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Brooks)  Ellis.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  in  Oxfordshire,  England,  in  1808, 
and  in  that  country  was  married  to  Miss  Brooks, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  1804.  On  the  day  of 
their  marriage  they  started  for  the  new  world 
and  were  nine  weeks  in  crossing  the  ocean  on  a 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


255 


sailing  vessel.  Landing  at  New  York  in  1831, 
they  made  their  way  to  Erie  county  in  the  Em- 
pire state,  where  they  resided  until  1835,  when 
they  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois.  The  father 
had  owned  a  farm  in  Erie  county  which  he  sold 
on  his  removal  to  the  west  and  on  reaching 
Pike  county  he  invested  in  school  land  in  De- 
troit township,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  becoming  the  owner  of  between  six  and 
seven  hundred  acres.  His  landed  possessions 
were  thus  extensive  and  indicated  a  life  of  use- 
fulness and  activity.  Unto  him  and  his  wife  were 
born  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  liv- 
ing: Thomas  B. ;  John  B..  who  makes  his  home 
in  Detroit,  Illinois ;  Peter,  who  is  living  in  Cali- 
fornia; and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Blizzard,  also  of  De- 
troit township.  In  early  life  the  parents  were 
followers  of  the  Episcopal  faith  but  in  later  years 
became  members  of  the  Methodist  'church.  Mr. 
Ellis  was  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and 
served  as  school  director,  taking  an  active  inter- 
est in  educational  affairs.  He  died  in  the  year 
1867,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1888. 

Thomas  B.  Ellis  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  Detroit  township,  the 
little  "temple  of  learning"  being  a  log  school- 
house.  When  he  put  aside  his  text-books  he 
began  farming  on  the  old  homestead  and  later 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  on  section  15,  Detroit  township,  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  which  he  devoted  his  energies  with 
excellent  success  from  1857  until  1883.  He  then 
returned  to  the  old  home  farm  and  again  re- 
sumed the  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement 
there.  His  business  labors,  however,  were  inter- 
rupted by  active  service  in  the  Civil  war,  for  in 
1862  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  as  a  member 
of  Company  C,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  for  two  years  and  eleven 
months.  During  the  first  year  he  acted  as  wagon 
master.  The  first  battle  in  which  he  participated 
was  at  Vicksburg,  after  which  he  was  sent  to 
Xcw  Orleans,  where  his  company  did  provost 
guard  duty  for  a  time.  Subsequently  they  went 
to  Texas  on  the  Powder  Horn  and  afterward 
were  at  Mobile,  Alabama.  When  they  went 
around  the  Powder  Horn  in  Texas  the  company 
was  mounted  for  a  vear  under  Colonel  Matthews. 


Being  detailed,  they  were  sent  to  see  about  a 
bridge,  and  Mr.  Ellis  and  two  comrades  were 
captured  and  taken  to  Camp  Ford  in  Tyler, 
Texas,  where  he  was  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war 
for  six  months  but  he  underwent  none  of  the 
usual  hard  treatment  which  many  of  the  Union 
prisoners  were  forced  to  endure.  When  a  half 
year  had  gone  by  he  was  exchanged  and  re- 
joined his  regiment  on  the  22d  of  July,  1864.  He 
was  with  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  at  the  time  of 
the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort  and  then  because  of 
trouble  with  his  eyes  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital 
at  Xew  Orleans  and  thence  to  Philadelphia  and 
afterward  to  Chicago,  where  he.  was  discharged 
July  13,  1865.  For  three  years  thereafter  the 
trouble  with  his  eyes  occasioned  him  serious  in- 
convenience. 

Following  his  return  home  Mr.  Ellis  resumed 
farming,  purchasing  three  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres  of  land  in  Detroit  township,  which  he  still 
owns.  He  always  carried  on  general  farming 
pursuits  and  stock-raising  and  both  branches  of 
his  business  proved  profitable.  His  fields  were 
placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  he 
raised  good  grades  of  stock  so  that  the  products 
of  fields  and  pasture  both  brought  to  him  a  good 
financial  return. 

His  wife  owns  a  fine  home  in  Pittsfield,  where 
they  now  reside,  Mr.  Ellis  having  retired  from 
active  business  cares  to  enjoy  the  rest  to  which 
his  former  active  labor  justly  entitles  him. 

It  was  in  1873  tnat  Mr.  Ellis  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Frances  Allen,  who  was  born 
in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  February  5,  1847,  a 
daughter  of  John  W.  and  Louisa  (Baker)  Allen. 
Her  father  was  born  October  21,  1814,  and  the 
mother  in  1824.  The  parental  grandfather,  Lit- 
tlebury  Allen,  was  born  in  Henrico  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1767,  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  that 
locality.  He  married  Jane  Austin,  who  was  also 
born  in  that  neighborhood  and  in  the  community 
where  he  lived  he  was  regarded  as  a  man  of 
prominence  and  influence.  He  held  various  local 
positions  of  public  trust  and  was  an  official  in  the 
United  States  Bank,  a  branch  of  which  was  es- 
tablished at  Richmond,  Virginia,  under  a  char- 
ter by  President  Washington  in  1796.  He  was 
afterward  doorkeeper  of  the  state  senate  for 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


twenty-eight  years  and  had  a  wide  acquaintance 
among  the  distinguished  men  of  Virginia.  He 
died  in  the  year  1832,  having  for  several  years 
survived  his  wife  who  passed  away  in  1821. 

John  W.  Allen,  father  of  Mrs.  Ellis,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  ^ctober  21,  1814,  and  acquired  his 
elementary  education  in  the  little  schoolhouse  at 
Seven  Pines,  while  subsequently  he  pursued  a 
classical  course  in  Cold  Harbor,  gaining  a  thor- 
ough understanding  of  Latin,  mathematics  and 
surveying.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  had 
entered  upon  his'  business  career  as  a  school 
teacher  in  his  native  state  and  a  year  later  went 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  continued  to  follow  that 
profession.  He  made  his  home  in  the  Blue 
Grass  state  until  1841  when  he  was  married  and 
removed  to  Saline  county,  Missouri,  locating  on 
a  tract  of  land  which  he  cultivated  until  1847, 
at  the  same  time  continuing  his  work  as  a  teacher. 
In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
locating  at  Milton,  where  he  taught  school  for  a 
number  of  years  and  he  likewise  carried  on  farm- 
ing in  Detroit  and  Montezuma  townships. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  was  interested  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  as  an  educator  did 
much  for  the  intellectual  development  of  the  lo- 
calities with  which  he  was  connected.  He  figured 
prominently  in  public  affairs  in  Pike  county  and 
from  1861  until  1865  served  as  county  judge.  He 
was  also  supervisor  of  Detroit  township  for  sev- 
eral years  and  his  influence  was  ever  on  the  side 
of  progress,  reform,  improvement  and  develpp- 
ment.  In  his  family  were  twelve  children,  of 
whom  five  are  yet  living,  namely :  Dr.  C.  I.  Allen, 
of  Milton;  Mrs.  Ellis;  Mrs.  j.  Morton,  of  St. 
Louis :  Henry  L.  Allen,  of  Kansas ;  and  Dr.  A. 
R.  Allen,  of  Bradshaw,  Nebraska. 

Mrs.  Ellis  began  her  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Detroit  township  and  afterward  con- 
tinued her  studies  in  Pittsfield  and  subsequently 
engaged  in  teaching  for  three  years.  She  is  a 
lady  of  refinement  and  culture  and  she  and  her 
husband  are  accorded  a  prominent  position  in 
social  circles  here.  They  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children  :  Thomas  H.,  who  was  born 
July  II,  1874,  married  Alberta  Elliot  and  lives 
in  Detroit,  Illinois.  John  A.,  born  October  14, 
1875,  married  Maud  Elliot  and  lives  on  the  old 


homestead  in  Detroit  township.  Charles  I.  born 
April  20,  1877,  married  Lenna  Scarborough  and 
is  living  in  Detroit  township.  Elizabeth,  born 
August  31,  1879,  is  in  a  training  school  for  nurses 
in  Chicago.  Louise,  born  July  2,  1881,  is  at  home. 
Arthur  C.,  born  September  21,  1883,  is  living 
on  the  old  homestead  farm  with  his  brother. 
Richard  M.,  born  August  i,  1885,  is  attending 
the  Gem  City  Business  College,  at  Quincy, 
Illinois. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  Mr.  Ellis  belongs  to  Benjamin  Moore 
post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Detroit.  He  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  republican  party  and  his  sons,  John 
A.  and  Thomas,  have  each  served  as  assessor  of 
Detroit  township.  In  matters  of  citizenship  Mr. 
Ellis  is  as  faithful  and  loyal  to  his  home  localit, 
his  state  and  nation  as  when  he  followed  the  old 
flag  upon  Southern  battle-fields.  He  made  a  cred- 
itable record  as  a  soldier,  doing  his  full  duty 
toward  the  cause  he  espoused  and  in  all  life's 
relations  he  has  manifested  an  unfaltering  attach- 
ment to  the  principles  in  which  he  has  believed 
and  the  honorable  course  of  life  which  he  has 
marked  out.  His  business  interests,  honorably 
conducted,  have  brought  him  creditable  success 
so  that  now  he  is  enabled  to  enjoy  a  well  earned 
rest  in  Pittsfield. 


WILLIAM   STULTS. 

William  Stults,  living  on  section  14,  Newburg 
township,  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war — one  of  the 
few  remaining  old  soldiers  who  can  relate  from 
personal  experience  the  events  and  happenings  of 
the  'boys  in  blue"  who  fought  for  the  old  flag 
upon  southern  battle-fields.  He  is  now  classed 
with  the  prosperous  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of 
Pike  count}',  where  he  owns  a  good  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  dates  his  residence 
in  Newburg  township  from  1867,  having  come 
to  this  state  from  Ohio.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Highland  county,  Ohio,  October  15,  1841.  There 
the  birth  of  his  father,  Joseph  Stults,  also  occurred 
and  in  that  county  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ruth 
Tedrow,  also  a  native  of  the  same  locality.  The 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


257 


father's  death  occurred  when  his  son  William 
was  very  young  and  the  mother  died  when  he  was 
six  or  seven  years  of  age,  therefore  Mr.  Stults  of 
this  review  has  depended  upon  his  own  resources 
from  early  youth,  so  that  whatever  success  he 
has  obtained  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts.  He  obtained  a  common-school  education 
and  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  for 
several  years,  early  learning  the  value  of  industry 
and  enterprise  as  concomitant  factors  in  a  success- 
ful career.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  how- 
ever, he  put  aside  all  business  and  personal  con- 
siderations, enlisting  for  active  service  on  the  1st 
of  June,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Twen- 
ty-fourth Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  joined 
the  army  for  three  years  and  did  active  service 
in  Tennessee  and  other  parts  of  the  south.  He 
was  in  the  engagement  at  Shiloh  and  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga.  At  the 
last  named  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  was  incar- 
cerated at  Richmond  and  at  Danville,  Virginia, 
subsequent  to  which  time  he  was  sent  to  Ander- 
sonville  and  afterward  to  Charleston  and  Florence, 
thus  being  in  five  different  rebel  prisons,  being 
held  for  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty 
days.  At  length  he  was  paroled  and  passed 
through  the  lines  at  Charleston.  For  eight  months 
after  the  term  of  his  enlistment  he  continued  with 
the  army,  serving  until  January,  1865,  when  he 
returned  home  after  being  honorably  discharged 
at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  made  a  creditable  mili- 
tary record,  never  faltering  in  the  performance 
of  duty  whether  on  the  picket  line  or  on  the  firing 
line. 

Following  the  war  William  Stults  gave  his  at- 
tention to  farming  in  Ohio  until  1867,  when  he 
came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois.  Here  he  was  again 
employed  by  the  month  at  farm  labor  until  he  was 
enabled  to  begin  farming  on  his  own  account. 
On  the  ist  of  October,  1874,  he  wedded  Miss 
Ellen  Kiser,  a  native  of  this  county,  who  was 
born  and  reared  here  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Kiser,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Virginia,  who 
removed  from  the  Old  Dominion  to  Ohio  and 
afterward  became  a  resident  of  Indiana.  They 
have  had  no  children  but  took  Belle  Fereman  to 
raise  when  she  was  seven  years  of  age.  She 
remained  with  them  until  her  marriage  to  George 


Stephenson.  She  died  November  9,  1905.  After 
his  marriage  Mr.  Stults  located  on  the  eighty 
acres  adjoining  his  present  farm.  He  first  bought 
seventy-eight  acres  which  he  cultivated  and  im- 
proved and  afterward  he  purchased  the  eighty 
acres  upon  which  he  is  now  living,  having  alto- 
gether a  valuable  property  of  one  hundred  and 
sixtv  acres.  Here  he  has  built  a  substantial  resi- 
dence in  modern  style  of  architecture.  He  also 
has  good  barns  upon  the  place  and  well  kept 
fences.  He  carries  on  stock-raising,  making  a 
specialty  of  sheep  and  is  well  known  in  this 
regard,  producing  some  fine  animals  upon  his 
place.  Politically  Mr.  Stults  has  socialistic  ten- 
dencies. He  has,  however,  been  without  aspir- 
ation for  office  and  would  never  consent  to  become 
a  candidate  for  political  preferment.  He  is  a 
member  of  Detroit  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  connected  with  the  Rebekah  degree  of 
the  former.  Mr.  Stults  is  one  who  has  achieved 
success  in  the  face  of  difficulties  and  obstacles. 
He  started  out  in  life  empty-handed  but  he  soon 
came  to  a  realization  of  the  worth  and  value  of 
earnest,  persistent  labor,  and  through  his  enter- 
prise and  unfaltering  diligence  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  to  success. 


HENRY  S.  LOYD.. 

No  history  of  the  commercial  advancement  and 
development  of  Pittsfield  would  be  complete  with- 
out mention  of  Henry  S.Loyd,now  deceased,  who 
for  many  years  was  connected  with  the  hardware 
trade  and  whose  life  of  activity  and  honor  char- 
acterized by  close  adherance  to  a  high  standard 
of  commercial  ethics  won  for  him  the  trust  and 
good  will  of  his  fellowmen.  He  was  born  in  York, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  i6th  of  January,  1839,  an^ 
was  a  son  of  John  Loyd,  also  a  native  of  the  Key- 
stone state.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed 
in  that  state  and  his  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  there.  He  entered  upon  his 
business  career  as  an  employe  in  the  hardware 
store  when  eighteen  years  of  age  and  for  some 
time  was  bookkeeper  for  Henry  Small  in  York, 


258 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Pennsylvania.  He  came  to  Pittsfield,  Illinois, 
when  twenty-four  years  of  age  and  established  a 
restaurant,  which  he  conducted  until  re  entered 
the  employ  of  Charles  Adams,  a  dry-goods  mer- 
chant. Later  he  worked  in  a  hardware  store  for 
Dr.  Seely  and  was  with  him  for  some  time,  when 
he  began  in  the  hardware  business  on  his  own 
account  and  to  the  conduct  of  his  store  devoted 
his  remaining  days.  As  the  years  passed  he  de- 
veloped the  largest  hardware  enterprise  in  Pitts- 
field,  selling  stoves,  ranges  and  in  fact  all  kinds 
of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware  and  farm  machinery. 
His  business  methods  were  such  as  to  neither  seek 
nor  require  disguise,  his  integrity  standing  as  an 
unquestioned  fact  in  his  career.  He  received  a 
very  liberal  share  of  the  public  patronage  and  won 
the  trust  of  his  many  customers  by  his  straight- 
forward dealing. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1865,  Mr.  Loyd  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  C.  Wildin,  also  a 
native  of  York,  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1843.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Wildin,  who  came  to  this 
country  from  Germany  and  the  Loyd  family  was 
also  of  German  lineage  although  several  gener- 
ations of  the  family  have  resided  in  America.  John 
Wildin  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinios,  in  1857, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  carpenter  work  and 
the  business  of  a  stone  mason  in  this  locality.  In 
his  family  were  six  children,  of  whom  three  are 
now  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loyd  became  the 
parents  of  five  children  :  Will,  who  is  residing  upon 
a  farm  in  Pike  county  :  John,  who  is  a  tinner  by 
trade;  Flora  E.,  the  wife  of  Wiley  Sanderson; 
Eunice,  at  home ;  and  Arthur,  who  is  an  elec- 
trician of  Pittsfield. 

Mr.  Loyd  belonged  to  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  he  also 
held  membership  in  the  Christian  church  in  which 
he  served  as  deacon  for  three  decades  and  was, 
at  one  time,  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 
His  wife  yet  belongs  to  that  church.  Mr.  Loyd 
died  June  18,  1900.  He  was  well  liked  by  all 
who  knew  him,  possessed  a  kindly  spirit  and  was 
ever  ready  to  help  in  any  enterprise  that  tended 
to  aid  the  individual  or  the  community.  His  suc- 
cess was  due  to  his  own  energy  and  the  high  ideals 
which  his  laudable  ambition  placed  before  him. 
Success  in  anv  walk  of  life  is  an  indication  of 


earnest  endeavor  and  persevering  effort — char- 
acteristics that  Mr.  Loyd  possessed  in  an  eminent 
degree.  His  influence  could  always  be  counted 
upon  in  behalf  of  any  movement  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  interests  of  the  home  people,  and  his 
views  upon  questions  of  public  policy  were  pro- 
nounced although  he- never  sought  to  figure  promi- 
nently in  political  office,  preferring  to  give  his 
attention  to  his  business  affairs  and  the  enjoyment 
of  his  home  life.  Mrs.  Loyd,  still  living  in  Pitts- 
field,  owns  and  occupies  a  fine  residence  in  this 
city  and  also  has  ten  acres  of  land. 


GAY  WILLIAMSON. 

Gay  Williamson,  a  farmer  residing  in  Pitts- 
field,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Ellen  (Hayden) 
Williamson.  The  father  was  native  of  Ohio,  born 
in  1838,  and  a  son  of  Jesse  Williamson,  of 
P>altimore,  Maryland,  who  was  of  Irish  descent. 
After  removing  to  Ohio  the  father  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  in  1857  he  came  with 
his  family  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  in 
Xewburg  township,  where  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.  At  once  he  began 
development,  cultivation  and  improvement  of  that 
property  and  he  spent  his  remaining  days  in  Pike 
county,  his  death  occurring  in  1894.  His  son, 
James  Williamson,  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  at  Pittsburg  (Pennsylvania)  Com- 
mercial College.  After  coming  to  Pike  county  he 
devoted  his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, having  purchased  a  tract  in  Newburg  town- 
ship. He  is  now  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  constituting  an  excellent  farm  and 
has  been  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  is  improved  with  modern  equipments.  It 
is  devoted  to  the  production  of  the  crops  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  in  addition  to  his 
property  Mr.  Williamson  owns  a  grain  elevator 
and  feed  mill  and  is  conducting  a  large  and  pro- 
fitable business  in  Pittsfield.  He  makes  his  home, 
however,  upon  his  farm,  which  is  pleasantly  and 
conveniently  located  about  a  mile  west  of  the  city. 
His  political  views  are  in  accord  with  republican 
principles  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


259 


fraternity.  Mr.  Williamson  is  popular  with  his 
fellow  townsmen,  is  an  upright,  honorable  and 
energetic  business  man  and  is  well  liked  by  all 
who  know  him.  In  his  family  are  two  children : 
Orvey,  who  is  cashier  of  the  National  Bank,  at 
Barry,  Illinois ;  and  Gay,  of  this  review. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Pittsfield  Gay  William- 
son acquired  his  preliminary  education  which  was 
supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Quincy  Com- 
mercial College.  During  his  early  manhood  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  mill  and  in  the  conduct 
of  the  coal  business  for  three  years,  and  since 
that  time  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farm  in- 
terests. His  wife  owns  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  fine  land,  of  which  three  hundred  acres 
lie  in  New  Salem  township  and  the  remainder  in 
Griggsville  township.  This  is  well  improved  prop- 
erty in  good  condition  of  cultivation  and  upon 
it  substantial  buildings  have  been  erected.  Mr. 
Williamson  superintends  the  farming  interests 
and  is  largely  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock. 
Being  an  excellent  judge  of  domestic  animals  he 
is  thus  enabled  to  make  judicious  purchases  and 
profitable  sales  and  as  a  stock  dealer  is  widely 
known. 

On  the  i8th  of  November,  1892,  Mr.  William- 
son was  married  to  Salena  Carnes,  who  was  born 
in  Griggsville  township,  a  daughter  of  Richard 
and  Guldy  E.  (Moore)  Carnes.  The  father  was 
born  in  Cadizville,  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  June 
23,  1832,  and  was  quite  young  when  he  accompa- 
nied his  father's  family  to  Illinois.  Mrs.  Carnes 
was  born  in  Maryland,  May  5,  1834,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Sarah  (Simpson)  Moore,  who  after 
residing  for  some  time  in  Harrison  township,  Ohio, 
removed  to  Adams  cornty,  Illinois,  and  subsequent- 
ly came  to  Pike  county,  where  they  spent  their  re- 
maining days.  Thomas  Carnes,  the  great-grandfa- 
ther of  Mrs.  Williamson,  served  in  the  war  of  1812. 
John  Carnes,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Williamson, 
was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and 
was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Nelson,  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  whose  parents,  however,  were  born 
in  Maryland  and  it  is  believed  were  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. John  Carnes  and  his  wife  occupied  a  farm 
in  their  native  county  until  1854,  when  they  came 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  on  a  partially 
improved  tract  of  land  in  Griggsville  township. 


They  were  in  limited  circumstances  when  they 
arrived  in  this  .state  but  being  industrious,  per- 
severing and  prudent  they  met  success  in  the  con- 
duct of  their  business  interests  and  were  even- 
tually owners  of  a  large  farm.  Mr.  Carnes  voted 
the  whig  ticket  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
active  in  the  work  of  the  United  Brethren  church 
and  contributed  generously  to  its  support.  Their 
last  days  were  spent  in  this  county,  Mr.  Carnes 
passing  away  in  New  Salem  township  in  1870, 
some  years  after  the  death  of  his  wife. 

Richard  Carnes,  father  of  Mrs.  Williamson, 
had  no  educational  privileges  in  his  youth  but  in 
the  active  affairs  of  the  life  learned  many  valuable 
lessons,  acquiring  an  excellent  understanding  of 
agricultural  interests  and  manifesting  a  keen  in- 
sight into  business  matters  so  that  he  became  a 
successful  and  prosperous  farmer.  As  the  years 
passed  by  he  invested  in  land  until  he  became 
the  owner  of  fifteen  hundred  acres  divided  into 
six  farms  and  all  well  equipped  with  farm  build- 
ings. Unlike  many  who  gain  wealth  through 
their  'own  efforts  he  was  never  sordid  nor  grasp- 
ing but  was  very  generous  with  his  means,  giving 
liberally  to  the  support  of  the  church  and  various 
local  interests.  Anxious  that  his  children  should 
have  good  educational  privileges  and  that  the 
other  young  people  of  the  neighborhood  might 
enjoy  every  opportunity  to  acquire  knowledge  he 
became  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  public-school 
system  and,  did  everything  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote its  efficiency.  In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart 
republican  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  devoted 
and  helpful  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  He  became  a  prominent  and  influential 
citizen  as  well  as  the  wealthiest  farmer  of  the 
county.  He  shipped  stock  on  an  extensive  scale 
and  in  all  his  business  undertakings  met  with 
success.  In  his  family  were  nine  children,  five 
of  whom  are  now  living:  Henry  R.,  who  is  living 
.retired  in  Griggsville  township,  married  Lizzie 
White  and  has  three  children,  Hays,  Maggie  and 
Emmett.  George  Carnes  married  Margaret  White 
and  is  living  in  Griggsville  township.  Edward 
married  Birdella  Stone,  of  Quincy,  and  is  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock  shipping,  making  his  home 
in  New  Salem  township.  Mary  A.  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Nelson,  of  La  Harpe,  Illinois,  where  he 


200 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


is  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  implement  business 
and  is  also  a  large  land  owner  of  Hancock  county. 
They  have  three  children,  Lela,  Cecil  and  Ruby. 
Mr.  Carnes  died  July  26,  1902,  leaving  behind 
a  splendid  property  and  an  honored  name.  His 
widow  still  resides  upon  the  old  home  farm  in 
Griggsville  township. 

Mrs.  Williamson  was  reared  in  Griggsville 
township,  and  after  attending  the  common  schools 
continued  her  education  in  Whitfield  College.  By 
her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  five 
children:  Luella,  born  October  5,  1892;  Mary 
Helen,  May  18,  1896;  Presley  C,  July  21,  1900; 
Birdella,  October  i,  1902;  an,d  Verdon  G.,  June 
i,  1904- 

Mr.  Williamson  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pike 
County  Mutual  Association  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church.  He  owns 
a  beautiful  home  in  Pittsfield,  where  they  reside 
in  order  to  give  their  children  the  advantages  of 
the  public  schools  of  the  city.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Williamson  represent  old  families  of  Pike  county 
and  are  held  in  high  esteem  throughout  this  por- 
tion of  the  state,  enjoying  the  warm  friendship 
and  kindly  regard  of  all  who  know  them. 


HON.  EDWARD  DOOCY. 

Hon.  Edward  Doocy,  former  county  judge  of 
Pike  county  and  a  lawyer  of  ability,  now  serving 
as  master  in  chancery,  was  born  at  Griggsville, 
Illinois,  on  the  igth  of  October,  1851.  He  comes 
of  Irish  lineage,  his  parents,  James  and  Sarah 
(Tracey)  Doocy,  being  natives  of  County  Tip- 
perary,  Ireland,  whence  they  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1848.  They  made  their  way  directly  to  the 
Mississippi  valley  and  after  about  three  years 
passed  in  St.  Louis,  came  to  Pike  county  in 
1851,  at  which  time  they  took  up  their  abode 
in  Griggsville.  There  the  father  continued  to 
reside  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1874. 
His  widow  afterward  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where 
she  made  her  home  for  several  years,  and  thence 
removed  to  Springfield,  where  she  died  on  March 
7,  1903,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 


Judge  Doocy  was  the  eldest  of  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  yet  living.  He  continued  his 
studies  through  successive  grades  of  the  public 
schools  until  he  had  graduated  from  the  high 
school  at  Griggsville,  and  later  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1871. 
Later  he  spent  one  year  as  a  teacher  in  Griggs- 
ville, after  which  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
law  in  the  office  of  Judge  James  Ward  of  his  na- 
tive city,  and  later  with  Hon.  W.  G.  Ewings,  then 
of  Quincy.  Admitted  to  the  bar  before  the  Illi- 
nois supreme  court  in  January,  1874,  he  practiced 
for  the  following  eight  years  in  Griggsville,  and 
from  1879  until  1883  was  city  attorney  there.  In 
1882  he  received  the  democratic  nomination  for 
county  judge  and  was  elected  by  a  handsome  ma- 
jority, so  that  in  December  of  the  same  year  he 
removed  to  Pittsfield  in  order  that  he  might  be 
more  conveniently  near  the  court  at  the  time  of  its 
session.  Here  he  has  since  made  his  home ;  and 
on  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  of  four  years 
he  was  re-elected  in  1886  and  once  more  in  1890, 
so  that  his  incumbency  covered  twelve  years. 
Since  his  retirement  from  the  bench  he  has  prac- 
ticed law  in  Pittsfield,  and  is  now  serving  as  mas- 
ter in  chancery.  The  favorable  judgment  which 
the  world  passed  upon  Jiim  at  the  outset  of  his 
career  has  in  no  degree  been  set  aside  or  modi- 
fied, but  on  the  contrary,  has  been  strengthened 
by  the  capable  manner  in  which  he  has  acted  as 
counselor  or  advocate,  and  by  the  fearless  dis- 
charge of  his  duty  on  the  bench  for  his  record  as 
a  judge  was  in  harmony  with  his  record  as  a  man 
and  a  lawyer — characterized  by  unswerving  in- 
tegrity and  by  the  masterful  grasp  of  every  prob- 
lem presented  for  solution.  In  1886  he  formed  a 
law  partnership  with  Henry  Bush  under  the  firm 
name  of  Doocy  &  Bush,  which  was  continued 
with  marked  success  for  several  years.  He  has  a 
large  and  distinctively  representative  clientage 
that  connects  him  with  the  important  litigation 
tried  in  the  courts  of  his  district.  He  has  con- 
ducted a  large  number  of  cases  through  the  ap- 
pellate and  supreme  courts  of  Illinois,  and  has 
met  with  marked  success  in  those  courts. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1886,  Judge  Doocy 
was  married  to  Miss  Clara  L.  Butler,  of  Griggs- 


EDWARD  DOOCY 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


263 


ville,  a  daughter  of  E.  W.  Butler,  one  of  the  pio- 
neer residents  of  Adams  and  Pike  counties,  who 
came  to  Illinois  from  Connecticut  in  1835  and 
died  in  1889.  Mrs.  Butler  now  resides  in  Pitts- 
field,  with  Judgf  and  Mrs.  Doocy.  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Doocy  had  six  children,  one  of  whom  died 
in  infancy.  The  others  are  Clara  Louise,  Edward 
Butler,  Elmer  Tiffany,  Helen  Laura  and  Clar- 
ence Wellington.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Doocy  are 
prominent  socially  and  the  hospitality  of  theil 
pleasant  home  is  greatly  enjoyed  by  many  friends. 
In  community  affairs  the  Judge  is  deeply  inter- 
ested and  his  opinions  have  proven  of  value  in 
the  general  work  of  development  and  upbuilding, 
while  his  co-operation  has  been  a  tangible  factor 
in  the  general  good.  He  served  for  a  year  as 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Pittsfield, 
and  was  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  Pitts- 
field  as  a  city.  For  three  years  he  was  president 
of  the  board  of  education,  and  succeeded  in  organ- 
izing the  board,  of -education  under  the  general 
law.  His  attention,  however,  is  more  largely 
given  to  his  law  practice,  and  in  his  chosen  life 
work  he  has  won  high  encomiums  from  the  legal 
fraternity  and  the  public  as  well. 


MISS  MARY  M.  DOOCYj. .    ..      '   • 

No  history  of  the  educational  development  of 
Pike  county  would  be  complete  without  a  men- 
tion of  many  of  the  eminent  teachers,  who  gave 
their  lives  to  this  noble  profession  of  teaching  the 
young.  Prominent  among  others  was  Miss  Mary 
M.  Doocy,  who  was  born  at  Griggsville,  Illi- 
nois, and  graduated  at  the  high  school  in  that  city 
in  1876.  She  taught  her  first  school  in  what  is 
now  district  No.  60,  in  the  Ingram  neighborhood 
in  the  northeast  part  of  Perry  township.  She 
next  conducted  successful  schools  in  South  Flint 
and  Middle  Flint.  From  there  she  was  employed 
in  the  Griggsville  schools  for  several  years,  and 
then  in  the  Pittsfield  schools  for  a  number  of 
years.  Her  last  teaching  was  in  the  schools  of 
Sangamon  county.  Illinois,  where  she  taught  four 
years.  The  last  few  years  she  was  employed  by 
Hon.  David  Ross,  state  secretary  of  the  bureau 


of  labor  statistics,  and  by  the  mercantile  firm  of 
John  Lutz  of  Springfield,  Illinois.  While  in  the 
last  employment  she  was.  taken  suddenly  ill,  and 
after  a  short  illness  died  on  the  7th  day  of  Au- 
gust, A.  D.,  1905,  at  Springfield,  Illinois. 

Miss  Doocy  was  a  natural  teacher.  She  had 
splendid  talents  and  tact  and  always  had  the  fac- 
ulty of  drawing  out  the  minds  of  the  young  peo- 
ple whom  she  taught,  and  teaching  them  to  think 
for  themselves.  She  was  always  cheerful  and  al- 
ways looked  on  the  bright  side  of  everything,  be- 
lieving that  cheerfulness  was  one  of  the  essential 
elements  of  a  good  school.  Commencing  to  teach 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  she  gave  twenty-seven 
years  of  her  life  to  that  profession.  She  is  kindly 
remembered  by  hundreds  of  people,  who  were 
once  her  students. 


RICHARD  D.  BAGBY. 

Richard  D.  Bagby,  a  representative  of  agri- 
cultural interests,  was  born  in  Pike  county 
November  i,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Larkin  and 
Rachel  (Kinman)  Bagby, -the  former  a  native  of 
Montgomery  county,  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of 
Pike  county,  Indiana.  The  parents  were  young 
people  when  they  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
•the*  father  arriving  here  in  1837.  He  resided  for 
a  considerable  period  near  the  village  of  Time, 
although  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bagby  began  their  domestic  life  in  Highland 
township.  Some  years  later  they  removed  to 
Pittsfield  township  and  Mrs.  Bagby  died  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  Civil  war  when  forty-seven 
years  of  age.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  two  sons  and  three  daughters  are  yet 
living,  namely:  George  L.,  a  resident  of  Iowa; 
Richard  D.,  of  this  review ;  Nancy,  the  wife  of 
David  Kurfman,  living  in  Pike  county,  Illinois ; 
Mrs.  Susan  West,  whose  home  is  in  Kansas ;  and 
Mrs.  Lucy  Hornida,  also  of  Pike  county.  After 
losing  his  first  wife  the  father  was  married  three 
times  and  died  upon  his  farm  in  Pittsfield  town- 
ship at  an  advanced  age. 

Richard  D.  Bagby  pursued  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  and  in  the  public  schools  of 


264 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Pittsfield  and  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union 
Arm}-,  in  March,  1864,  when  only  fifteen  years 
of  age ;  becoming  a  member  of  Company  K,  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated 
in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  went  with  Sherman 
on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea,  participating 
in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  and  the  battles  of  Kene- 
saw  Mountain  and  Bentonville,  North  Carolina. 
At  one  time  he  was  in  the  hospital  and  was  mus- 
tered out  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  being  finally 
discharged  at  Springfield,  Illinois.  Although  so 
young  he  made  a  creditable  military  record  which 
might  well  be  envied  by  many  a  veteran  of  twice 
his  years. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Bagby  returned  home  and 
remained  with  his  father  until  the  latter's  death, 
since  which  time  he  has  resided  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm. 'He  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  fine  land  which  is  pleasantly  and  con- 
veniently located  about  four  miles  from  Pittsfield. 
His  farm  is  well  improved  and  everything  about 
the  place  is  indicative  of  the  careful  supervision 
of  an  owner  who  is  practical  and  progressive  in 
all  his  methods.  He  built  a  fine  house  and  barn  on 
his  place  and  has  added  all  the  modern  accessories 
and  equipments.  He  now  leases  his  land,  which  is 
devoted  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising  and 
he  raises  Poland  China  hogs  on  an  extensive 
scale.  Mr.  Bagby  gives  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  republican  party,  brt  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  affairs,  which  have  been 
capably  managed,  so  that  he  has  become  the 
possessor  of  a  comfortable  competence  that  now 
enables  him  to  leave  the  more  arduous  duties  of 
farm  work  to  others. 


JAMES  G.  WILLSEY. 

James  G.  Willsey  is  one  of  the  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  Pike  county  and  a  wealthy  citizen,  who, 
having  accumulated  a  competence  through  his 
own  efforts,  is  now  living  a  retired  life  on  the 
homestead  farm  in  Pittsfield  township.  His  life 


history  is  closely  interwoven  with  the  records  of 
Pike  county,  especially  along  the  line  of  agricul- 
tural development  and  it  is  therefore  with  pleasure 
that  we  present  the  story  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 
He  was  born  in  Tompkins  county,  New  York, 
February  28,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Barnett  and 
Cornelia  (Kizer)  Willsey.  Both  parents  were  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  state  and  in  the  year  1837 
they  removed  westward,  taking  up  their  abode 
in  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  they  came  to 
Illinois  in  1840.  On  reaching  Griggsville  town- 
ship, Mr.  Willsey  had  only  a  team  and  fifty  cents 
'in  money.  His  family,  however,  numbered  ten 
children  and  necessitated  his  at  once  securing  em- 
ployment that  would  enable  him  to  provide  for 
their  support.  He  began  husking  corn,  receiving 
every  fifth  load  in  compensation  for  his  services. 
He  was  employed  in  differest  capacities  on  various 
farms  in  the  neighborhood  and  as  soon  as  possible 
he  purchased  a  cow.  Soon  afterward  he  traded 
his  team  of  horses  for  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Pittsfield  township  near  the  present  home  of  his 
son  James  and  began  life  there  in  true  pioneer 
style.  He  had  no  near  neighbors  and  in  fact  the 
entire  country  was  wild  and  undeveloped.  There 
was  some  timber  upon  his  place,  necessitating 
ardous  labor  in  order  to  develop  that  part  of  the 
land  into  productive  fields.  Deer  were  frequently 
seen  in  large  herds  and  wolves  were  numerous. 
In  fact,  every  evidence  of  frontier  life  was  found 
here  and  the  family  had  to  share  in  all  the  hard- 
ships and  trhls  incident  to  the  establishment  of  a 
home  upon  the  frontier.  The  father  built  a  cabin 
and  in  a  few  years  replaced  his  primitive  dwelling 
by  a  frame  residence,  hauling  timber  for  the  house 
upon  a  cart  drawn  by  oxen.  He  remained  upon 
this  farm  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred January  31,  1859.  His  wife  survived  until 
January  10,  1889,  passing  away  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-five  years.  Mr.  Willsey  was  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  and 
was  regarded  as  one  of  the  wealthy  residents  of 
the  count}'  in  that  day.  He  was  also  a  leading 
citizen,  becoming  a  molder  of  public  thought  and 
a  leader  in  public  action.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  democracy  and  he  served  as 
county  commissioner  and  also  as  school  director. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


265 


•His  efforts  were  of  a  practical  and  far-reaching 
nature  and  proved  of  much  benefit  to  the  county 
along  the  lines  of  material,  intellectual  and  moral 
progress. 

Of  his  ten  children  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  now  living.  James  G.  Willsey,  however, 
is  the  only  one  now  in  Pike  county.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools,  although  his  privi- 
leges in  that  direction  were  quite  limited.  When 
ten  years  of  age  he  began  hard  work  and  has 
always  led  a  very  industrious  and  useful  life. 
He  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  about  1855, 
becoming  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
upon  which  he  yet  resides.  This  was  a  raw  tract, 
but  he  cleared  it,  put  all  the  improvements  upon 
the  property  and  now  has  fine  buildings,  while 
his  farm  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  at  the 
present  time  and  gives  his  personal  supervision 
to  its  operation,  although  he  takes  no  active  part 
in  the  work  of  the  fields.  He  gave  to  his  son  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  raises  some  sheep, 
but  his  efforts  in  the  line  of  live  stock  dealing 
are  mostly  given  to  hogs  and  cattle. 

In  1851,  James  G.  Willsey  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Malinda  Rogers,  who  was  born 
August  14,  1830,  and  was  a  daughter  of  David 
R.  and  Fanny  (Alcorn)  Rogers.  Her  father  was 
a  son  of  Bartlett  Rogers,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, who  removed  from  that  state  to  Kentucky 
and  from  there  to  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  locating 
near  Williamsport,  a  little  town  on  the  Illinois 
river  near  Montezuma  at  Big  Sandy  creek.  There 
he  purchased  on  the  2gih  of  December,  1826, 
a  bond  for  a  deed  to  lot  No.  15  from  John  Rad- 
cliff,  who  had  purchased  the  lot  of  Joseph  Bent- 
ley  for  seventy  dollars  but  before  paying  for  it 
sold  it  to  Mr.  Rogers.  The  last  named  continued 
a  resident  of  Williamsport  for  many  years  and 
there  his  death  occurred.  David  Redmon  Rogers, 
father  of  Mrs.  Willsey,  was  born  February  18, 
1802,  and  when  a  young  man  went  from  North 
Carolina  to  Kentucky,  in  which  state  he  was 
married  to  Fanny  Alcorn  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1824.  He  and  his  brother  Robert  were  married 
at  the  same  time  and  they  came  to  Illinois  together 
a  number  of  years  later.  While  in  Kentucky, 
David  R.  Rogers  resided  on  the  Kentucky  river 
near  the  Goose  Creek  Salt  Works  in  Clay  county 


and  on  coming  to  Illinois  made  his  way  to  Wil- 
liamsport on  the  Illinois  river.  After  a  short 
time  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Dutch  creek 
near  Big  Spring,  below  Stony  Point,  which  place 
was  afterward  the  property  of  James  Wassell. 
His  next  home  was  on  what  is  known  as  the  John 
Hoskins  place  and  there  he  built  a  little  cabin. 
Not  far  away  was  a  large  swamp  and  his  children 
were  often  stationed  there  to  keep  the  cattle  out  of 
the  swamp.  There  were  many  wild  animals  in 
those  times,  including  wolves,  bears  and  panthers. 
The  neighbors  were  widely  scattered  and  the  work 
of  improvement  and  progress  seemed  scarcely 
begun.  About  1834  or  1835,  Mr.  Rogers  re- 
moved to  the  place  now  owned  by  W.  D.  Shinn, 
making  it  his  home  until  he  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  on  the  2ist  of  March,  1871,  his  wife  sur- 
viving until  March  10,  1873.  Her  brother,  Ben 
Alcorn,  built  the  first  warehouse  west  of  Rockport 
on  the  Mississippi  river- and  one  of  the  first  in  the 
county.  Of  the  children  in  the  Rogers  family 
three  were  born  in  Kentucky,  namely  :  Polly  Ann, 
born  January  4,  1825;  Bartlett,  November  3, 
1826;  and  Nancy  Jane,  February  15,  1828.  The 
next  member  of  the  family,  Mrs.  Willsey,  'was 
born  during  the  period  of  her  parent's  residence 
at  Williamsport,  while  William  Rogers  was  born 
on  the  John  Hoskins  farm,  January  i,  1833. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willsey  have  become  the  parents 
of  one  son,  William  R.,  who  was  born  July  29, 
1853,  and  married  Judith  A.  Brown.  They  reside 
near  the  old  family  homestead  and  have  four 
children :  Grace  Malinda,  who  was  born  June 
2,  1881,  and  is  the  wife  of  Clarence  Fudge,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Pittsfield  township,  by  whom 
she  has  one  daughter,  Nellie  Frances,  born  April 
30,  1904;  Laura  Edith,  born  October  31,  1885, 
and  now  at  home ;  Francis  Scott,  born  December 
12,  1887;  and  James  Gallett,  December  31,  1891. 

The  parents  are  now  pleasantly  located  in  an 
attractive  home  and  are  enjoying  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  which  have  been 
secured  through  the  earnest  and  persistent  efforts 
of  Mr.  Willsey  in  an  active  business  career.  He 
has  been  thoroughly  reliable  at  all  times  and  his 
name  is  a  synonym  for  integrity  and  honor  in 
business  transactions.  He  is  a  charter  member 
of  Pittsfield  lodge,  No.  790,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  chapter  and  commandery. 


266 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  has  served  as 
school  director  for  several  years  and  also  as  road 
commissioner.  His  life  record  is  creditable  and 
should  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  en- 
couragement to  others,  showing  what  can  be  ac- 
complished through  earnest  and  determined  pur- 
pose. He  is  moreover  one  of  the  pioneer  residents 
of  the  county  having  watched  its  growth  and  de- 
i  velopment  from  an  early  day  and  he  has  a  very 
wide  acquaintance  among  the  early  settlers  and 
those  whose  arrival  dates  at  a  later  period,  being 
respected  by  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor. 


JOHN   H.   COOPER. 

John  H.  Cooper,  who  is  living  on  section  23, 
Martinsburg  township,  is  familiarly  called  "John" 
by  his  numerous  friends  and  is  accounted  one  of 
the  prosperous  farmers  of  this  county,  owning 
and  conducting  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  seven- 
teen acres,  which  presents  a  neat  and  well  im- 
proved appearance.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Pike 
county,  having  been  born  in  Pittsfield,  October 
10,  1836.  His  father,  Asa  D.  Cooper,  was  born 
in  Kentucky  and  was  a  son  of  George  W.  Cooper, 
who  removed  from  Tennessee  to  Kentucky  and 
afterward  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Pike  county.  He 
took  up  his  abode  here  at  a  very  early  day,  prob- 
ably about  1832.  It  was  in  this  county  that  Asa 
D.  Cooper  was  married  to  Miss  Eleanor  Gooden, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Saline  county,  Missouri, 
and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Robert  Gooden,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  who  removed 
from  Tennessee  to  Missouri  and  afterward  to 
Illinois.  Following  his  marriage  Asa  Cooper  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  in  Martinsburg  township,  open- 
ing up  a  new  tract  of  land.  Later  he  sold  that 
property  and  developed  another  farm,  whereon  he 
reared  his  family  and  spent  his  last  years,  his 
death  occurring  December  29.  1858.  His  wife 
passed  away  March  29,  1854. 

John  H.  Cooper  was  reared  in  Pike  county 
and  is  largely  a  self-educated  as  well  as  self-made 
man,  for  his  school  privileges  in  youth  were  lim- 
acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  two  hundred 
ited.  He  remained  with  his  father  until  he  had 


attained  his  majority,  after  which  he  rented  a 
farm  for  a  few  years.  He  was  married  in  Mar- 
tinsburg township,  February  i,  1857,  to  Miss 
Mary  M.  Moomaw,  a  native  of  Logan  county, 
Ohio,  and  a  (laughter  of  Rev.  Jacob  Moomaw, 
a  minister  of  the  German  Baptist  church.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  was  married 
in  Ohio  to  Elizabeth  Ohmart.  In  1842  he  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Pike  county,  near  Pittsfield, 
upon  a  farm  where  he  reared  his  family  and  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  through  the  evening  of 
his  life. 

Following  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coop- 
er he  rented  a  tract  of  land  which  he  cultivated 
for  several  years.  He  started  out  for  himself 
empty-handed  but  realized  that  industry  and  en- 
terprise constitute  the  basis  of  success  and  he 
worked  persistently  and  energetically  until  he 
was  enabled  to  purchase  property,  In  1867  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  where  he 
now  resides,  located  thereon  and  began  to  improve 
the  farm,  to  which  he  had  added  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  owns  five  hundred  and  fourteen 
acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  two  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  acres  are  in  the  home 
farm.  Here  he  has  built  a  good  neat  resi- 
dence, also  a  bank  barn  and  other  outbuildings. 
He  has  fenced  his  place  and  added  the  various 
equipments  found  upon  a  model  farm  property 
of  the  twentieth  century.  That  he  has  prospered 
is  indicated  by  his  property  holdings,  for  he  now 
owns  two  other  farms  in  addition  to  the  home 
place,  one  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  acres  and 
the  other  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and 
one-half  acres,  the  second  lying. west  of  Pitts- 
field,  and  the  other  to  the  north.  Both  are  fairly 
improved.  He  has  also  given  forty  acres  of  land 
to  his  children.  Although  he  had  no  capital  to 
aid  him  at  the  outset  of  his  career,  he  and  his 
estimable  wife,  who  had  indeed  been  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate  to  him  on  life's  journey. 
have  accumulated  a  valuable  property,  comprising 
three  excellent  farms  and  in  connection  with  the 
cultivation  of  his  home  place  Mr.  Cooper  raises 
good  grades  of  stock.  He  now  rents  most  of  his 
land  but  gives  his  personal  supervision  to  the 
property  and  to  the  improvements  which  are  made 
thereon.  The  only  financial  assistance  which  ever 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


267 


came  to  him  was  eight  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
dollars  received  from  J]is  father's  estate,  but  this 
did  not  come  until  after  he  had  purchased  the 
home  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  have  been  born 
four  children :  George  D.,  who  is  a  farmer  of 
Pittsfield  township  and  is  represented  elsewhere 
in  this  work ;  Mary  E.  the  wife  of  Wesley  Wal- 
ston,  who  lives  upon  her  father's  farm  and  also 
owns  land  of  his  own  and  by  whom  she  has  two 
children,  Lottie  A.  and  Iva ;  William  Hardin, 
who  married  Lillie  McClintock,  by  whom  he  has 
a  son,  John  Hurley,  their  home  being  in  Martins- 
burg  township ;  and  Charles  H.,  a  merchant  of 
Martinsburg,  who  married  Anna  R.  Lawrence 
and  has  two  children,  Mary  B.  and  Veda  A.  Mr. 
Cooper  now  has  several  grandchildren  and  one 
great-grandchild.  He  and  his  wife  adopted  a 
young  girl  when  eight  years  of  age,  reared  and 
educated  her  and  she  is  now  the  wife  of  Frank 
Gooden.  Benton  Johnson  also  became  a  member 
of  their  family  when  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age, 
was  educated  by  them,  is  now  married  and  fol- 
lows carpentering  in  Pittsfield.  They  also  reared 
James  Cooper,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  who  came 
to  live  with  them  when  thirteen  years  of  age. 

Politically  Mr.  Cooper  has  been  a  lifelong 
democrat,  voting  first  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1860.  He  served  as  township  collector  in  1874 
and  has  been  road  supervisor  for  one  or  two 
terms,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  He 
believes  in  good  schools  and  the  employment  of 
competent  teachers  and  has  done  earnest  work  in 
behalf  of  public  education  while  serving  on  the 
school  board.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  of  Martinsburg.  His  entire  life, 
now  covering  sixty-nine  years,  has  been  passed 
in  Pike  county  and  he  has  helped  to  improve  and 
make  it  what  it  is  today.  He  has  cultivated  and  de- 
veloped several  farms,  thus  contributing  in  sub- 
stantial measure  to  the  agricultural  development 
of  the  community.  He  commenced  life  for  him- 
self at  the  bottom  of  the  latter,  but  has  steadily 
climbed  upward.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he 
had  no  capital  and  he  and  his  faithful  wife  ex- 
perienced many  hardships  and  privations,  but 
they  worked  and  labored  together,  were  frugal 
and  economical  and  by  their  united  efforts  have 


become  prosperous  people.  Their  home  farm  is 
improved  with  a  large,  neat  and  substantial 
residence  and  constitutes  a  comfortable  home,  in 
which  their  many  friends  receive  a  hearty  wel- 
come, cordial  hospitality  and  good  will  being 
extended  to  all.  Mrs.  Cooper  is  now  an  invalid, 
but  for  many  years  she  was  a  model  housekeeper 
and  her  labors  were  an  important  factor  in  her 
husband's  success.  Mr.  Cooper  is  well  'known  as 
an  active  and  energetic  farmer  and  as  one  of  the 
honored  pioneer  settlers  of  the  county  justly 
deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 


HENRY  B.  JUDD. 

Henry  B.  Judd,  whose  name  is  found  on  the  roll 
of  Pittsfield's  merchants  for  he  is  proprietor  of  the 
Judd  bakery,  was  born  in  Missouri,  August  27, 
1859,  his  parents  being  Samuel  and  Celia  (Seals) 
Judd.  The  father  was  a  native  of  London,  Eng- 
land, and  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America  became 
a  traveling  salesman.  In  his  family  were  nine 
children.  His  death  occurred  in  1899,  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  when  he  had  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-eight  years,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  in 
Chicago. 

Henry  B.  Judd  completed  his  education  in  the 
high  school  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  then  entering 
business  life  was  employed  in  a  bakery  and  candy 
manufactory  at  Quincy,  there  working  for  the 
firm  of  Brown  &  Brothers.  Later  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Clark  &  Morgan,  wholesale  dealers  in 
confectionery,  and  subsequently  he  went  to  Brook - 
ville,  Missouri,  where  he  continued  for  three 
years  in  the  same  line  of  business.  He  was  next 
located  in  Palmyra,  Missouri,  where  he  conducted 
a  bakery  and  confectionery  on  his  own  account 
for  ten  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  decade 
he  removed  to  Chickamauga  Park,  conducting  a 
similar  business  for  the  government  during  the 
Spanish-American  war.  Upon  his  return  to  the 
north  he  located  in  Pittsfield  and  for  two  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Sineff.  In  1899  he 
embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  and  has 
since  conducted  a  bakery,  dealing  in  all  kinds 


268 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


of  bakery  goods,  soft  drinks,  oysters,  cigars,  etc. 
He  likewise  conducts  a  restaurant  and  in  both 
branches  of  his  business  has  a  good  trade,  his 
store  being  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
courthouse  square.  He  has  prospered  since  open- 
ing his  present  establishment  and  his  patronage 
is  constantly  growing. 

Mr.  Judd  now  resides  with  his  sister  in  Pitts- 
field  and  he  has  one  son,  Samuel.  In  his  political 
views  Mr.  Judd  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day. 
He  belonged  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Kirks- 
ville,  Missouri,  and  while  in  Quincy  became  a- 
communicant  of  the  Episcopal  church,  with  which 
he  has  since  been  connected.  He  has  prospered 
since  coming  to  Pittsfield  and  he  deserves  much 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  for  he  is  en- 
tirely a  self-made  man. 


ANDREW  YAEGER. 

Andrew  Yaeger,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Pittsfield  was  in  former  years  actively  con- 
nected with  general  farming  and  stock-raising, 
having  devoted  nearly  half  a  century  to  work 
along  those  lines.  His  rest  was  therefore  well 
earned  and  he  is  spending  the  years  now  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  Pike  county  since  June, 
1853,  and  has  traveled  life's  journey  for  seventy- 
seven  years.  A  native  of  Germany,  he  was  born 
in  Wurtemberg  on  the  24th  of  October,  1828,  and 
was  reared  and  married  there,  having  in  1853 
wedded  Miss  Barbara  Kern,  who  was  born  in 
Wurtemberg,  December  26,  1820.  Soon  after 
their  marriage  they  carried  out  the  previously 
formed  determination  of  emigrating  to  America 
by  taking  passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  which 
weighed  anchor  at  Bremen  on  the  8th  of  April, 
1853,  bound  for  New  York.  The  voyage  lasted 
for  eight  weeks,  and  for  two  days  the  ship  was  in 
a  fearful  storm,  being  driven  back  before  the 
gale,  so  that  it  had  to  cover  a  part  of  the  course 
a  second  time.  However,  the  harbor  of  New  York 
was  finally  reached  in  safety  on  the  2d  of  June. 
The  Yaeger  family  at  once  made  their  way  direct- 


ly westward  to  Illinois  and  eventually  reached 
Pittsfield.  They  were  passengers  on  the  first  train 
over  the  road  between  Chicago  and  La  Salle,  Illi- 
nois, and  thence  proceeded  down  the  Illinois  river 
by  boat  to  Florence  and  on  to  the  county  seat, 
where  they  joined  some  German  friends.  Mr. 
Yaeger  worked  by  the  month  for  a  year  or  more 
and  then  rented  a  farm  for  four  years  in  Newburg 
township.  He  bought  his  first  land  in  Martins- 
burg  township,  becoming  owner  of  ninety-five 
acres  on  section  i.  He  located  on  that  place, 
which  had  a  few  acres  under  the  plow  but  was 
largely  uncleared  and  undeveloped.  He  began 
to  farm  and  improve  his  land,  however,  living 
thereon  for  nine  years,  when  he  sold  that  property 
and  bought  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  in  Hardin 
township  near  Time.  He  then  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  bought  more  land  adjoining,  .carrying 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  farm  near 
Time  for  thirty-eight  years.  During  that  period 
he  erected  a  good  house  upon  his  place,  also  built 
a  barn,  fenced  the  fields  and  planted  an  orchard. 
He  also  secured  the  latest  improved  machinery 
in  order  to  facilitate  his  work  and  in  addition  to 
cultivating  the  soil  he  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
fine  horses  and  other  high-grade  stock,  which  he 
fattened  for  the  market.  He  was  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  he  still  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  that  property,  but,  having  acquired  a 
handsome  competence  he  retired  from  active 
business  life  in  1899  anc'  removed  to  Pittsfield, 
where  he  and  his  wife  have  since  been  living 
with  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Kleinschmidt. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yaeger  have  been  born 
seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  married  and 
are  heads  of  families.  Louisa  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Shadel,  of  Pittsfield.  Mary  is  the  wife 
of  Fred  Hack,  a  resident  farmer  of  Kinderhook. 
John  G.  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Barbara  is  the  wife  of  W.  D.  McBride,  of  Jersey- 
ville,  Illinois.  William  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm.  Henry  resides  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. Anna  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Kleinschmidt, 
a  business  man  of  Pitts-field. 

Politically  Mr.  Yaeger  has  ever  been  an  earnest 
democrat  since  becoming  a  naturalized  American 
citizen.  He  has  never  desired  office,  but  has 
given  his  time  to  his  business  affairs.  He  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


269 


his  wife  were  reared  in  the  Lutheran  church  and 
now  have  membership -relations  with  the  denom- 
inations in  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Yaeger  feels  that  he 
was  wise  in  the  step  that  he  took  in  severing  his 
connection  with  his  native  land  and  seeking  a 
home  in  the  new  world  for  here  he  has  found  good 
business  opportunities  and  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  through  persistent  energy  to  a 
place  among  the  enterprising  business  men  of  the 
county,  and  through  the  exercise  of  his  native 
talents  and  industry  he  has  accumulated  the  hand- 
some competence  which  now  enables  him  to  rest 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well  earned  ease. 


WILLIAM  E.  SHASTID,  M.  D. 

Dr.  William  E.  Shastid,  physician  and  sur- 
geon, oculist  and  aurist,  of  Pittsfield,  was  born 
in  this  city,  March  12,  1863,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  has  resided  here 
continuously.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  T.  W. 
Shastid.  He  was  prepared  for  college  in  the 
schools  of  this  city  and  after  four  years  in  Eureka 
College,  at  Eureka,  Illinois,  he  was  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  having  taken 
the  full  classical  course,  with  additions  in  Ger- 
man and  French.  His  summers  were  devoted  to 
the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  his 
father  and  following  his  graduation  at  Eureka 
College  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
matriculating  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  schools  in 
America.  While  there  he  received  special  instruc- 
tion in  the  Pennsylvania  School  of  Anatomy  and 
the  Pennsylvania  Hospital.  In  the  year  1886  he 
was  graduated  at  the  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
his  thesis  on  pathology  receiving  second  honor. 

In  the  same  year  Dr.  Shastid  was  married  to 
Miss  Clara  B.  Willson.  of  Tallula,  Illinois,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Jacksonville  Conservatory  of 
Music  and  Young  Ladies'  Athenaeum,  of  Jack- 
sonville, Illinois.  Her  .father.  Dr.  T-  F.  Willson, 
is  a  prominent  banker  and  capitalist  of  Menard 
county,  Illinois. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Shastid  located  in  Wichita,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  practiced  for  nearly  five  years  and 


for  three  years  during  that  time  was  physician 
and  surgeon  tp  the  Wichita  Hospital.  He  also 
lectured  on  anatomy  one  year  in  the  Wichita 
School  of  Medicine  and  served  for  a  time  as  a 
member  of  the  city  board  of  health.  In  1889  ne 
was  called  to  Eureka  College,  where  the  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  him.  •  In 
189,1  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Pittsfield 
and  has  practiced  here  since,  his  special  attention 
being  given  to  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat.  He  has  taken  post-graduate  work  several 
times:  in  1894  in  London,  England,  and  Vienna, 
Austria — in  the  former  city  at  the  Royal  London 
Ophthalmic  Hospital,  Moorfield's  and  Central 
London  Hospital,  for  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat 
diseases ;  in  the  latter  city  at  the  General  Hospital 
for  medicine,  surgery  and  specialties,  this  hospi- 
tal being  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  In 
1901  he  attended  the  New  York  Post  Graduate 
Medical  School  and  Hospital.  In  1903  he  again 
went  abroad  for  post-graduate  work  at  Berlin, 
Germany.  The  Doctor  has  traveled  extensively 
in  most  of  the  countries  of  Europe  as  well  as  in 
Egypt  and  Palestine.  He  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  his  practice  and  is  one  of  the  leading  physi- 
cians of  the  county.  He  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  education  of  Pittsfield  and  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  United  States  examining 
surgeons  for  pensions.  He  has  been  prominent 
in  Masonic  circles  for  some  years,  being  past 
commander  of  Ascalon  commandery,  No.  48,  K. 
T..  and  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason. 

Dr.  Shastid  has  two  children,  a  son  and  a 
daughter,  William  J.  and  Mary  Margaret  Shas- 
tid. His  office  and  home  are  located  on  Monroe 
street,  a  block  and  a  half  from  the  public  square 
in  Pittsfield. 


CAPTAIN  JOSEPH  G.  JOHNSON. 

Captain  Joseph  G.  Johnson  is  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war  and  prominent  in  Grand  Army  circles 
in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  makes  his  home  in 
Milton,  where  he  is  now  living  in  well  earned 
ease  after  close  and  active  connection  with  busi- 
ness interests  in  former  years,  for  he  was  well 
known  here  at  an  earlier  day  as  a  merchant  and 


270 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


later  as  proprietor  of  a  hotel.  Captain  Johnson  is 
a  native  of  Posey  county,  Indiana,  born  July  30, 
1821,  his  parents  being  Joseph  and  Ester  (Jolly) 
Johnson,  who  were  early  residents  of  Posey 
county,  where  they  spent  their  remaining-  days. 

Captain  Johnson  was  reared  to  farm  life  and 
continued  to  devote  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1856,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Milton.  Here  he  embarked  in  merchandising,  in 
which  he  continued  until  1862,  when,  his  spirit 
of  patriotism  being  aroused,  he  not  only  offered 
his  services  to  the  goverment,  but  also  organized 
a  company  in  Milton  to  join  the  Union  forces. 
This  company  became  Company  I  of  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Illinois  Regiment  and  Mr.  Johnson  was  chos- 
en its  captain,  serving  with  that  rank  for  two  years 
and  five  months,  at  which  time  an  order  was 
issued  consolidating  his  regiment  with  a  battalion 
on  account  of  its  being  below  the  minimum 
number  for  regiment  organization  and  Captain 
Johnson's  command  then  became  Company  B. 
For  a  portion  of  the  time  Captain  Johnson  was  ill, 
but  he  rendered  active  and  valuable  service  to 
the  Union  in  the  engagements  at  Vicksburg  and 
Hartsville,  Missouri,  and  in  a  number  of  skir- 
mishes and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  in  December,  1864,  by  reason  of 
the  expiration  of  his  term. 

Returning  home  he  resumed  merchandising  in 
Milton,  in  which  he  continued  until  1867,  when 
he  retired  from  business  life,  but  after  five  years 
became  proprietor  of  a  hotel  and  so  continued 
until  1884.  He  then  permanently  put  aside  the 
more  arduous  duties  of  a  business  career  and  has 
since  enjoyed  a  well  earned  rest. 

Captain  Johnson  has  been  married  three  times. 
In  August,  1842, he  wedded  Eliza  Henderson  and 
unto  them  was  born  a  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Man' 
A.  Armstrong,  of  Milton.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  in  February,  1847,  ar>d  in  October,  1853, 
Captain  Johnson  wedded  Elizabeth  Travers,  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  Daniel  R.  Johnson,  who  is 
residing  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, and  is  an  engineer. 
In  1855,  the  captain  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  second  wife  and  on  the  I7th  of 
November,  1857,  ne  married  Judith  C.  (Baker) 
I  Tughes,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Jo  Anna 
II.  and  Joseph  G.  H.  Johnson.  The  daughter  is 


now  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Battershill,  a  merchant  or 
Milton.  Captain  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  societies  and  also 
holds  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  being  true  to  the  teachings  of  the  latter 
and  the  tenets  of  the  former.  He  is  one  of  Milton's 
most  esteemed  and  jovial  citizens,  always  genial 
in  manner,  courteous  and  social.  He  has  now 
passed  the  eighty-fourth  milestone  of  life's 
journey  and  is  classed  with  the  most  venerable 
and  respected  citizens  of  Milton,  whose  long  resi- 
dence in  the  county  and  upright  life  have  made 
him  a  prominent  citizen. 


'    COLONEL  D.  D.  HICKS. 

Colonel  Daniel  D.  Hicks,  deceased,  for  many 
years  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pitts- 
field,  was  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Pike 
county  and  resided  in  a  beautiful  home  on  Jef- 
ferson street,  where,  surrounded  by  many  friends, 
he  spent  his  last  years,  respected  and  honored 
by  all  who  knew  him.  He  came  of  a  family 
in  whom  the  spirit  of  patriotism  was  a  strong 
characteristic.  His  grandfather,  Simeon  Hicks, 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  colonies  and  fought 
for  independence,  while  Truman  B.  Hicks,  the 
father,  was  a  soldier  of"  the  war  of  1812.  The 
latter  was  also  a  distinguished  physician  of  the 
Empire  state,  and  in  addition  to  his  success  and 
prominence  in  that  calling,  he  became  recog- 
nized as  a  leader  of  public  thought  and  action  and 
was  honored  with  political  preferment.  He 
served  as  judge  of  Warren  county,  New  York, 
and  for  two  terms  represented  his  district  in  the 
state  legislature.  He  married  Barbara  Hayes,  a 
native  of  Clarendon,  Vermont,  and  they  had  two 
sons  and  a  daughter. 

Colonel  Daniel  D.  Hicks,  of  this  family,  was 
born  at  Sunderland,  Vermont,  on  the  i2th  of 
August,  1812,  and  was  quite  young  at  the  time 
of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  the  state  of  New 
York.  A  few  years  later,  following  the  death  of 
the  mother,  the  family  returned  to  the  Green 
Mountain  state  but  in  1830  again  took  up  their 


DANIEL  D.  HICKS 


IHJflARY 

Of    »HE 

«MV£*SiTr  Of   ( 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


273 


abode  in  New  York.  In  1838  a  removal  was 
made  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  Colonel  Hicks 
entered  business  life  in  the  middle  west  as  a 
teacher,  following  the  profession  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pittsfield  for  about  two  years.  He  then  ac- 
cepted a  clerkship  in  Pittsfield  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  1842,  when  he  was  appointed  deputy 
sheriff  by  Ephraim  Cannon  and  served  for  four 
years,  on  the  expiration  of  which  period  popular 
suffrage  chose  him  for  the  office  of  sheriff  and 
incumbency  again  continued  for  four  years.  This 
length  of  time  had  been  sufficient  to  fully  demon- 
strate to  the  people  his  entire  trustworthiness 
and  capability  and  his  election  to  the  office  of 
county  treasurer  for  a  term  of  four  years,  fol- 
lowed. From  1850  until  1852  he  was  also  en- 
gaged in  merchandising.  In  1865  he  entered 
the  First  National  Bank  as  clerk  and  teller  and 
in  1867  was  elected  cashier,  which  position  he 
filled  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Robert  T.,  who  was  for 
years  assistant  cashier  of  the  institution. 

In  October,  1842,  Colonel  Hicks  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Burbridge,'  a  ha-  • 
tive  of  Ohio,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a 
resident  of  this  county.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  James  Burbridge.  She  was  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Christian  church  and  a  most 
estimable  lady  and  her  death,  which  oc- 
curred March  30,  1844,  was  deeply  regretted. 
Their  only  child,  Helen  M.,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years.  Colonel  Hicks  was  afterward 
married  to  Miss  Julia  Ann  Burbridge,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  Burbridge  and  a  cousin  of  his  first 
wife.  They  were  married  in  1845  and  had  five 
daughters  and  two  sons :  Frances,  the  wife  of 
George  Barber;  Barbara  E.,  the  wife  of  Henry 
R.  Miller;  Florence  E.,  the  wife  of  E.  P.  Dow; 
Emma,  deceased  wife  of  Hon.  Harry  Higbee, 
the  present  circuit  judge  of  the  eighth  judicial 
district  of  Illinois ;  Robert  T.,  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Pittsfield,  and  a  prominent 
business  man  of  the  city;  Laura,  the  wife  of  Mar- 
tin S.  Frick,  of  Independence,  Missouri ;  and 
James  W.,  of  Houston,  Texas. 

Mr.   and   Mrs.   Hicks   were   members   of  the 
Christian  church,  in  which  he  served  as  elder  for 
many  years,  and  in  the  work  of  which  he  took 
15 


a  most  active  and  helpful  interest.  His  military 
title  was  conferred  upon  him  while  he  was  a 
resident  of  New  York.  He  belonged  to  the  One 
hundred  and  Sixty-sixth  Regiment  of  the  state 
militia  and  served  for  two  years  as  its  adjutant 
and  two  years  as  its  colonel,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  resigned  in  order  to  come  to  Illinois. 
He  was  a  resident  of  Pike  county  for  forty-six 
years  and  was  deeply  interested  in  its  progress 
and  development.  His  faithful  service  in  office, 
his  trustworthiness  in  business,  his  faithfulness 
in  friendship,  all  combined  to  make  him  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state. 


GEORGE  W.  CHRYSUP. 

George  W.  Chrysup,  who  since  1901  has  lived 
a  retired  life  in  Barry,  previous  to  which  time 
he  was  closely  associated  with  its  mercantile  in- 
tejejjts,  was  born  in  Florence,  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  February  i,  1845.  He  was  the  only  child 
of  William  -L'.  and  Jane  (Barney)  Chrysup,  who 
in  1826  became  residents  of  Pike  county,  where 
they  resided  until  1850.  In  that  year  the  family 
removed  to  California,  making  the  long  and 
tedious  journey  across  the  plains,  over  the  hot 
stretches  of  sand  and  through  the  mountain  passes 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  In  1857  they  started  on  the 
return  voyage  .and  the  parents  were  lost  in  the 
explosion  of  the  steamer  St.  Nicholas,  which 
occurred  April  24,  1859,  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  below  Helena,  Arkansas. 

George  W.  Chrysup,  who  was  left  an  orphan 
by  this  disaster  was  reared  by  his  maternal  grand- 
father. Colonel  Benjamin  Barney  of  Pike  county. 
Illinois.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  re- 
sponded to  the  county's  call  for  troops,  enlisting 
in  1861  at  the  first  call  for  seventy-five  thousand 
men.  He  joined  the  army  under  Captain  Mc- 
Williams  for  three  months'  service  with  the  Tenth 
Illinois  Infantry  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  when  it  was  seen  that  there  would  be  a  long 
and  hotly  contested  struggle  between  the  north 
and  the  south  he  re-enlisted  for  three  years  in 
August,  1862,  becoming  a  member  of  Company 
B,  Twenty-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun- 


274 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


teers.  On  the  ipth  of  January,  1864,  he  once  more 
enlisted,  becoming  a  veteran  and  serving  as  corpo- 
ral sergeant,  orderly  sergeant  and  first  lieutenant 
by  successive  promotions.  Eventually  he  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  and  next  be- 
came captain  of  Company  B,  Twenty-eighth  Reg- 
iment of  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  in 
the  army  for  over  four  years  and  was  honorably 
discharged  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1866,  having 
made  a  splendid  military  record,  unsurpassed  for 
loyalty  or  bravery.  He  participated  in  many  im- 
portant battles,  including  the  engagements  at 
Fort  Henry,  Vicksburg,  Jackson,  Spanish  Fort 
and  Whistler's  Station,  and  he  was  always  found 
at  his  post  of  duty  whether  upon  the  firing  line 
or  on  the  lonely  picket  line. 

Following  the  close  of  the  war  Captain  Chry- 
sup  returned  at  once  to  his  home  and  on  April 
18,  1867,  was  married  to  Miss  Katie  Harvey, 
of  Pike  county,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Lucy 
Harvey.  Unto  them  were  born  two  children,  who 
are  yet  living,  and  two  who  have  passed  away. 
Those  who  yet  survive  are:  Jennie,  now  the  wife 
of  H.  T.  McCarrel,  of  Barry ;  and  Helen,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Dr.  R.  H.  Main,  of  Barry. 

After  the  war  Captain  Chrysup  engaged  in 
farming  for  three  years  and  then  embarked  in 
merchandising,  which  he  carried  on  for  six  years, 
dealing  in  both  groceries  and  hardware  and  also 
conducting  a  marble  business.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed postmaster  and  filled  the  office  for  ten 
years.  He  has  likewise  filled  other  official  po- 
sitions, having  been  justice  of  the  peace  for  eight 
years,  during  which  time  he  discharged  his 
duties  with  strict  impartiality,  his  decisions  being 
biased  by  neither  fear  nor  favor.  Upon  his  retire- 
ment from  that  office  he  put  aside  all  business 
cares  and  since  1901  has  not  been  connected  with 
any  official  or  business  interests.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  stalwart  republican,  standing  by  the 
party  as  loyal  to-day  as  he  did  with  the  Union 
in  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war.  He  belongs  to 
the  John  McTucker  post,  No.  154,  at  Barry  and 
when  able  to  attend  its  meetings  greatly  enjoys 
meeting  with  the  "boys  in  blue".  In  matters  of 
citizenship  he  ever  manifests  the  same  loyal 
spirit  which  characterized  his  long  service  on  the 
southern  battle-fields  and  won  him  promotion 


from  the  ranks  to  the  grade  of  captain  in  recogni- 
tion of  his  meritorious  conduct  on  the  field  of 
battle. 

It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note 
something  of  the  history  of  Colonel  Benjamin 
Barney,  by  whom  Captain  Chrysup  was  reared. 
He  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  Barney,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Taunton,  Bristol  county,  Massachu- 
setts, in  the  year  1760  and  he  served  throughout 
the  Revolutionary  war  under  General  Washing- 
ton, enlisting  in  April,  1776.  He  received  an 
honorable  discharge  in  1781,  after  which  he  lo- 
cated land  upon  which  he  made  improvements  in 
Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts.  In  1782  he 
married  Miss  Deborah  Crapo  and  took  up  his 
permanent  abode  upon  his  farm,  his  death  there 
occurring  in  the  year  1821.  He  always  maintained 
a  warm  devotion  and  love  for  his  country,  leading 
a  quiet  and  useful  life  and  died  a  devoted  Chris- 
tian. His  wife  passed  away  in  1822. 

Colonel  Barney  was  born  in  Berkshire  county, 
Massachusetts,  September  21,  1795,  and  there  re- 
mained through  the  period  of  his  minority,  re- 
moving in  March,  1817,  to  Huron  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  the  succeeding  eight  years  as  a 
farm  hand.  In  1820  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mi- 
nerva Harris,  who  was  the  daughter  of  William 
Harris,  and  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1800, 
accompanying  her  parents  in  their  removal  to  the 
Buckeye  state  in  1818.  The  year  1825  witnessed 
the  arrival  of  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Barney  in  Illinois. 
They  first  located  at  Shawneetown,  and  in  1826 
their  home  was  established  at  Atlas,  which  was 
then  the  county  seat  of  Pike  county.  He  was  there 
variously  employed  for  nine  years,  being  first 
engaged  at  cutting  and  cording  wood,  for  which 
he  was  paid  twenty-two  cents  a  cord.  On  that  sum 
he  had  tosupporthimself,hiswifeandtwo  children. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  keel-boating  on  the 
Ohio  river  at  fifty  cents  per  day,  which  he  re- 
garded as  a  very  good  wage.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1826,  and  dur- 
ing the  succeeding  winter  lived  at  Atlas,  where 
was  the  only  postoffice  in  Pike  county.  At  one 
time  on  account  of  high  water  and  bad  roads 
there  was  no  mail  for  three  weeks.  The  legisla- 
ture was  then  in  session,  and  the  citizens  of  Atlas 
and  vicinity  being  anxious  for  news,  hired  Colo- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


275 


nel  Barney  to  go  to  Carrollton,  a  distance  of  over 
forty  miles  to  get  the  mail.  He  did  so,  making 
the  journey  in  three  days,  crossing  streams  in 
canoes,  on  logs  and  sometimes  having  to  wade. 
Thus  through  unbroken  paths  where  the  snow 
in  many  places  was  above  his  knees,  he  made  his 
way.  carrying  upon  his  back  the  mail,  which 
weighed  over  sixty  pounds;  and  for  this  journey 
he  received  the  sum  of  ten  dollars. 

Colonel  Barney  continued  to  reside  in  Atlas 
until  1834,  when  he  invested  his  earnings  which 
he  had  saved  in  a  small  tract  on  section  31,  Barry 
township.  Upon  that  place  he  built  a  cabin  in 
which  the  family  took  up  their  abode,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  there  for  many  years,  giving  the 
remainder  of  his  active  business  career  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  April,  1832,  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  at  Rock  Island  under  General  White- 
side,  being  at  that  time  elected  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment, which  was  the  Second  Illinois  Mounted 
Riflemen.  After  serving  fifty  days  he  and  his 
regiment  were  mustered  out  of  service  at  Ottawa, 
Illinois.  He  was  then  honorably  discharged  and 
received  the  remuneration  for  his  military  serv- 
ice, after  which  he  rejoined  his  family  in  Barry 
township  and  resumed  the  work  of  farming  and 
stock-raising.  He  had  in  his  early  years  served 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  blacksmith  trade,  but  after 
a  few  years  his  health  compelled  him  to  abandon 
that  pursuit,  but  was  able  to  do  much  mechanical 
work  upon  his  farm.  As  the  years  advanced  and 
as  his  financial  resources  increased  as  the  result 
of  his  careful  management  and  unfaltering  dili- 
gence, he  invested  more  and  more  extensively  in 
land  until  his  property  holdings  became  very 
large  and  valuable.  He  possessed  a  generous 
disposition,  was  a  man  of  warm  heart  and  willing 
hand,  and  ever  ready  to  assist  others  less  for- 
tunate than  himself  and  exemplifying  in  his  life 
those  sterling  traits  of  character  which  work  for 
the  development  of  man's  best  nature.  He  was 
'called  to  various  local  offices,  the  duties  of  which 
he  discharged  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  and 
no  man  enjoyed  more  fully  the  trust  and  good 
will  of  those  with  whom  he  was  associated.  While 
in  business  affairs  he  wrought  along  lines  re- 
sulting in  the  acquirement  of  a  handsome  prop- 


erty he  at  the  same  time  conducted  his  relations 
with  his  fellowmen  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deserve 
their  high  regard  and  unfaltering  trust.  His 
death  occurred  September  14,  1882 ;  and  the  com- 
munity mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its  representa- 
tive and  honored  pioneer  citizens. 


JOHN  W.  BOREN. 

John  W.  Boren  has  with  the  exception  of  a 
brief  period  of  three  years  been  continuously  con- 
nected with  business  interests  in  Milton  since 
the  Civil  war.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  a  furniture 
and  undertaking  establishment  with  a  liberal 
patronage  which  makes  his  business  quite  profit- 
able. He  was  born  .in  Pike  county,  August  2, 
1842,  his  parents  being  Absalom  and  Lucinda 
Boren,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  They 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county  and 
the  father  devoted  his  energies  to  farming  for 
many  years.  His  death  occurred  in  1904.  while 
his  wife  passed  away  in  Milton  in  1900. 

John  W.  Boren  was  reared  to  farm  life,  early 
becoming  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that 
fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  acquired 
his  education  in  the  country  schools  and  lived 
with  his  father,  assisting  him  in  the  farm  work 
until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  in  1862  he  re- 
sponded to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  enlisting 
as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois 
Regiment  for  three  years.  He  served  the  entire 
time  as  a  musician  in  his  company  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  on  the  3ist  of  July,  1865,  at 
Springfield,  by  reason  of  the  expiration  of  his 
term  and  the  close  of  the  war.  Returning  to  his 
home  in  Pike  county,  he  soon  became  a  factor  in 
the  business  life  of  Milton,  opening  a  saddlery 
and  harness  shop  in  August  of  that  year.  Suc- 
cess attended  the  enterprise  and  he  continued  in 
the  business  for  nine  years,  or  until  1874,  when  he 
disposed  of  his  interests  in  Milton  and  removed 
to  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  conducted  a  similar 
business  for  three  years.  On  account  of  sick- 
ness, however,  he  returned  to  Milton  and  once 
more  established  a  saddlery  and  harness  store, 
which  he  carried  on  for  seven  years.  In  1884  ne 


276 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


sold  out  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  drug  busi- 
ness, which  he  conducted  for  four  years  and 
through  the  succeeding  four  years  he  was  a  rep- 
resentative of  real-estate  interests,  thus  contin- 
uing in  business  until  1892.  In  May  of  that  year 
he  opened  a  furniture  and  undertaking  establish- 
ment, carrying  an  extensive  stock  and  for  thirteen 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  this  line,  enjoying 
constantly  increasing  success,  which  results  from 
his  straightforward  business  methods,  his  earnest 
desire  to  please  and  his  fair  and  reasonable  prices. 
Mr.  Boren  was  married  December  28,  1871,  to 
Miss  Mary  P.  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Harriett 
A.  (Baker)  Smith.  Their  only  child  is  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boren  have  many  friends  and  are 
highly  esteemed  residents  of  Milton.  In  an  analy- 
zation  of  his  life  record  we  find  that  the  strong 
characteristics  of  his  business  career  have  been 
close  application,  unremitting  diligence  and  unfal- 
tering determination  and  he  has  enjoyed  a  gratify- 
ing measure  of  prosperity  as  the  years  have  gone 
by.  His  name  is  inseparably  intedwoven  with 
the  history  of  commercial  advancement  in  Milton 
and  moreover  he  is  classed  with  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  the  town,  manifesting  the  same 
loyalty  to  the  welfare  of  his  home  community 
that  he  displayed  when  on  southern  battle-fields 
he  proved  his  fidelity  to  the  Union  cause. 


WILLIAM  H.  SEABORN. 

William  H.  Seaborn,  whose  life  record  might 
be  summed  up  in  the  terse  yet  comprehensive 
phrase,  through  struggles  to  success,  is  a  wealthy 
stock  dealer  and  land  owner  of  Pike  county,  now 
largely  living  retired  in  Baylis.  He  was  born 
in  this  county,  near  Griggsville,  on  the  old  Reed 
farm,  August  5,  1845,  his  parents  being  Robert 
and  Mary  A.  (Hovey)  Seaborn.  The  father's 
birth  occurred  in  what  was  then  Frankford,  Penn- 
sylvania, now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
on  the  nth  of  October,  1814,  and  his  parents 
were  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Rodgers)  Seaborn. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  England  and  came  to 
America  during  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  He  was  then  a  single  man  but  soon 


afterward  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Rodgers.  A 
merchant  tailor,  he  conducted  business  at  Frank- 
ford  for  several  years  and  died  March  4,  1815, 
leaving  a  widow  and  three  children,  of  whom 
Robert  Seaborn,  Jr.,  was  the  youngest.  He  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Philadelphia  and  in 
that  city  at  the  age  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  was 
apprenticed  to  Jacob  Young  to  learn  the  carriage- 
smith's  trade.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  indenture  he  went  to  New  York  city,  being  at 
that  time  twenty-one  years  of  age.  After  a  year 
or  two,  however,  he  removed  to  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  and  later  went  to  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  he  secured  a  situation  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Theodore  Dickinson.  For  several  years 
he  remained  in  that  city,  during  which  time  he 
was  married  to  Caroline  Beckford,  a  sister  of 
Mrs.  Dickinson,  the ,  wedding  ceremony  being 
performed  in  the  Hanover  Street  Congregational 
church  by  the  Rev.  Lyman  Beecher,  father  of 
Henry  Ward  Beecher.  Of  that  church  Mr. 
Seaborn  was  a  member.  Following  his  marriage 
Robert  Seaborn  went  to  the  British  possessions, 
looking  for  a  location,  but,  not  finding  a  suitable 
place  he  returned  to  Boston  and  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Preble  county,  Ohio,  where,  abandoning 
his  trade,  he  purchased  a  small  farm  and  turned 
his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Thinking 
that  he  would  have  still  better  business  oppor- 
tunities in  a  region  farther  west  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  in  the  summer  of  1831,  in  search 
of  a  location  and  here  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  n,  Griggs- 
ville township,  and  also  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  the  creek  bottom.  Both  of  these  tracts 
were  slightly  improved.  He  afterward  returned 
to  Ohio  for  his  family,  then  consisting  of  his 
wife  and  two  sons — Robert,  who  was  born  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts ;  and  George,  whose  birth 
had  occurred  in  Preble  county,  Ohio. 

While  living  on  section  n,  Griggsville  town- 
ship, Robert  Seaborn  had  the  misfortune  to  have 
his  house  and  all  of  its  contents  destroyed  by 
fire.  This  was  the  second  accident  of  a  serious 
nature  that  had  occurred  to  him,  for  he  had  pre- 
viously lost  all  his  possessions  in  a  fire  on  ship- 
board. He  had  sent  his  goods  .from  Boston  to 
Ohio  by  way  of  the  sea  to  New  Orleans,  from 


W.  H.  SEABORN 


MRS..  W.   H.  SEABORN 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


which  point  they  were  to  be  brought  up  the 
Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers,  but  the  boat  on 
which  the  shipment  had  been  made  was  entirely 
destroyed  by  fire  and  all  of  his  household  effects, 
books  and  other  possessions  were  consumed  in 
the  flames.  Following  the  destruction  of  their 
residence  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seaborn  and  the  family 
had  to  live  in  a  smokehouse  for  the  season.  This 
structure  was  an  old  log  building  without  any 
floor  and  but  poorly  chinked  and  daubed.  During 
the  year,  however;  his  friends  and  neighbors 
assisted  him  in  erecting  a  frame  residence  which 
was  made  of  an  inch-and-a-half  planks  stood  on 
end.  The  building  was  two  stories  in  height  and 
after  its  completion  he  occupied  it  for  several 
years.  For  some  time  it  seemed  that  every  pos- 
sible misfortune  befell  him.  He  sold  his  farm  and 
removed  to  Griggsville,  where  he  lived  for  a 
year,  after  which  he  purchased  a  farm  on  section 
9,  Griggsville  township.  That  seemed  the  turn- 
ing of  the  tide  in  his  favor,  for  he  afterward 
prospered  financially,  meeting  with  success  in  all 
of  his  business  undertakings,  his  life  thus  again 
proving  that  persistency  of  purpose  and  earnest 
labor  will  eventually  win  a  just  reward. 

In  the  midst  of  other  troubles  Mr.  Seaborn 
also  lost  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  25th  of  March, 
1842,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children.  Two  of 
the  number  are  yet  living:  George,  who  resides 
in  Brown  county,  Illinois ;  and  Caroline,  the  wife 
of  George  Clark,  a  resident  of  Missouri.  Those 
who  have  passed  away  are:  Robert,  Henry  C. 
and  Elizabeth.  On  the  2oth  of  April,  1843, 
Mr.  Seaborn  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Bryant,  a  widow, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Hovey, 
natives  of  Massachusetts,  although  for  years  they 
resided  in  Pike  county,  Illinois.  Four  children 
were  born  of  this  union :  David  R.,  a  resident  of 
New  Salem ;  William  H. ;  Charles  C.  and  Howard 
M.,  deceased.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
members  of  the  Christian  church  and  were  prom- 
inent and  influential  residents  of  the  community, 
respected  for  their  genuine  worth  and  their  fi- 
delity to  principle  at  all  times.  Mr.  Seaborn 
departed  this  life  April  19,  1880. 

William  H.  Seaborn,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  supplemented  his  early  educational 


privileges  by  study  in  the  Griggsville  high  school. 
When  he  was  but  sixteen  years  of  age  he  en- 
listed in  April,  1862,  for  three  months'  service 
in  the  Union  army  and  served  for  four  months 
in  the  Sixty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry 
under  Captain  D.  F.  Coffey.  He  enlisted  at 
Camp  Butler,  near  Springfield  ajid  went  to  Wast- 
ington,  D.  C.,  the  regiment  being  encamped  there 
and  at  Alexandria  guarding  the  rebel  prisoners 
during  the  battle  of  Bull  Run.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service  Mr.  Seaborn  returned 
home  and  soon  afterward  went  west  to  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  where  he  enlisted  to  fight  the  Indians, 
serving  under  Generals  Sibley  and  Sully.  He  was 
on  active  duty  all  over  the  northwest  and  served 
for  two  years,  being  most  of  the  time  in  the 
government  employ.  Saving  his  earnings,  he 
returned. home  with  eleven  hundred  dollars  and 
.his. father.  g»veJiim»ati  equal  amount.  He  came  to 
Baylis,  which  was  then  called  Pineville,  and  here, 
with  that  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  making  the  investment  about  1871. 
He  added  to  his  property  from  time  to  time  as  his 
financial  resources  have  increased  until  he  now 
owns  about  five  hundred  acres.  His  original  pur- 
chase was  made  from  Mr.  Pine,  the  first  owner  of 
the  property.  Mr.  Seaborn  has  made  his  home 
in  the  village  of  Baylis  since  January  19,  1902, 
and  has  practically  retired  from  the  active  work 
of  the  farm.  For  a  long  period,  however,  he  was 
closely  associated  with  agricultural  interests,  till- 
ing the  fields  and  also  engaging  extensively  in 
raising  cattle,  mules  and  hogs.  A  great  believer 
in  blue  grass,  he  fed  his  stock  in  the  blue  grass 
pastures.  He  displays  keen  business  discernment 
and  sound  judgment  in  all  transactions  and  more- 
over is  thoroughly  reliable  and  enterprising. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Seaborn  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Reed,  who  was  born  in  White 
county,  Tennessee,  March  31,  1849,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  William  P.  and  Nancy  (Small)  Reed. 
Her  parents  came  to  Pike  county  about  1852,  lo- 
cating on  a  farm  near  Griggsville.  Her  father  is 
now  living  in  Holstein,  Nebraska, and  is  still  a  well 
preserved  man.  He  owns  a  ranch  in  that  state 
and  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock-raising.  In 
his  family  were  nine  children,  five  of  whom  yet 
survive,  namely :  Mrs.  William  H.  Seaborn ; 


282 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Mrs.  R.  D.  Seaborn,,  of  New  Salem;  William 
Reed,  who  is  living  in  Whiting,  Kansas;  Mrs. 
Carrie  Mullady,  who  resides  at  Salina,  Kansas; 
and  Frederick  Reed,  who  is  living  in  Holstein, 
Nebraska.  The  mother  passed  away  in  1892. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seaborn  have  been  born 
two  sons  and  a  daughter,  but  the  last  named, 
Maud,  who  was  born  in  1876,  passed  away  in 
1879.  Robert  Earl,  who  was  born  January  n, 
1878,  married  Grace  Davidson  and  resides  upon 
the  home  farm  a  mile  north  of  Baylis.  William 
Kyle,  born  February  26,  1886,  married  Myrtle 
Rust,  of  Baylis,  and  resides  near  Fishhook,  Illi- 
nois. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Seaborn  has  been  a 
stalwart  republican  since  age  gave  to  him  the 
right  of  franchise  but  has  never  sought  or  desired 
public  office.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man  and  as 
the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes  has  builded 
wisely  and  well.  He  has  received  little  assistance 
save  the  eleven  hundred  dollars  which  his  father 
gave  him  to  aid  him  in  making  his  first  purchase 
of  land.  By  the  careful  husbanding  of  his  re- 
sources, by  judicious  investment  and  unfaltering 
energy  he  has  made  for  himself  a  place  among 
the  substantial  and  wealthy  residents  of  Pike 
county,  being  now  one  of  its  large  land  owners. 
Moreover  his  business  affairs  have  been  con- 
ducted so  honorably  that  he  enjoys  the  unqual- 
ified confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  and  prominent  resi- 
dents of  this  part  of  the  county. 


CAPTAIN  G.  S.  PENNINGTON. 

From  the  time  when  the  first  train  ran  into 
Pittsfield,  Captain  G.  S.  Pennington  was  station 
agent  through  a  period  of  thirty-five  years,  but 
is  now  living  retired  and  his  rest  is  well  merited 
because  of  his  long  and  active  service  in  business 
life.  He  was  born  March  15,  1841,  in  White 
Hall,  Greene  county,  Illinois,  his  parents  being 
Joel  and  Abigail  (Goltra)  Pennington.  With  his 
parents  he  came  to  Pittsfield  in  1848,  traveling  in 
a  covered  wagon  from  Greene  county  and  thus 


the  family  was  established  here  at  an  early  day. 
The  parents  were  both  natives  of  Middlesex 
county,  New  Jersey,  and  were  neighbors  of  the 
parents  of  T.  De  Witt  Talmage,  the  famous  di- 
vine. The  Pennington  family  is  of  English  lin- 
eage and  Joel  Pennington  came  west  at  an  early 
day,  settling  in  Greene  county,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  coming  to  Pike  county  in  1848.  Here 
he  conducted  a  livery  barn  and  afterward  became 
proprietor  of  the  Kentucky  House,  of  Pittsfield, 
remaining  as  its  landlord  for  thirty  years.  During 
that  entire  period  Scott  Wike  was  one  of  his 
boarders.  He  continued  in  the  hotel  business 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  July 
27,  1890,  when  he  had  reached  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  survived  until 
1898.  In  their  family  were  nine  children,  seven 
of  whom  are  yet  living :  Allie,  a  resident  of 
Pittsfield;  Goyn  S.,  of  this  review;  William,  who 
is  living  in  Pittsfield ;  Charles,  also  a  resident  of 
this  city ;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Dickey,  of 
Pittsfield:  Mrs.  Mary  Hurst,  of  Howard.  Kansas; 
and  Luther,  who  is  living  in  Texas. 

Captain  Pennington  was  educated  in  Pittsfield 
and  in  the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  and 
after  leaving  school  secured  a  position  in  the  office 
of  the  circuit  clerk  in  Pittsfield  under  George  W. 
Jones.  In  1863  he  responded  to  his  country's 
call  for  aid,  enlisting  in  the  5th  United  States 
Cavalry.  He  became  contract  clerk  and  thus 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  assisted  in 
caring  for  the  archives  and  indexing  them,  after 
which  they  were  shipped  to  Washington,  D.  C. 
During  his  service  he  was  chief  clerk  in  the 
United  States  mustering  and  disbursing  office  at 
Springfield,  under  Captain  S.  S.  Sumner,  and  this 
position  gave  him  the  rank  of  captain  and  secured  . 
him  the  pay  of  that  office.  In  his  official  capacity 
he  mustered  in  and  also  mustered  out  thousands  of 
troops  which  he  also  furnished  with  arms  and 
other  equipments.  He  acted  as  mustering  officer 
at  Centralia,  Mattoon,  Camp  Butler,  Springfield 
and  Peoria,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  young 
man  in  the  state  had  a  wider  acquaintance  among 
the  soldiers  than  Captain  Pennington. 

When  the  war  was  over  Captain  Pennington 
returned  to  his  home  in  Pike  county  but  soon 
afterward  secured  a  position  as  salesman  for  C. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNT V 


283 


M.  Smith  &  Company,  general  merchants,  who 
were  conducting  the  largest  store  in  Springfield 
at  that  time.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  brother-in-law  of 
President  Lincoln.  Captain  Pennington  spent  two 
years  in  this  position  and  then  came  to  Pittsfield, 
where  he  embarked  in  the  livery  business  with  his 
father,  who  was  conducting  the  hotel  at  this  place. 
He  was  associated  with  this  business  for  some 
time,  after  which  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a 
dry-goods  store,  where  he  was  employed  until 
1869,  when  he  became  station  agent  for  the  Wa- 
bash  Railroad  Corupany  and  as  before  stated  filled 
that  position  at  the  time  the  first  train  reached 
Pittsfield.  He  acted  as  agent  for  thirty-five  years, 
or  until  the  26th  of  August,  1905,  when  he 
resigned  and  is  now  living  a  retired  life. 

In  1867  Captain  Pennington  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Annette  B.  Stout,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Barney,  who  came  to  Pike  county  in  1820, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  to  establish  a  home 
within  its  borders.  All  was  wild  and  unimproved 
at  that  time,  little  of  the  land  having  been  re- 
claimed for  the  purposes  of  civilization.  Unto 
Captain  and  Mrs.  Pennington  'was  born  one  child, 
Frank  Pennington,  who  is  now  station  agent  of 
the  W abash  Company  at  Pittsfield  Junction.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  about  1876,  and  in  1878 
Captain  Pennington  was  married  again,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Margaret  Sutton, 
who  was  born  in  Springfield  in  1844. 
and  is  a  daughter  of  James  C.  Sutton, 
of  Sangamon  count v,  Illinois,  whose  brother 
was  the  first  mayor  of  Springfield.  Mrs. 
Pennington  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  children, 
four  of  whom  are  yet  living.  By  her  marriage 
she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Jair.es  S..  born  in  1881,  married  Gene- 
vk've  I.  Johnson,  of  Barry,  and  is  now  living  in 
Chicago.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  was  made  private  secretary  to  Vice  President 
Morton  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company  and 
he  is  now  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Chicago 
Shippers  (  hiide  Company.  Charles  E.  Penning- 
ton. born  in  1883.  is  now  bookkeeper  for  the 
Chicago  Coal  and  Coke  Company.  Susan  C., 
born  in  1885.  was  educated  in  Pittsfield,  has  also 
been  a  student  of  music  and  is  now  at  home  with 
her  pirents.  Both  Captain  and  Mrs.  Pennington 
are  members  of  the  Congregational  church  and 


they  own  and  occupy  a  beautiful  home  on  Wash- 
ington street.  In  his  political  views  Captain  Pen- 
nington is  a  democrat  and  for  one  year  served  as 
alderman  of  Pittsfield  but  has  never  been  active 
in  search  for  office.  At  the  time  he  resigned  his 
position  as  station  agent  he  was  one  of  the  oldest 
employes  in  years  of  continuous  service  with  the 
Wabash  Railroad  Company  and  was  a  most  popu- 
lar official  in  Pittsfield,  his  courtesy  and  helpful- 
ness winning  him  the  highest  regard  of  the  pat- 
rons of  the  road,  while  his  efficiency  and  capabil- 
ity justly  entitled  him  to  the  trust  of  the  corpora- 
tion which  he  represented. 


SAMUEL  T.  HASKINS. 

Samuel  T.  Haskins,  living  on  section  3,  Hardin 
township,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and  up-to-date 
farmers  and  stock-raisers,  whose  farm  comprises 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  His  capable 
management  and  success  in  business  entitle  him 
to  mention  as  one  of  the  representative  citizens 
of  this  locality,  and  moreover  he  is  a  native  son 
of  Pike  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  resides  on  the  22d  of 
October,  1863.  He  is  a  son  of  Otis  A.  Haskins 
and  a  brother  of  W.  H.  Haskins,  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work.  In  his  father's 
family  were  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 

Samuel  T.  Haskins  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  and  through  the  period  of  his 
minority  remained  with  his  father  and  assisted 
him  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  fields  and 
developing  the  property.  He  acquired  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  business  col- 
lege. After  putting  aside  his  text-books 
he  returned  to  the  farm,  remaining  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death,  when 
he  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  the 
old  homestead.  He  has  since  bought  other  lands, 
from  time  to  time  increasing  his  property  hold- 
ings until  he  now  owns  over  one  thousand  acres. 
Upon  the  home  place  is  a  large  residence  and 
there  are  also  good  barns  and  outbuildings.  The 
place  is  well  fenced  and  is  well  improved  in  every 
particular,  constituting  a  valuable  property.  In 
connection  with  his  farming  interests  Mr.  Has- 


284 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


kins  makes  a  business  of  raising  high-grade  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs,  fattening  for  the  market  each  year 
both  cattle  and  hogs.  He  is  a  successful  farmer, 
stock-raiser  and  feeder,  his  business  methods  being 
practical,  while  his  enterprise  and  laudable  am- 
bition are  salient  features  in  his  prosperity.  He 
is  recognized  as  a  good  financier  and  one  whose 
steadfast  purpose  has  enabled  him  to  overcome 
the  difficulties  and  obstacles  which  are  al- 
ways encountered  in  a  business  career.  He 
has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in  Pike 
county,  where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life,  having 
witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and  development. 
He  is  one  of  its  progressive  and  wide-awake  citi- 
zens. Politically  he  has  been  a  lifelong  republi- 
can, but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  giving 
his  time  to  his  farming  and  extensive  business 
interests.  Matters  of  public  moment,  however, 
receive  his  attention  and  any  movement  which  he 
believes  will  prove  of  general  good  is  given  his 
hearty  endorsement  and  co-operation. 


HON.  JOSEPH  M.  BUSH. 

Hon.  Joseph  M..Bush,  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  political  circles  in  Pike  county,  and 
long  connected  with  its  journalistic  interests  has 
but  recently  retired,  at  the  age  of  more  than 
eighty  years,  from  the  editorship  and  manage- 
ment of  the  Pike  County  Democrat.  Such  a  rec- 
ord of  activity  and  successful  accomplishment 
should  put  to  shame  many  a  man  of  younger 
years,  who,  growing  tired  of  the  burdens  and 
cares  of  business  life,  would  relegate  to  others  the 
work  that  he  should  bear.  Mr.  Bush  is  too  well 
known  to  need  introduction  to  the  readers  of  this 
volume.  He  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Berkshire 
county,  Massachusetts,  January  16,  1822,  the  eld- 
est son  of  Colonel  Daniel  B.  Bush,  a  prominent 
lawyer,  who  served  in  the  general  assembly  of 
Massachusetts  in  1828.  The  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Maria  Merrick,  was  a 
daughter  of  Deacon  Joseph  Merrick,  and  died  in 
the  east  about  1832.  In  1834 Colonel  Bush  removed 
to  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  where  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  law,  and  continued  a  member  of  the 


bar  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1885,  when 
he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five 
years  and  six  months.  When  he  came  to  Illinois 
he  left  his  son  Joseph  in  Williams  College,  which 
he  had  entered  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and 
from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1838. 
Among  his  classmates  were  Rev.  Henry  M.  Field 
and  Ex-Lieutenant  Governor  Bross,  of  Chicago. 

Following  his  graduation,  Joseph  M.  Bush 
came  to  Illinois  and  entered  upon  the  study  ot 
law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1843,  his  li- 
cense to  practice  being  signed  by  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  then  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Illinois 
supreme  court.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  ac- 
tive practice  of  his  profession,  but  later  turned 
his  attention  to  other  pursuits.  On  the  I4th  of 
March  1848,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Alicia 
Grimshaw,  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  second 
daughter  of  John  V.  and  Charlotte  Grimshaw. 
who  came  to  this  country  from  Belfast  about  1832. 
At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Bush  began 
farming  and  was  continuously  and  actively  con- 
nected with  agricultural  pursuits  until  the  spring 
of  1866,  during  which  time  he  became  the  owner 
of  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which 
he  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  con  - 
ducting  his  work  along  modern  lines.  In  the  year 
mentioned,  however,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
other  business  interests. 

In  1860,  while  still  residing  upon  the  farm,  Mr. 
Bush  was  appointed  master  in  chancery  of  the 
Pike  county  circuit  court  by  the  late  distin- 
guished jurist,  Hon.  C.  L.  Higbee,  which  office 
he  held  until  November,  1885,  covering  a  period 
of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  1858  he  had  been 
appointed  United  States  commissioner  for  the 
southern  district  of  the  state  of  Illinois  by  the 
Hon.  S.  H.  Treat,  and  also  occupied  that  posi- 
tion for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  1865  he  pur- 
chased the  Pike  County  Democrat,  of  which  he 
continued  proprietor  and  editor  until  1904,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  thirty-nine  years,  when  the  busi- 
ness was  turned  over  to  the  management  of  his 
sons  who  are  now  ably  conducting  the  paper.  He 
made  this  a  valuable  organ  of  the  democratic 
party  and  kept  it  up  to  a  high  standard  of  modern 
journalism.  In  1870  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate  from  the  thirtv-sixth  central  district  and 


^^K 


J.   M.   BUSH 


W«N 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


287 


thus  .became  a  -member  of  the  first  general  as- 
sembly held  after  the  adoption  of  the  present  con- 
stitution. He  served  on  a  number  of  important 
committees  but  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  re- 
election, prefering  to  resume  his  editorial  duties. 
He  has  ever  been  active  in  all  matters  tending  to 
the  advancement  and  prosperity  of  the  commu- 
nity which  has  so  long  been  his  home.  He  is  a 
stockholder  and  secretary  of  the  company,  which 
in  1850  built  twejve  miles  of  plank  road  to  the 
Illinois  river.  He  was  the  first  secretary  of  the 
Pike  County  Agricultural  Society,  established  in 
1850,  and  at  various  times  he  served  as  president 
and  director.  He  has  likewise  been  president 
and  trustee  of  the  board  of  education  of  Pitts- 
field,  and  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  was 
a  director  and  secretary*  of  the  Louisiana  &  Pike 
County  Railroad.  He  has  served  as  supervisor 
of  his  township  and  has  been  identified  with 
practically  all  the  public  enterprises  that  have 
contributed  to  the  material  development  and 
progress  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bush  has  been  unwavering  in 
his  advocacy  of  the  democracy,  and  his  paper  has 
long  been  considered  as  it  is  at  present,  an  influ- 
ential factor  in  Illinois  politics.  Aside  from  his 
editorial  work,  however,  Mr.  Bush  has  been 
prominent  in  his  labors  for  the  principles  of  gov- 
ernment in  which  he  believes  and  has  been  a  fre- 
quent delegate  to  the  state,  congressional  and 
other  conventions  of  his  party.  In  1868  he  was 
an  alternate  delegate  to  the  national  convention 
held  in  New  York. 

Mrs.  Bush  died  in  1885.  Their  four  sons,  Wil- 
liam C..  Joseph  M.,  Jr.,  Henry  and  Daniel  B.,  are 
all  active  and  influential  citizens  of  Pittsfield.  An 
older  son  and  their  only  daughter  died  in  1864. 
Socially  Mr.  Bush  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  with  which  he  became  identified  prior 
to  the  Civil  war,  and  for  two  terms  he  served  as 
eminent  commander  of  Ascalon  commandery,  K. 
T.  He  has  but  recently  retired  after  a  long 
and  active  connection  with  business  life,  being  yet 
deeply  interested,  however,  in  the  great  ques- 
tions affecting  the  progress  of  the  country  along 
the  various  lines  of  industrial  and  commercial 
activity,  and  of  intellectual  and  political  advance- 
ment. As  the  years  have  passed  his  labors  have 


found  a  just  reward  in  a  comfortable  competence 
and  he  is  now  pleasantly  situated  in  a  home, 
where  he  has  so  long  lived  and  labored,  crowned 
with  both  years  and  honors. 


JOHN  A.   SMITH. 

John  A.  Smith,  proprietor  of  the  leading  liv- 
ery barn  of  Pittsfield,  is  the  owner  of  the  fine 
Palace  stables,  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the 
square  and  is  now  in  control  of  an  extensive  and 
important  business  which  is  annually  increasing. 
He  has  lived  in  this  county  for  fifty-two  years  and 
is  one  of  its  substantial  citizens.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Covington,  Kentucky,  August  16,  1834, 
his  parents .  being  William  and  Angelina  (Lan- 
des^,)  Smith.  •  The  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Laridess,  .a, ,  soj-dier  of  the  Mexican  war. 
She  lived  to  be  eighty-six  years  of  age,  while  Mr'. 
Smith  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  They  removed  from  Kentucky  to  High- 
land county,  Ohio,  during  the  early  boyhood  of 
their  son  John.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation and  continued  a  resident  of  the  Buck- 
eye state  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His  many 
excellent  traits  of  character  won  him  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  the  entire  community, 
and  he  was  regarded  as  a  leading  and  influential 
citizen  there.  In  the  family  were  eleven  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  now  living,  three  being  resi- 
dents of  Pike  county,  namely:  John  A.;  David, 
who  makes  his  home  near  Pearl ;  and  Isaac,  who 
is  living  in  Pittsfield  township. 

John  A.  Smith  was  reared  in  the  Buckeye  state 
and  pursued  his  education  in  the  common  schools. 
The  school  in  his  immediate  neighborhood  was 
a  primitive  log  structure,  with  puncheon  floor 
and  split  log  benches.  In  1853,  John  Scott,  a 
neighbor  of  the  Smith  family,  planned  to  come  to 
the  west  with  his  family  and  induced  Mr.  Smith 
of  this  review  to  come  also.  At  that  time  he  had 
one  horse,  and,  securing  a  wagon,  he  drove  with 
them  across  the  country  to  western  Illinois.  They 
crossed  the  Illinois  river  at  Montezuma  and  made 
their  way  to  Time  when  there  was  but  one  store, 
one  dwelling  and  one  schoolhouse  in  the  village. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


The  party  was  eighteen  days  upon  the  road.  The 
first  year  after  his  arrival  Mr.  Smith  was  em- 
ployed by  Captain  Westlake,  and  the  succeeding 
year  by  Wilson  Adams.  He  afterward  returned 
to  Ohio,  but  the  same  year  came  again  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  uncle,  David  Smith,  going  to  Liv- 
ingston county,  where  they  remained  for  a  short 
time.  They  had  a  hard  winter  there  and  in  the 
spring  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  Pike  county,  where 
he  secured  employment. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  1855,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Dinsmore,  of 
Pike  county,  and  began  his  domestic  life  upon  a 
rented  farm.  After  a  year  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  Time,  on  which 
he  built  a  log  house  with  a  big  fire-place  and 
stick  chimney.  There  he  lived  for  a  brief  period, 
after  which  he  went  to  Time  and  purchased  a 
house  and  lot,  making  his  home  there  while  farm- 
ing his  land.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  went  to  Ohio. 
Subsequently  he  returned,  however,  to  Pike 
county  and  began  buying  horses  for  the  army, 
shipping  them  to  St.  Louis.  Following  the  close 
of  hostilities,  Mr.  Smith  turned  his  attention  to 
the  grocery  business,  which  he  conducted  in  Time 
for  two  years,  and  then  purchased  a  half  interest 
in  a  flour  mill  for  which  he  paid  forty-nine  hun- 
dred dollars.  In  this  enterprise  he  prospered,  con- 
ducting the  mill  for  four  years,  when  he  sold  out. 
At  a  later  date  the  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
On  his  retirement  from  the  milling  business,  Mr. 
Smith  conducted  a  general  store  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  ground  and  built  a 
mill.  He  then  sold  his  store  and  operated  the 
mill,  which  was  then  the  best  mill  in  the  county. 
He  continued  in  the  manufacture  of  flour  for 
four  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  about  1880 
came  to  Pittsfield.  Here  he  purchased  and  shipped 
stock  until  1883,  when  he  began  conducting  a 
feed  and  boarding  stable  and  later  he  shipped 
horses  to  Connecticut,  representing  the  firm  of 
Binns  &  Dow  for  six  years.  In  1892  he  took 
charge  of  a  livery  barn  for  Mr.  Binns,  con- 
tinuing the  business  for  a  year;  and  in  1897  he 
began  handling  stock  food  for  an  Omaha  firm. 
He  handled  standard  food  and  continued  in  the 
business  until  July,  1902,  when  he  became  pro- 


prietor of  the  livery  barn  which  he  is  now  con- 
ducting. He  lias  a  splendid  business,  keeping 
from  ten  to  sixteen  head  of  horses ;  and  by  reason 
of  his  straightforward  dealing  and  earnest  effort 
to  please  his  customers,  he  has  secured  a  very 
liberal  patronage.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
have  been  born  four  children :  Eva  M.,  the  wife 
of  Harry  English,  a  merchant  of  Pittsfield;  G. 
R.,  who  is  now  associated  with  his  father ;  Flora, 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Russ,  of  Hillsboro,  Ohio;  and 
Laura,  the  wife  of  John  E.  Huff,  of  Nebraska. 
The  wife  and  mother  died  in  1871,  and  Mr.  Smith 
has  since  married  Lucy  Allen,  of  Kentucky,  by 
whom  he  has  one  child,  Leslie,  now  at  home.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Mutual  Aid  Society. 
He  is  a  democrat,  and  though  he  has  never  sought 
or  desired  public  office  'has  served  on  the  town 
board.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church,  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  highly 
esteemed  in  the  locality  where  they  reside.  He 
has  ever  led  a  busy  life  and  his  activity  has  re- 
sulted in  bringing  to  him  a  business  which  is 
now  large  and  profitable. 


SAMUEL  GEORGE  KENDRICK. 

Samuel  George  Kendrick,  whose  life  portrayed 
many  manly  virtues  and  commendable  character- 
istics and  whose  death  therefore  was  the  occasion 
of  deep  and  wide-spread  regret  among  the  many 
friends  whom  he  had  made  in  Pike  county,  was 
a  native  of  Ireland,  his  birth  having  occurred  near 
Ferns,  County  Wexford,  on  the  i6th  of  M:irch, 
1825.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Isabelle 
(Sculley)  Kendricks  and  he  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  until  1846,  when  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  was  married 
to  Miss  Anna  Jacob,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Anna  (Rath  well)  Jacob.  They  began  their 
domestic  life  in  Ireland  but  in  the  winter  of  1848 
emigrated  to  America,  landing  at  New  Orleans, 
whence  they  made  their  way  northward  to  Cin- 
cinnati. Ohio,  where  their  first  child,  William, 
was  born,  but  he  iived  to  be  only  six  months  old. 

In  1852  Mr.  Kendrick  and  his  wife  came  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  first  settling  near  Rockport, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


hut  later  he  invested  in  eighty  acres  of  land  lying 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  Derry  township.  To 
this  farm  he  removed  with  his  family  and  began 
the  further  development  and  cultivation  of  the 
property.  Throughout  his  entire  life  his  time  and 
energies  were  given  to  farm  work  and  it  was 
through  this  source  that  he  acquired  a  comfort- 
able competence  and  became  one  of  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 

When  Air.  and  Mrs.  Kendrick  took  up  their 
abode  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Derry  township 
they  had  one  daughter,  Isabelle,  who  was  born 
June  12,  1853,  and  who  on  the  3Oth  of  December, 
1869,  became  the  wife  of  Francis  M.  Stamback. 
They  now  reside  in  Sedgwick  county,  Kansas. 
The  second  daughter,  Susan,  was  born  September 
5,  1855,  and  was  married  February  n,  1875, 
to  George  E.  Martin.  She  died  in  June,  1892,  at 
her  home  near  Warrensburg,  Missouri,  leaving  a 
husband  and  seven  children  to  mourn  her  loss. 
On  the  Qth  of  December,  1858,  Mr.  Kendrick 
was  bereft  of  his  first  wife,  who  died  leaving  two 
little  daughters  to  his  care  and  on  the  loth  of 
March,  1859,  lie  was  married  to  Anna  Eliza  Jacob, 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca  (Clare)  Jacob 
and  a  niece  of  Sir  M.  B.  and  Lady  Clare  of 
County  Carlo,  Ireland,  who  now  reside  in  Pitts- 
field,  Illinois.  The  first  child  of  the  second  mar- 
riage was  Rebecca  Eleanor,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1860,  and  was  married  to  Peter  Phen- 
neger,  February  5.  1880.  They  now  reside  in 
Sedgwick  county,  Kansas.  Emma  Jane,  born 
December  14,  1862,  was  married  December  15, 
1878,  to  Andrew  Irick  and  they  reside  in  Derry 
township,  Pike  county,  Illinois.  Dora  A.,  born 
November  4,  1864,  died  on  the  I2th  of  December 
following.  Mary  Evaline,  born  November  14, 
1865,  was  married  February  u,  1889,  to  Mc- 
Clellan  Harshman,  and  they  now  reside  in  Derry 
township  near  the  old  Kendrick  homestead. 
George  Irwin,  born  June  20,  1865,  was  married 
February  15,  1891,  to  Eva  Wilson,  a  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  O.  L.  Wilson,  and  they  now  reside  in 
Pittsfield.  Anna  Eliza  was  born  June  30,  1872, 
and  on  the  2gth  of  July,  1890,  became  the  wife  of 
Loren  Windmillcr,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield.  Sam- 
uel Jacob  was  born  March  14,  1876,  and  died 
November  30,  1879.  Grace  Mildred,  born  Feb- 


ruary 23,  1878,  was  married  to  William  J.  Bell, 
April  n,  1900.  They  reside  at  Visalia,  California. 
Dora  Elizabeth,  born  July  6,  1881,  was  married 
December  24,  1902,  to  Frank  I.  Barrum  and  is 
living  in  Clinton,  Illinois.  Edith  Clare,  born  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1884,  died  December  8,  1886.  Arcade 
John  was  born  September  20,  1886.  Both  sons 
are  graduates  of  Brown's  Business  College.  Mrs. 
Kendrick  has  spent  much  time  in  California, 
and  for  four  months  she  and  her  younger  son 
traveled  through  England  and  Ireland. 

Mr.  Kendrick  devoted  his  entire  life  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  found  in  his  well  direct- 
ed labor,  careful  management  and  practical  busi- 
ness methods  the  key  which  unlocks  the  portal  of 
success.  As  the  years  passed  by  he  prospered 
in  his  undertakings;  made  judicious  investment  in 
property  and  left  a  large  estate,  which  at  his  death 
was  divided  among  his  widow  and  his  children. 
He  died  at  his  beautiful  country  home,  which  had 
been  recently  erected,  on  the  loth  of  March,  1889. 
He  filled  several  places  of  honor  and  trust,  was 
recognized  as  a  stanch  republican  and  was  a  man 
of  the  highest  integrity.  A  kind  and  loving  hus- 
band, his  best  traits  of  character  were  reserved  for 
his  family  and  yet  all  who  knew  him  found  in 
him  a  man  worthy  of  their  best  regard,  while 
many  entertained  for  him  the  warmest  friendship, 
and  his  genuine  worth  endeared  him  to  a  large 
number  of  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
For  long  years  he  was  classed  with  the  rep- 
resentative agriculturists  of  Pike  county,  and  he 
is  now  enrolled  among  her  honored  dead. 

Samuel  B.  Jacob,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Kendrick, 
was  a  native  of  County  Wexford,  Ireknd,  and  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Anna  (Rathwell)  Jacob.  He 
was  married  in  Ireland,  July  19,  1844,  to  Rebecca 
Clare,  and  they  came  to  the  United  States  on  the 
same  ship  with  Mr.  Kendrick.  They  first  located 
in  Kentucky,  where  Mr.  Jacob  owned  and  oper- 
ated a  farm,  but  when  Mrs.  Kendrick  was  twelve 
years  of  age, he  brought  his  family  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  settling  two  and  a  half  miles  southwest 
of  Eldara,  where  he  became  the  possessor  of  a 
fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He 
died  there  June  28,  1884,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine 
years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  December  27, 
1888,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  In  their 


290 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


family  were  nine  children,  of  whom  four  died  in 
infancy,  including  John,  who  was  two  years  old 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  others  were  all 
married  when  the  father  departed  this  life.  They 
were  Mrs.  Kendrick;  Mrs.  Susan  Thomas,  who 
died  January  5,  1905;  Rebecca,  wife  of  William 
Stamback,  of  Kansas;  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Troutwine, 
living  on  one-half  of  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Pleasant  Vale  township ;  and  Esther,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Easley,  who  also  lives  on  the  old  home  farm. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  an  active  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church;  South,  and 
was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  » 


JOHN  W.  WILLIAMS. 

John  W.  Williams,  one  of  the  active,  energetic 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  county,  car- 
rying on  his  work  along  lines  of  modern  agri- 
cultural progress,  is  living  on  section  22,  Hardin 
township,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land,  which 
with  its  good  improvements  and  productive  soil 
constitutes  a  valuable  property.  He  is  a  native 
son  of  the  county,  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides,  March  i,  1866.  His  father,  Captain 
Henry  J.  Williams,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  was  a  son  of  Squire  Williams,  who  came  from 
the  Blue  Grass  state  to  Illinois  with  his  family 
during  the  pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  this 
section  of  the  state.  Captain  Williams  spent  his 
youth  here,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Ruth 
Chenowith,  a  native  of  Illinois.  Captain  Williams 
was  a  prominent  farmer  and  successful  agricul- 
turist and  business  man,  whose  carefully  directed 
labors  and  judicious  investments  made  him  the 
owner  of  thirteen  hundred  acres  of  Pike  county's 
rich  farming  land.  He  reared  his  family  and 
spent  the  evening  of  his  life  in  this  locality,  and 
he  is  still  survived  by  his  wife,  who  resides  in 
Hardin  township.  She  has  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  one-fourth  mile  west  of  Tine. 

John  W.  Williams  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  and  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  for  the  educational  privileges  he- 
enjoyed.  He  was  married  in  Hardin  township, 


on  the  I4th  of  November,  1891,  to  Miss  Lillian 
Watts,  a  native  of  Pike  county,  born  in  Milton. 
Her  girlhood  was  largely  passed  in  Milton,  where 
she  lived  with  her  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mat- 
thew D.  Watts.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  was  a  son  of  John  Watts,  who  emi- 
grated from  that  country  to  the  new  world  with 
his  family,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Pike  county 
when  his  son  Matthew  was  a  lad  of  only  seven 
years.  The  latter  therefore  spent  his  youth  largely 
in  Illinois,  and  was  married  here  to  Miss  Delia 
Barnes,  a  native  of  Missouri.  They  began 
housekeeping  where  they  now  reside,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams devoting  his  entire  life  and  energies  to  the 
occupation  of  farming.  He  has  fenced  his  place, 
has  improved  his  buildings,  and  has  now  a  well 
equipped  property,  on  which  the  accessories  of  a 
model  farm  are  all  found.  The  fields  are  well 
tilled,  and  he  annually  harvests  good  crops.  He 
also  raises  and  feeds  'stock,  making  a  specialty 
of  hogs,  sheep  and  cattle.  He  is  likewise  in- 
terested in  fine  poultry,  and  is  raising  pure 
blooded  Plymouth  Rock  chickens,  having  a  large 
and  fine  flock.  He  is  also  a  breeder  of  thor- 
oughbred Scotch  collie  dogs. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  living, 
Lewis  Vernon,  their  first  born,  having  died  at  the 
age  of  seven  years.  Those  still  surviving  are : 
Mary  Ruth,  Matthew  Dean  and  John  Merrill.  Mr. 
Williams  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  democracy, 
but  has  ever  been  without  aspiration  for  public  of- 
fice. His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  both  hold  membership  with  the  organization 
of  Woodmen,  the  former  with  the  camp,  and  the 
latter  with  its  auxiliary,  the  Royal  Neighbors. 
Mr.  Williams  is  numbered  among  the  citizens 
whose  life  history  proves  the  attractiveness  of 
Pike  county  as  a  place  of  residence,  for  he  has 
always  maintained  his  abode  here,  enjoying  the 
good  advantages  here  afforded  and  finding  in  the 
business  conditions  of  this  section  of  the  state 
ample  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  his  talents 
and  energies.  He  has  continuously  resided  upon 
the  farm  which  is  yet  his  home ;  and  he  is  an 
active  and  prosperous  agriculturist  and  stock- 
raiser,  and  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  in- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


291 


tegrity  and  upright  character  and  worth.  He 
and  his  estimable  wife  are  much  esteemed  in  the 
county  where  they  live. 


JOHN  CRAVEN,  SR. 

John  Craven,  Sr.,  who  for  many  years  was 
identified  with  agricultural  interests  in  .Pike 
county,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Griggs- 
ville,  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1835,  n's  parents  being  John  and  Esther 
(Warton)  Craven.  The  father  was  born  in  York- 
shire, England,  January  7,  1802,  while  the  moth- 
er's birth  occurred  in  1812.  They  were  married 
in  England  and  the  same  year — 1831 — crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing  vessel,  which  was  eight 
weeks  in  completing  that  voyage.  They  settled 
in  the  wilds  of  Morgan  county,  Illinois — for 
that  district  was  then  a  frontier  region.  Their 
home  was  six  miles  west  of  Jacksonville,  and 
there  they  lived  in  a  little  log  cabin  during  the 
first  winter  after  the  "big  snow"  in  Illinois.  Mr. 
Craven  first  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  and 
with  characteristic  energy  began  its  cultivation 
and  improvement,  continuing  to  carry  on  farming 
in  Morgan  county  until  1850,  when  he  came  to 
Pike  county,  settling  on  section  20,  Griggsville 
township,  where  he  followed  both  farming  and 
stock-raising  on  a  tract  of  land  of  two  hundred 
and  fourteen  acres.  In  connection  with  the  culti- 
vation of  the  fields  he  raised  both  cattle  and  hogs, 
devoting  his  attention  to  the  work  of  the  farm 
until  1865,  when  he  purchased  seventy  acres  of 
land,  which  he  then  rented.  He  lived  upon  that 
property,  however,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well 
earned  rest  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  be- 
longed to  the  Episcopal  church  and  gave  his  po- 
litical support  to  the  whig  party.  As  a  pioneer 
settler,  he  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to  the 
welfare  and  upbuilding  of  the  localities  in  which 
he  lived,  and  his  genuine  worth  gained  for  him 
the  respect  and  trust  of  his  fellowmen. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to 
vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  John  Craven  of 
this  review  during  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  He  worked  in  the  fields  and  meadows 
through  the  summer  months,  and  in  the  winter 


seasons  acquired  a  good  practical  education  by  at- 
tending the  public  schools.  Soon  after  his  mar- 
riage he  began  farming  and  stock-raising  on  his 
own  account,  and  followed  that  business  continu- 
ously until  1899,  when  he  bought  a  home  in  the 
city  of  Griggsville,  where  he  has  since  lived  re- 
tired. In  all  of  his  farm  work  he  was  practical, 
energetic  and  enterprising,  and  his  carefully  di- 
rected labors  brought  him  the  competence  that 
now  enables  him  to  rest  from  further  business 
care. 

Mr.  Craven  was  married  on  the  i2th  of  May, 
1864,  to  Miss  Henrietta  George,  who  was  born 
October  17,  1837,  in  London,  England,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Granger)  George.  The 
father  was  born  in  Northamptonshire,  England, 
in  1797,  and  was  of  Quaker  parentage,  while 
his  wife  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1798. 
They  were  married  in  the  city  of  London  in  1825, 
and  in  1847  came  to. the  United  States,  leaving 
their  native  land  on  Christmas  day  as  passengers 
on  board  a  sailing  vessel  bound  for  New  Orleans. 
Thence  they  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  rive- 
to  St.  Louis  and  on  to  Griggsville  Landing,  in 
Pike  county,  being  nine  weeks  on  the  way.  They 
arrived  in  April  and  soon  afterward  located  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Griggsville,  where  they 
lived  for  five  years,  after  which  they  took  up  their 
abode  on  another  farm  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
farther  west,  remaining  there  for  seven  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  George 
purchased  a  farm  in  Brown  county,  Illinois,  upon 
which  he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
and  stock-raising,  having  a  fine  grade  of  cattle 
and  hogs.  For  a  long  period  he  lived  an  active 
and  enterprising  life  and  then  retired  some  years 
prior  to  his  demise.  He  never  cared  for  public 
office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  attention  upon 
his  business  affairs.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Church  of  England;  and  his  po- 
litical allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican 
party.  In  their  family  were  three  children,  all 
born  in  London :  John,  who  was  born  in  1826, 
and  is  now  living  in  Griggsville;  Elizabeth,  who 
was  born  in  1830  and  died  in  1860 ;  and  Mrs. 
Craven. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
six  children :  George,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Mary 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


E.,  born  in  1866;  Annie,  in  1869;  Maud  and  Vir- 
ginia, twins,  in  1873 ;  and  John,  in  October,  1876. 
This  name  has  been  handed  down  to  the  eighth 
generation  in  direct  line.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craven 
hold  membership  in  the  Episcopal  church ;  and  in 
politics  he  is  independent,  voting  for  the  candi- 
date whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  office  with- 
out regard  to  party  affiliation.  For  more  than  a 
half  century  Mr.  Craven  has  lived  in  this  county 
and  throughout  the  period  of  his  entire  life  cov- 
ering three  score  years  and  ten,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois.  While  living  the  quiet  life  of  the 
farmer,  he  has  always  kept  in  touch  with  the 
progress  of  events  marking  the  history  of  his 
community  and  his  country,  and  in  local  affairs 
has  given  his  support  to  measures  for  the  general 
good.  His  mind  bears  the  impress  of  the  early 
historic  annals  of  the  county,  and  he  is  familiar 
with  the  many  changes  that  have  brought  about 
the  present  condition  of  advanced  progress  and 
prosperity  in  connection  with  the  business  life 
of  Pike  county. 


ISAAC  S.  CON'KRIGHT. 

Isaac  S.  Conkright,  proprietor  of  a  grocery 
and  confectionery  store  in  Salem,  also  closely 
connected  with  agricultural  interests  in  various 
departments  and  well  known  as  a  breeder  of 
throughbred  horses,  was  born  September  28, 
1838,  on  what  is  known  as  the  Conkright  place 
about  a  mile  from  his  present  home.  His  fa- 
ther, Isaac  Conkright,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tuck}',  and  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  set- 
tling upon  the  farm  upon  which  the  birth  of  our 
subject  occurred.  The  paternal  grandfather  also 
bore  the  name  of  Isaac  Conkright,-  and  on  coming 
to  Pike  county  with  his  son  Isaac,  took  up  land 
from  the  government,  which  has  since  been  in 
possession  of  the  family.  He  was  a  factor  in  the 
pioneer  development  of  this  part  of  the  state  and 
aided  in  laying  broad  and  deep  the  foundation 
for  the  present  prosperity  and  progress  of  the 
county.  Isaac  Conkright,  father  of  our  subject, 
continued  a  resident  of  Pike  county  from  the  time 
of  his  arrival  here  in  pioneer  days  until  his  de- 


mise, and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  and  corn-raisers  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  also  owned  soni«'  land  in  Kansas,  ami 
he  found  that  through  the  utilization  of  his  busi 
ness  opportunities  he  could  secure  a  competence. 
Gradually  he  worked  his  way  upward,  becoming1 
one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  In  his  family  were  six  children,  of  whom 
three  are  now  living :  Isaac  S.,  of  this  review ; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Preble,  who  resides  in  New  Salem; 
and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Doane,  who  is  living  in  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Colorado. 

Isaac  S.  Conkright  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Pike  county,  and  was  reared  to 
farm  labor,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  va- 
rious duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist. 
For  forty-five  years  he  engaged  in  threshing.  In 
1866  he  purchased  his  present  home  and  has  oc- 
cupied it  continuously  since.  He  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-one  acres  of  fine  land  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  place  being  well 
improved  with  all  modern  equipments  and  acces- 
sories. He  erected  the  residence  and  other  build 
ings  upon  the  place  and  has  kept  his  farm  in  a 
splendid  condition,  embodying  all  the  rules  of  the 
progressive  agriculturist.  He  was  extensively 
engaged  in  wheat-raising  at  an  earlier  day,  but 
afterward  turned  his  attention  to  the  raising  of 
stock,  more  particularly  cattle  and  hogs.  He  op- 
erated a  thresher,  clover  huller  and  feed  mill  and 
in  this  way  added  to  his  income  as  the  years 
passed  by.  He  is  likewise  well  known  as  a  breeder 
of  horses  and  now  owns  two  fine  thoroughbred 
stallions,  one  Blackhawk  and  one  Belgian.  He 
is  well  known  as  a  horse  breeder,  and  in  this 
branch  of  his  business,  as  well  as  in  other  lines, 
has  met  with  success.  He  also  owns  a  grocery  and 
confectionery  store  and  ice  cream  parlor  in  New 
Salem,  and  is  owner  of  the  town  hall  there. 

Mr.  Conkright  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Harriet  Bean,  who  was  born  upon  the  farm  where 
she  now  resides.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Bean,  who  came  to  Pike  county  with  his  father, 
and  entered  land  from  the  government  in  pioneer 
times,  this  being  the  farm  upon  which  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Conkright  now  reside.  They  have  two 
sons :  John,  who  married  Hannah  Chancy  and 
lives  near  his  father;  and  Bert,  who  resides  upon 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


293 


the  homestead  farm.  He  married  Miss  Nettie 
Slaughter,  who  died  leaving  four  children,  and  he 
afterward  wedded  Lula.  Harris.  John  Conkright 
has  a  family  of  six  children. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Conkright  is  an  earn- 
est and  stalwart  republican,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  en- 
ergies upon  his  business  affairs.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Universalist  church,  of  New 
Salem ;  and  in  the  community  where  they  reside 
they  enjoy  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all 
with  whom  they  'have  been  associated  through 
social  or  business  relations.  Mr.  Conkright  has 
never  used  tobacco  in  any  form,  and  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  he  has  achieved.  Realizing 
the  truth  of  the  old  Greek  adage,  "Earn  thy  re- 
ward:  the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  he  has 
labored  persistently  and  energetically  as  the  years 
have  gone  by,  doing  much  hard  work  and  thus 
gaining  the  success  which  always  comes  as  the 
direct  result  of  earnest  purpose  and  energetic 
effort.  He  is  widely  known  in  the  community 
and  his  many  friends  admire  him  for  what  he  has 
accomplished  as  well  as  for  his  commendable 
personal  characteristics. 


DAVID  W.  STONER. 

David  W.  Stoner,  who  was  for  years  one  of 
the  substantial  farmers  and  business  men  of  Pike 
county  and  now  owns  a  well  improved  farm  in 
Detroit  township  is  a  representative  of  the  little 
band  of  pioneer  settlers  who  are  yet  living  to 
tell  the  tale  of  early  experiences  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  He  has  lived  within  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter of  Detroit  since  1843,  ancl  nas  therefore  wit- 
nessed almost  the  entire  growth  and  progress  that 
has  been  made  in  this  locality.  A  native  of  Eng- 
land, he  was  born  in  Yorkshire  on  the  22d  of  Oc- 
tober, 1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Stoner,  who 
comes  of  a  long  line  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  was 
born,  however,  in  England  and  was  married  there 
to  Miss  Anna  Maria  Waide,  a  native  of  England. 
Mr.  Stoner  was  a  miller  by  trade  and  in  order 
to  provide  for  his  family  followed  that 
pursuit  in  his  native  countrv  until  after  the 


birth  of  five  of  his  children.  In  1843  he  emi- 
grated to  the  new  world,  landing  at  New  York, 
whence  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Pike 
county,  settling  on  a  farm  that  is  now  owned 
by  his  son,  David  W.  Stoner.  He  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  partially  improved 
land  and  began  the  further  development  and  culti- 
vation of  this  property.  Later  he  removed  to  the 
village  of  Detroit,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1878.  His  first  wife  died  in  1861  and  he  after- 
ward married  Gelina  Staples. 

David  W.  Stoner  of  this  review  is  one  of  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  The 
first  eleven  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his 
native  country,  and  he  then  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  the  voyage  to  the  new  world  and  was 
reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Detroit  town- 
ship. As  his  age  and  strength  permitted  he  as- 
sisted in  the  arduous  task  of  reclaiming  the  wild 
land  for  the  uses  of  civilization  and  he  shared 
with  the  family  in  the  various  hardships  and  trials 
incident  to  pioneer  life.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  necessarily  limited,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  this  was  a  frontier  district ;  but  he  has 
greatly  broadened  his  knowledge  since  attaining 
man's  estate.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit 
of  his  services  until  after  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  and  was  then  married  in  Griggsville 
on  the  ist  of  December,  1853,  to  Miss  Maria 
Dean,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  daughter  of 
Hiram  L.  Dean,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  that 
state.  He  was  also  married  there  to  Miss  Wealthy 
M.  Saunders,  a  native  of  the  same  place.  In 
1836  Mr.  Dean  came  to  Pike  county,  being  one  of 
the  first  settlers  to  aid  in  the  reclamation  of  a 
wild  and  unimproved  region.  Mrs.  Stoner  was 
reared  and  educated  here.  In  the  course  of  years 
Mr.  Stoner  of  this  review  succeeded  to  the  old 
homestead  farm,  where  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  for  several  years.  In  1867 
he  removed  to  Polk  county,  Wisconsin,  in  order 
to  improve  his  health,  making  his  way  to  the 
pineries.  He  benefited  by  the  change,  and  in 
1868  he  returned  to  Pike  county,  where  he  em- 
barked in  merchandising  in  Detroit.  After  two 
years'  connection  with  this  business  he  resumed 
agricultural  pursuits  where  he  farmed  until  1883, 
when  he  removed  to  Detroit  and  purchased  resi- 


294 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


dence  property,  adding  to  and  remodeling  his 
house  and  now  has  a  good  home,  where  he  lives 
retired. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoner  had  five  children,  of 
whom  one  son,  George,  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years,  his  death  being  occasioned  by  an  accident. 
Anna  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Sneeden,  who  is  op- 
erating the  old  home  farm;  and  they  have  five 
children.  Emma  is  with  her  parents.  Mary  died 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  They  also  had  one 
child  who  died  in  infancy. 

Politically  Mr.  Stoner  has  been  a  lifelong 
democrat,  having  supported  the  party  since  cast- 
ing his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Franklin 
Pierce  in  1852.  While  living  on  the  farm  he 
served  as  highway  commissioner  and  also  as  su- 
pervisor for  one  year  after  which  he  resigned.  He 
has  also  been  a  believer  in  good  schools  and  the 
employment  of  good  teachers,  and  has  been  an 
advocate  of  substantial  and  practical  progress. 
His  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  For  over  sixty  years 
Mr.  Stoner  has  made  his  home  in  Pike  county 
and  is  numbered  among  the  few  remaining  old 
settlers.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  broad  integrity 
and  of  sterling  character  and  worth  and  he  has 
witnessed  the  many  changes  that  have  occurred, 
his  mind  bearing  the  impress  of  the  early  his- 
toric annals  of  the  state.  He  also  deserves  con- 
siderable credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  in 
the  business  world  for  he  started  out  empty- 
handed  and  is  today  in  possession  of  a  handsome 
competence,  which  now  enables  him  to  rest  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  well  earned  ease. 


THOMAS  SHOEMAKER. 

Thomas  Shoemaker,  for  many  years  a  most 
prominent  and  honored  citizen  of  Griggsville,  so 
interwove  his  interests  with  those  of  the  city  and 
so  endeared  himself  to  his  fellow  townsmen  that 
his  death  came  as  a  personal  bereavement  to  the 
great  majority  of  those  who  had  been  associated 
with  him  in  social,  business  or  church  relations. 
He  was  born  on  the  7th  of  September,  1840,  in 
Pahaquary,  New  Jersey,  his  parents  being  Ben- 


jamin T.  and  Ila  (Hovvell)  Shoemaker,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  New  England,  and  the 
father  followed  farming  in  Sussex  county,  New 
Jersey,  before  his  removal  to  Illinois.  He  was 
born  February  10,  1812,  and  it  was  on  the  I3th  of 
November,  1834,  that  he  wedded  Miss  Ila  Howell, 
whose  birth  had  occurred  January  18,  1809.  She 
died  May  3.  1860,  and  on  the  4th  of  March,  1863, 
he  married  Airs.  Ellen  (Voorhees)  Felmly, 
of  Somerville,  New  Jersey,  who  now  makes  her 
home  in  Perry.  In  1868  he  emigrated  westward 
to  Illinois,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  was  a  strong  tem- 
perance man  and  delivered  many  lectures  in  sup- 
port of  temperance  principles.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Perry  and  his  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  republican  party.  Unto  Mr.  Shoemaker  and 
his  first  wife  there  were  born  seven  children,  of 
whom  only  one  is  now  living,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Hoyt, 
whose  husband  is  cashier  of  the  Griggsville  Na- 
tional Bank.  By  the  second  marriage  there  were 
four  children,  all  residents  of  Perry. 

Thomas  Shoemaker  spent  his  youth  upon  the 
home  farm  in  Sussex  county,  New  Jersey,  and  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  began  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  for  two  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  responded  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  aid  and  enlisted  in  Company  I  of  the 
Seventh  Regiment  of  New  Jersey  Volunteers, 
which  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
For  three  years  he  endured  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers meted  out  to  a  soldier  and  took  part  in  a 
number  of  important  engagements  but  came  out 
of  the  service  without  wounds.  He  was  in  the 
battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  Bristow  Station,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna,  Cold  Harbor,  the  second  battle  of 
Petersburg  and  Appomattox.  He  was  also  in 
many  minor  engagements,  skirmishes  and  raids 
and  though  he  was  never  wounded  his  health  was 
greatly  impaired  by  his  arduous  service  and  in 
fact  he  never  regained  his  former  state  of  vigor- 
ous manhood. 

Not  long  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Shoe- 
maker came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  in 
Perry  in  1866.  There  he  secured  a  position  in 
the  drug  store  of  Freeman  &  Dunn  and  later  en- 


THOMAS  SHOEMAKER 


Of    THf 
WNIVEKStTf  0»    1UINOIS. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


297 


tered  into  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Freeman,  which  connection  was  continued  until 
1872,  when  Mr.  Shoemaker  came  to  Griggsville 
and  from  that  time  until  his  death  his  name  was 
a  familiar  one  in  commercial  circles  in  this  city. 
He  established  a  store  here  and  continued  its  con- 
duct with  gratifying  success  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise.  His  unusual  executive  ability,  thorough- 
ness, public  spirit  and  generosity  were  character- 
istics which  gave  him  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity. The  Independent  Press  of  Griggsville 
said  of  him :  "For  many  years  Mr.  Shoemaker  has 
been  one  of  Griggsville's  foremost  citizens,  pro- 
gressive and  zealous  in  business,  honored  and  be- 
loved in  society  and  ever  among  the  foremost  in 
promoting  the  public  welfare.  Few  among  our 
citizens  have  had  more  devoted  friends,  and 
among  them  he  was  ever  a  leader  and  influential 
counselor.  While  he  was  a  close  and  aggressive 
business  man,  and  thoroughly  looked  after  the 
many  details  of  his  extensive  interests,  yet  in  all 
public  enterprises  he  was  generous  and  public 
spirited.  He  gave  freely  both  of  his  time  and 
money  to  religious  interests  and  to  all  public  en- 
terprises that  seemed  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity. In  forwarding  its  material  interests,  in 
providing  suitable  accommodations  for  public 
gatherings,  in  ministering  to  the  intellectual  de- 
velopment of  our  people,  and  in  practical  charity 
he  was  always  a  leader  and  a  generous  contrib- 
utor. Though  a  reticent  man,  his  friendships 
were  strong  and  lasting,  and  those  who  were  most 
closely  associated  with  him  in  business,  by  the 
campfire  or  in  social  life  will  miss  his  helpful  com- 
panionship. Self-control  was  possibly  his  strong- 
est element  of  character.  In  all  the  storm  and 
stress  of  life,  no  matter  what  the  provocation,  he 
never  lost  command  of  himself,  and  his  unfailing 
serenity,  reasonableness  and  charity  won  for  him 
the  sincere  respect  of  all." 

It  was  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1870,  that  Mr. 
Shoemaker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna 
E.  Vertrees,  of  Perry,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Nancy  (Hobbs)  Vertrees,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Kentucky,  but  were  married  in  Illinois. 
The  father  came  to  this  state  at  an  early  day,  set- 
tling in  Perry  township  upon  the  present  site  of 
the  village  of  Perry  and  there  he  built  the  first 
16 


house.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed 
that  pursuit  for  a  number  of  years,  erecting  many 
buildings  in  Perry  and  throughout  the  surround- 
ing district.  He  also  bought  a  farm  which  he  im- 
proved, transforming  the  place  into  a  tract  of  rich 
fertility,  and  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  stock-raising  up  to  within  ten  years 
of  his  death.  He  held  many  public  offices  and  was 
widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading,  influen- 
tial and  honored  residents  of  Perry  township.  He 
took  a  very  active  and  helpful  interest  in  temper- 
ance work,  was  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temper- 
ance, and  bo{h  he  and  his  wife  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the.  .Baptist  church.  His  political  alle- 
giance, was  .given-  te  thf  ivhig  party. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shoemaker  had  two  children  but 
their  son  Winfred  met  a  tragic  death  in  1899.  He 
was  married  November  8,  1894,  to  Miss  Mary 
Alice  Hoyt,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  S. 
Hoyt,  of  Griggsville,  and  at  his  death  he  left 
two  children,  Charles  Hoyt  and  Katrina,  who  re- 
side with  their  mother  in  Griggsville.  The  daugh- 
ter, Louise,  was  married  October  9,  1901,  to  Ar- 
thur Warren  Butterfield,  of  Griggsville,  who  now 
has  charge  of  the  store  owned  by  Mrs.  Shoe- 
maker. 

While  a  member  of  the  army  Mr.  Shoemaker 
also  became  a  member  of  the  church,  uniting  with 
the  Presbyterian  church  at  Somerville,  New  Jer- 
sey. In  1872  he  became  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  Griggsville  and  he  was  ever 
one  of  its  faithful,  generous  and  influential  repre- 
sentatives. He  likewise  belonged  to  Griggsville 
lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  he  was  held 
in  the  highest  esteem  by  his  brethren  in  the  craft 
as  well  as  in  the  church.  As  he  found  opportunity 
he  traveled  quite  widely  for  enlightenment  and 
pleasure  and,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  several 
times  visited  his  native  state,  also  traveled  through 
Colorado.  California  and  other  parts  of  the  west. 
He  thus  broadened  his  knowledge,  gaining  that 
comprehensive  culture  which  only  travel  can 
bring.  He  stood  as  a  high  type  of  American  man- 
hood, quick  to  recognize  the  good  in  others  and 
exemplyfying  in  his  own  life  those  sterling  traits 
of  character  which  everywhere  command  respect 
and  confidence.  He  passed  away  January  7,  1903, 
when  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age,  and  his 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


death  was  deeply  deplored  because  he  had  many 
warm  friends  who  missed  his  kindly  companion- 
ship, his  wise  counsel  and  his  helpful  spirit.  Most 
of  all  his  death  was  felt  in  his  own  household  for 
the  best  traits  of  character  were  reserved  his  own 
family. 


EDWARD    L.    CLAYTON. 

Edward  L.  Clayton  has  been  manager  of  the 
Pike  County  Telephone  Company  since  its  or- 
ganization in  1898,  and  has  displayed  excellent 
business  ability  in  its  control.  He  is  one  of  the 
native  sons  of  the  county,  born  in  Pittsfield  on 
the  2d  of  March,  1867,  his  parents  being  Wil- 
liam H.  and  Helena-  (Dillingham)  Clayton,  in 
whose  family  were  five  children,  Edward  L. 
being  the  youngest.  The  others  were:  Julia  B., 
William  M.,  Fred  H.  and  Nettie  M.  Clayton,  all 
of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of.  Nettie, 
who  died  in  May,  1885.  The  father  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  residents  of  Pike  county,  contributed 
to  its  commercial  development  and  for  many 
years  was  actively  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness in  Pittsfield.  He  died  November  6,  1902, 
and  is  still  survived  by  his  wife,  who  is  yet  living 
in  Pittsfield  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-three 
years. 

Edward  L.  Clayton  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  of  Pittsfield  for  the  educational 
privileges  which  he  enjoyed  and  which  qualified 
him  for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties. 
He  learned  the  tinner's  trade  after  putting  aside 
his  text-books  and  was  thus  engaged  for  ten 
years.  He  then  came  to  Milton  as  manager  for 
W.  H.  Clayton  &  Sons,  dealers  in  hardware, 
occupying  that  position  for  seven  years,  on  the 
expiration  of  which  period  the  firm  sold  out 
to  S.  S.  Landess.  He  is  now  one  of  the  members 
of  the  Clayton  Hardware  Company  of  Pittsfield 
and  for  two  years  before  severing  his  connec- 
tion with  the  hardware  trade  in  Milton  he  was 
connected  with  the  telephone  company  and  for 
the  past  three  or  four  years,  has  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  the  management  of  the  business, 
which  under  his  capable  control  has  steadily- 
grown  until  telephones  have  been  installed  in  al- 


most  every  business   house   on   its   lines   and   in 
many  private  residences  as  well. 

Mr.  Clayton  has  been  married  twice.  He  first 
wedded  Lillie  M.  Petty  and  unto  them  was  born 
a  son,  Carroll  L.  Clayton.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  August  27,  1897,  and  Mr.  Clayton  was 
married  on  the  28th  of  November,  1899,  to  Dora 
O.  Anthony,  a  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Cathar- 
ine (Jenkins)  Anthony.  Her  father  died  in 
April,  "1903,  and  the  mother  is  now  living  in 
Bethel,  Illinois.  Mr.  Clayton  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  and  he  is  honored  and  respected 
as  a  business  man  of  ability,  whose  advancement 
and  success  are  attributable  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clayton  is 
the  center  of  a  cultured  society  circle  in  Milton 
and  the  number  of  their  friends  is  constantly 
growing. 


JOHN  E.  DINSMORE. 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Pike  county 
appears  the  name  of  John  E.  Dinsmore,  who  in 
1904  was  elected  to  the  position  of  circuit  clerk 
and  who  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  has  proved 
a  capable  and  reliable  official.  He  was  born  in 
Hardin  township,  June  13,  1859,  his  parents  being 
John  C.  and  Priscilla  (Barney)  Dinsmore.  The 
father  was  born  in  Fleming  county,  Kentucky, 
in  1822  and  when  four  years  of  age  was  brought 
to  Scott  county,  Illinois,  by  his  parents,  who 
about  1830  removed  to  Pike  county.  The  father 
engaged  in  farming  in  Hardin  township,  where 
he  owned  a  good  tract  of  land,  and  he  also  de- 
voted his  attention  to  raising  stock.  His  business 
interests  were  capably  managed  and  he  continued 
to  reside  upon  his  farm  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  February,  16,  1874.  His  widow  still 
survives  him  and  is  now  living  in  Jacksonville, 
Illinois,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  When 
he  arrived  in  Pike  county  he  purchased  raw 
land,  which  he  cultivated  and  improved,  and 
in  due  course  of  time  he  had  developed  excellent 
farming  property.  He  had  served  in  the  Mexican 
war,  for  which  he  was  given  land  warrants  which 
he  traded  for  a  half  section  of  land.  In  1849  ne 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


299 


went  to  California,  making  the  overland  trip  with 
a  company  from  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  There 
were  four  Dinsmore  brothers  in  the  party,  but 
two  of  them  died  while  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Mr. 
Dinsmore  of  this  review  spent  a  year  and  a  half 
in  California,  from  1849  untu  1851,  and  in  his 
mining  operations  there  he  was  quite  successful, 
arriving  home  with  a  goodly  sum  of  money.  The 
return  trip  was  made  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  again 
responded  to  his  country's  call,  and  in  1863  raised 
a  company  of  which  he  was  commissioned  captain, 
it  being  Company  E,  Ninety-ninth  Regiment  of 
Illinois  Volunteers.  He  served  until  he  was 
forced  to  resign  on  account  of  ill  health.  During 
his  two  years'  service  in  the  Mexican  war  he 
was  under  command  of  Colonel  Hardin,  of  Jack- 
sonville, Illinois,  who  fell  into  Mr.  Dinsmore's 
arms  when  he  was  shot  and  died  in  that  way.  Mr. 
Dinsmore  was  a  democrat  in  his  political  views 
and  at  one  time  was  a  candidate  for  sheriff  of 
Pike  county.  He  served  for  some  time  as  town- 
ship supervisor  and  filled  other  township  offices. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Christian  church  and  were  people  of  the  highest 
respectability,  enjoying  in  large  measure  the 
friendship  and  regard  of  those  with  whom  they 
were  associated.  In  their  family  were  eleven 
children,  of  whom  seven  reached  years  of  ma- 
turity :  Virginia,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois;  Tilla,  also 
residing  in  that  city ;  Alfred  A.,  who  is  in  the 
west;  John  E. ;  Dora,  who  died  when  seventeen 
years  of  age ;  George,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Jacksonville ;  and  J.  W.,  who  is  a  member  of  the 
medical  fraternity  at  Nebo,  Illinois. 

John  E.  Dinsmore  pursued  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  entered  business  life 
when  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  farmed  at 
home  until  December,  1904.  when  he  removed  to 
Pittsfield.  In  1890  his  mother  went  to  Jack- 
sonville to  live.  He  and  his  sister  own  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine  farm  land  on 
sections  23  and  26,  Hardin  township,  constitut- 
ing a  well  improved  property.  Mr.  Dinsmore  now 
superintends  his  farm  and  when  he  resided  there- 
on he  also  engaged  in  raising  and  shipping  stock, 
buying  and  feeding  cattle,  horses  and  hogs. 


Mr.  Dinsmore  was  married  in  1880  to  Miss 
Laura  Hatcher,  a  native  of  Pike  county,  who  was 
born  near  Milton,  May  25,  1861,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Rebecca  (Boren)  Hatcher.  The 
father's  birth  occurred  in  Kentucky,  while  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  Pike  county,  her  par- 
ents having  been  pioneer  settlers  here.  Mr. 
Hatcher  was  a  farmer,  owning  and  operating  a 
good  tract  of  land,  but  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  now  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore 
have  been  born  eight  children :  Jessie,  Carrie, 
John,  Katharine,  Helen,  Ernestine,  Mildred  and 
Hugh. 

Mr.  Dinsmore  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp,  No.  2313,  at  Time,  and  also 
belongs  to  lodge  No.  569,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Time,  and  Milton  chapter,  "No.  118,  R.  A.  M., 
while  his  wife  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Christ- 
ian church.  He  has  been  a  democrat  all  of  his 
life  and  while  living  upon  the  farm  served  for 
sixteen  years  as  justice  of  the  peace.  In  1904 
he  was  elected  circuit  clerk  and  removed  to  Pitts- 
field,  where  he  now  resides  with  his  family.  He 
has  ever  been  loyal  to  the  trusts  reposed  in  him, 
whether  of  a  public  or  private  nature,  and  his 
life  has  ever  been  honorable  and  upright.  By  the 
faithful  performance  of  his  daily  duties  he  has 
found  courage  and  strength  for  the  work  of  the 
next  day  and  in  all  life's  relations  has  been 
straightforward  and  reliable. 


GRANVILL  O.   SMITH. 

Granvill  O.  Smith  is  the  cashier  of  the  Hillview 
Bank,  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  which  is  a  branch 
of  the  Bank  of  Pearl.  He  was  born  in  Pike 
county  about  three  miles  east  of  Perry  on  the 
roth  of  August,  1886,  and  is  a  son  of  George  M. 
and  Hattie  J.  (Wilkins)  Smith.  His  father  is 
now  serving  as  sheriff  of  Pike  county.  The 
mother  died  June  22,  1904,  in  Pittsfield.  When 
only  two  years  of  age  Granvill  O,  Smith  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Griggsville,  where  he  acquired 
his  preliminary  education.  The  family  afterward 
removed  to  Pittsfield  in  1902  and  he  there  attend- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


ed  school  for  two  years.  He  next  went  to  Quincy, 
Illinois,  where  he  pursued  a  ten  months'  course 
in  the  Gem  City  Business  College,  and  on  the 
3Oth  of  June,  1905,  he  returned  to  Pittsfielcl, 
where  he  secured  the  position  of  cashier  in  the 
Hillview  Bank,  which  he  is  now  filling.  This  is 
an  excellent  and  responsible  position  for  a  young 
man  of  his  years  and  he  has  made  a  splendid  start 
which  argues  well  for  greater  honors  and  pros- 
perity as  the  years  advance. 


GEORGE  H.  WIKE. 

George  H.  Wike  is  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  in  Barry,  his  native  city.  He  was  born 
May  i,  1875,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  O.  and  El- 
mira  (Cochran)  Wike.  His  father  was  born  in 
Barry  township,  in  1848,  and  was  a  son  of  David 
J.  and  Drusilla  (Orr)  Wike,  who  were  of  Ger- 
man descent.  The  former  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1821,  and  was  the 
youngest  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Essig)  Wike, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Keystone 
state,  in  which  George  Wike  died  in  1825.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  reared  and  educated 
in  the  east,  settled  in  Quincy,'  Illinois,  in  1842 
and  was  there  engaged  in  the  woolen  business 
for  two  years,  when  he  removed  to  Barry  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  and  in  connection  with  his 
brothers,  George  and  Joseph,  and  J.  P.  Grubb 
erected  a  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  woolen 
goods  on  section  23.  The  new  enterprise  proved 
profitable  and  an  extensive  business  was  carried 
on  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  David 
J.  Wike  sold  his  interest  and  purchased  a  farm 
in  New  Salem  township,  devoting  the  succeeding 
three  years  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement. 
He  then  returned  to  Barry  and  in  1847  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Drusilla,  daughter  of  Thomas  Orr 
and  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  Illinois,  born 
in  1828.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wike  settled  upon  his 
farm  in  the  spring  of  1853,  the  place  comprising 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  valued  at  seventy-five 
dollars  per  acre,  and  to  the  further  development 
and  cultivation  of  the  place  he  devoted  his  ener- 


gies. He  was  the  first  member  initiated  into  the 
Masonic  order  at  Barry — the  year  being  1845, 
and  his  name  is  indelibly  inscribed  upon  the  pages 
of  Pike  county  history,  because  of  his  active  con- 
nection with  many  events  contributing  to  its  ma- 
terial progress  and  permanent  improvement.  In 
his  family  were  seven  children. 

Thomas  O.  Wike,  one  of  this  number,  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Barry  township  and  in 
his  youth  performed  various  duties  which  were 
assigned  to  him  in  connection  with  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  home  farm.  He  was  married  in  1872 
to  Miss  Elmira  Cochran,  who  was  born  in  Bay- 
lis,  in  October,  1849,  and  unto  them  were  born 
five  children:  George  H.,  Elizabeth  E.,  Berl  H., 
Charles  Owen  and  Glenn  E.,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing in  Barry.  The  father  was  a  farmer,  owning 
and  operating  forty  acres  of  land.  He  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  enjoyed  in  large  measure  the  respect 
of  his  brethren  of  that  fraternity  and  of  the  gen- 
eral public  as  well.  He  belonged  to  the  pioneer 
generation  of  Barry's  citizens  and  was  an  inter- 
ested witness  of  the  progress  and  development  of 
the  county  through  many  years.  He  died  in  1900 
at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  in  July,  1902. 

Reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  in- 
debted to  the  public-school  system  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  which  have  qualified  him  for 
life's  practical  and  responsible  duties,  George  H. 
Wike  has  for  some  time  conducted  a  large  and 
growing  insurance  business  in  Barry.  He  is  now 
district  agent  and  also  special  agent  for  the 
Phoenix  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  and  also  for  the  Insurance  Company 
of  North  America  and  the  National  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company  of  Hartford,  Connecticut.  His 
territory  covers  Pike,  Adams,  Hancock,  Morgan, 
Calhoun  and  Cass  counties.  For  three  years  he 
was  in  partnership  with  Perry  C.  Allen,  of  Pitts- 
field,  but  is  now  alone  in  business  and  has  a  large 
clientage. 

In  1901  Mr.  Wike  was  married  to  Miss  Gretta 
E.  Greene,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county,  near 
Barry,  in  September,  1880,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
J.  M.  and  and  Hannah  (Tilton)  Greene,  who 
are  residing  near  Barry.  The  father  is  a  breeder 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


301 


of  Shetland  ponies,  also  handles  cattle  and  is  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  acres  of  val- 
uable land.  In  his  family  were  three  daughters : 
Mrs.  Wike,  who  was  educated  in  music ;  Mrs. 
Nora  Taylor,  who  is  living  in  Trinidad,  Colo- 
rado ;  and  Delia,  at  home. 

Mr.  Wike  is  a  member  of  Barry  lodge,  No. 
34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  also  Barry  chapter,  No. 
88,  R.  A.  M. ;  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  No.  567, 
and  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  He  votes 
with  the  democracy  and  has  been  alderman  of 
Barry  since  1901,  but  is  far  from  being  a  poli- 
tician in  the  usually  accepted  sense,  and  his  pres- 
ent office  holding  comes  only  from  an  earnest  de- 
sire to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  the  city's  welfare 
and  its  progress  along  substantial  lines  of  im- 
provement. 


JACOB  WINDMILLER. 

Jacob  Windmiller,  ex-sheriff  of  Pike  county 
and  one  of  its  prominent  citizens,  was  born  in 
Spring  Creek  township,  January  3,  1849,  and 
was  the  second  son  of  Peter  and  Sevelia  (Apple- 
gate)  Windmiller.  The  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1816  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
the  United  States  in  1832  settled  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  then  took 
up  his  abode  on  section  7,  Spring  Creek  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1834,  and  remained 
upon  that  farm  for  eight  years,  after  which  he 
purchased  another  farm,  on  section  19  of  the  same 
township.  He  was  an  energetic  agriculturist  and 
during  his  residence  in  Spring  Creek  township 
did  much  toward  developing  a  good  farm.  His 
second  property  is  now  a  part  of  the  town  of 
Nebo.  He  spent  his  remaining  days  upon  that 
farm,  passing  away  in  the  winter  of  1876.  In 
connection  with  general  agricultural  pursuits  he 
carried  on  merchandising  and  he  did  his  full 
share  toward  the  agricultural  and  commercial  de- 
velopment of  the  county.  In  his  death  the  com- 
munity felt  that  it  had  lost  one  of  its  most  worthy 
pioneer  citizens. 

Jacob  Windmiller  was  reared  under  the  'pa- 
rental roof,  remaining  with  his  parents  until  twen- 
ty-five years  of  age,  during  which  time  he  ac- 


quired a  good  practical  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  also  learned  the  best  methods  of  car- 
ing for  the  farm  property.  In  the  fall  of  1870 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  S. 
Stone,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Nathan  Stone,  who  came  to  Illinois 
from  the  former  state  during  the  infancy  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Windmiller.  He  located  in  Pike 
county,  becoming  one  of  its  enterprising  agricul- 
turists. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Windmiller  set- 
tled in  Pleasant  Hill  township,  where  he  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  making  his  home 
upon  his  first  farm  for  two  years.  He  then  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  acres  of  land 
near  Nebo,  which  he  managed  and  at  the  same 
time  conducted  a  hotel  and  a  livery  barn  in  the 
town.  Being  a  good  practical  farmer  and  a 
sound  business  man,  he  carried  on  both  enter- 
prises with  success  until  1886,  when  he  was 
elected  sheriff  of  Pike  county  and  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  took  up  his  residence  in  Pittsfield, 
where  he  lived  for  some  time.  He  was  eminently 
fitted  for  the  office  and  his  whole  course  during 
his  incumbency  showed  him  to  possess  rare  tact, 
unfaltering  bravery  and  sound  judgement.  He 
ever  displayed  the  qualities  of  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  acting  without  regard  to  party  affiliation 
or  personal  prejudices.  He  served  as  sheriff  four 
years,  filling  the  office  in  a  most  capable  manner. 
Following  his  service  in  the  office  of  sheriff  he 
was  elected  county  treasurer  of  Pike  county  for 
a  four  years'  term.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart 
democrat  and  has  filled  a  number  of  local  po- 
sitions, including  that  of  coroner  while  residing 
in  Nebo,  a  position  which  he  resigned  when  elect- 
ed sheriff. 

Mr.  Windmiller  is  still  closely  associated  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Pike  county,  owning 
two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  valuable  land 
on  section  12,  Pittsfield  township,  where  he  re- 
sides. He  has  a  beautiful  home  here  with  all 
modern  improvements  upon  his  farm,  including 
commodious  and  substantial  barns,  well  kept 
fences  and  other  equipments.  His  land  is  richly 
cultivated  and  annually  returns  to  him  good  har- 
vests and  he  is  also  a  successful  stockman,  rais- 
ing horses  and  polled  Angus  cattle. 


302 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windmiller  have  been 
born  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living : 
Loren  O.,  Lena  B.  and  Laurel  L.,  while  Olaf  E. 
and  Harry  J.  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Windmiller 
is  a  prominent  and  influential  Mason,  belonging 
to  Pleasant  Hill  lodge,  No.  565,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
Pittsfield  chapter,  No.  10,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Pitts- 
field  commandery,  K.  T.  He  has  a  wide  and  fa- 
vorable acquaintance  in  the  county  in  which  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed,  possessing  a  cordial 
disposition,  genial  manner  and  enterprising  spirit 
which  render  him  popular  socially  as  well  as  in 
business  and  political  circles. 


•    STEPHEN  M.  HOLT. 

Stephen  M.  Holt  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  finely  im- 
proved land  in  New  Salem  township,  which  he 
has  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The 
place  is  improved  with  an  attractive  and  com- 
fortable residence  and  good  'buildings  for  the 
shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  In  fact  none  of  the 
equipments  of  a  model  farm  of  the  twentieth 
century  are  lacking  here  and  Mr.  Holt  is  recog- 
nized as  a  leading  representative  of  agricultural 
interests  in  Pike  county.  He  was  born  in  Sulli- 
van county,  Tennessee,  oh  the  5th  of  September, 
1855,  his  parents  being  George  and  Elizabeth 
(Lots)  Holt,  who  were  married  in  Tennessee, 
where  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. His  death  occurred  in  that  state  in  1864 
and  his  wife,  long  surviving  him,  passed  away 
in  Tennessee  in  1898.  In  their  family  were  six 
children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living:  Stephen 
M. ;  Jesse  E.,  who  resides  in  Tennessee ;  and 
Noah  D.,  also  of  that  state. 

Stephen  M.  Holt  acquired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Tennessee  and  in  early  life 
became  acquainted  with  all  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  ar- 
rived in  Pike  county  in  1876,  when  a  young  man 
of  twenty-one  years  and  here  began  his  business 
career  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus  employed  for 
two  years.  He  was  then  married  and  took  up 
his  abode  upon  a  farm  owned  by  his  wife,  but 


after  two  years  that  property  was  sold  and  Mr. 
Holt  purchased  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  on 
section  36,  New  Salem  township,  where  he  now 
resides.  He  raises  cattle  and  hogs  and  his  fields 
are  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  corn  and  other 
cereals.  He  is  practical  in  his  methods,  accom- 
plishing much  by  his  close  application  and  unfal- 
tering industry,  and  he  is  deserving  of  consid- 
erable credit  for  what  he  has  done,  because  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed  and  all  that  he 
now  possesses  has  been  obtained  through  his  earn- 
est and  well  directed  labors. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1878,  Mr.  Holt  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Melvina  Willsey,  who 
was  born  July  4,  1860,  in  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Lydia  Will- 
sey. Her  father's  birth  occurred  in  New  York 
in  1827  and  when  a  young  man  he  came  to  Pike 
county  with  his  father  and  family,  his  father  be- 
ing one  of  the  early  settlers  here.  Charles  Will- 
sey gave  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Pittsfield  township  and  for  many  years  was  a  re- 
spected and  worthy  agriculturist  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  died  in  the  year  1874  and  is  still  sur- 
vived by  his  wife,  who  is  now  living  west  of 
Pittsfield  and  is  nearly  eighty  year's  of  age.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Willsey  were  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren: Mrs.  Holt;  Barnett  Willsey,  who  is  living 
in  Kansas ;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  T.  F.  James, 
a  resident  of  Pittsfield  township ;  Emily,  the  wife 
of  Robert  Salee,  who  resides  west  of  Pittsfield ; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  Richard  Woolfolk,  who  is 
living  in  Martinsburg  township:  Edward,  who 
resides  in  Pittsfield ;  and  Delia,  the  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Underwood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holt  have  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren :  George  Walter,  who  married  Anna  Brauer 
and  resides  at  Chapin,  Illinois ;  Grace  V.,  who 
married  Floyd  Carnes  and  is  living  in  Phillips, 
Nebraska ;  Maud,  Dora  Dell,  Ross  and  Cecil,  all 
at  home.  The  family  occupy  a  fine  residence  sit- 
uated in  the  midst  of  a  splendidly  improved  and 
valuable  farm.  Mrs.  Holt  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church.  Mr.  Holt  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  democracy  and  belongs  to  lodge 
No.  790.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Pittsfield.  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp,  the  Protective  League 
and  the  Fraternal  Army.  His  earnest  labors  have 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


been  directed  by  sound  judgment  and  in  the  busi- 
ness world  he  has  achieved  a  fair  measure  of  suc- 
cess which  shows  that  his  labors  have  been  well 
directed,  while  the  respect  in  which  he  is  held 
indicates  that  his  life  has  been  honorable  and 
straightforward. 


JOHN  G.  YAEGER. 

That  John  G.  Yaeger  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
and  that  his  friends  are  many  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  he  is  so  uniformly  addressed  by  his  first 
name  in  the  community  and  county  in  which  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed.  He  is  one  of  the 
prosperous  farmers,  stock-raisers  and  stock-feed- 
ers of  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  business 
ability  is  indicated  in  his  capable  management  of 
his  farm  of  six  hundred  acres,  which  is  attrac- 
tive in  appearance  and  is  also  a  source  of  grati- 
fying profit  because  of  the  fine  crops  which  are 
produced  and  the  good  stock  raised  upon  his 
place.  Mr.  Yaeger  was  born  in  Newburg  town- 
ship, April  22,  1857,  and,  as  the  name  indicates, 
comes  of  German  lineage.  His  father,  Andrew 
Yaeger,  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  became  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  where  for 
many  years  he  was  numbered  among  the  substan- 
tial, active  and  energetic  farmers.  His  sketch  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  work. 

John  G.  Yaeger  grew  to  manhood  in  Hardin 
township,  acquiring  a  common-school  education, 
remaining  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  with  his 
father  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  assist- 
ing him  in  the  work  of  field  and  meadow,  so  that 
he  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  that  fell  to 
the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  Following  his  mar- 
riage he  rented  a  farm  which  he  operated  for  a 
\ear  and  then  settled  in  Spring  Creek  township 
and  bought  land  and  engaged  in  the  operation  of 
it  for  ten  years.  He  then  sold  that  property  and 
bought  the  place  upon  which  he  now  resides,  set- 
tling here  about  1887.  He  at  first  had  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-six  acres  of  land  which  he  at  once 
began  to  cultivate  and  improve.  His  labors  were 
attended  with  success  so  that  he  was  enabled  to 
purchase  more  land  from  time  to  time  until  he 


is  now  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres,  of  which 
three  hundred  acres  is  in  the  home  place.  He 
has  built  a  good  house,  has  fenced  the  farm,  has 
also  built  two  barns  and  altogether  has  an  ex- 
cellent property.  Much  of  his  land  is  planted  in 
blue  grass,  so  that  there  is  excellent  pasturage  for 
his  stock  and  the  fields  supply  feed  for  the  win- 
ter. Seventy  acres,  however,  are  reserved  for 
crops.  He  has  been  engaged  in  stock-raising 
throughout  the  years  of  his  active  business  ca- 
reer and  he  fattens  for  the  market  from  three  to 
five  carloads  of  cattle  and  from  three  to  five  car- 
loads of  hogs  and  two  carloads  of  sheep  each 
year.  He  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  stock  deal- 
ers of  the  county  and  he  topped  the  Chicago  mar- 
ket three  times  in  succession  with  fat  Aberdeen 
Angus  cattle.  He  is  indeed  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful stock  feeders  of  the  county  and  he  also 
breeds  Aberdeen  Angus  cattle,  having  a  pure- 
blooded  Aberdeen  Angus  bull  at  the  head  of  his 
herd. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1878,  Mr.  Yeager 
was  married  in  Hardin  township  to  Miss  Enzella 
Williams,  a  daughter  of  William  Williams,  and 
in  December,  1888,  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife.  There  are  four  living  chil- 
dren born  of  that  marriage :  Marion,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  resides  in  Peoria ;  Lillie,  Lonnie 
and  Howard.  After  losing  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Yaeger  was  again  married,  April  8,  1888,  the  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Catherine  B.  Bauer,  a  na- 
tive of  Hardin,  Pike  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
George  Bauer,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  state. 
There  are  nine  children  by  this  marriage:  Ada, 
Charles,  John  G.,  Frederick,  Katie,  Jessie,  May, 
Nellie  and  Mary. 

Politically  Mr.  Yaeger  is  a  stalwart  democrat, 
but  is  without  aspiration  for  public  office.  He  is 
a  believer  in  good  schools  and  in  the  employ- 
ment of  competent  teachers  and  for  sixteen  years 
has  been  a  school  director,  acting  as  clerk  and 
also  as  president  of  the  board.  He  has  also  served 
as  commissioner  of  highways  and  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  the  county  conventions  of  his  party.  His 
interest  in  community  affairs  is  deep  and  sincere 
and  has  led  him  to  give  active  support  to  many 
measures  for  the  general  good.  A  Master  Mason 


3°4 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


he  belongs  to  the  lodge  at  Time  and  has  filled  all 
of  its  offices  save  that  of  master.  He  is  likewise 
a  member  of  the  Woodmen  camp  and  is  also 
insured  in  the  Northwestern  and  Pike  County 
Mutual  Associations.  Mr.  Yaeger  is  perhaps 
best  known  throughout  the  county  as  a  breeder, 
feeder  and  shipper  of  stock  and  is  recognized  as 
a  man  of  good  business  ability  and  of  broad  in- 
tegrity and  worth,  having  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  the  community.  He  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account  a  poor  boy  with  little  means 
save  his  strong  determination  and  laudable  am- 
bition to  achieve  success  and  he  has  through  his 
earnest  labor,  industry  and  good  business  man- 
agement accumulated  a  valuable  property,  so  that 
he  is  today  classed  with  the  substantial  men  of  the 
county. 


R.  T.   HICKS. 

R.  T.  Hicks,  cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Pittsfield,  who  has  been  an  active  factor 
in  various  business  and  public  interests  contrib- 
uting to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  this  city, 
was  born  upon  a  farm  four  miles  south  of  Pitts- 
field  on  the  igth  of  April,  1849,  an^  ls  a  son  °^ 
Colonel  D.  D.  Hicks,  who  is  represented  else- 
where in  this  work.  The  ancestry  of  the  family 
may  be  traced  back  through  several  generations. 
His  paternal  great-grandfather,  Simeon  Hicks, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  while  the 
grandfather,  Truman  B.  Hicks,  for  whom  R.  T. 
Hicks  was  named,  fought  for  his  country  in  the 
war  of  1812.  The  father,  Colonel  D.  D.  Hicks, 
won  his  title  as  commander  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-sixth  Regiment  of  the  state  militia  of 
New  York,  and  these  facts  indicate  that  the  mil- 
itary spirit  has  not  been  lacking  in  the  family. 

During  the  very  early  boyhood  of  R.  T.  Hicks 
his  parents  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where  his  edu- 
cation was  acquired,  and  between  the  ages  of 
twelve  and  seventeen  years,  when  not  busy  with 
his  text-books,  his  time  was  largely  given  to  work 
upon  his  father's  farm.  Leaving  the  high  school 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  afterward  pursued  a 
short  course  in  a  commercial  college  at  St.  Louis 
and  then  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  as- 


sistant to  his  father,  who  at  that  time  was  cash- 
ier of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pittsfield.  This 
bank  had  its  beginning  in  a  meeting  in  the  old 
courthouse  on  the  28th  of  January,  1865.  The 
organization  was  effected  and  the  bank  capital- 
ized for  fifty  thousand  dollars,  with  C.  L.  Higbee 
as  president,  C.  P.  Chapman  as  cashier  and  D.  D. 
Hicks  as  assistant  cashier.  After  a  year  Mr. 
Hicks  became  cashier  and  R.  T.  Hicks  was  made 
assistant  cashier.  Upon  the  retirement  of  his 
father  from  the  position  of  cashier  our  subject 
became  his  successor  and  has  since  remained  in 
that  position.  On  the  15th  of  February,  1879, 
the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  eighty  thousand 
dollars  and  in  1884  to. one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  the  capital  and  surplus  at  the  present 
writing,  January,  1906,  are  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  From  the  begin- 
ning this  bank  has  maintained  a  foremost  place 
among  the  strong  and  reliable  financial  institu- 
tions of  this  part  of  the  state  and  its  reputation 
is  attributable  in  no  small  degree  to  the  efforts 
of  R.  T.  Hicks,  who  since  May,  1867,  has  been 
connected  with  the  institution  and  who  for  thir- 
teen years  has  been  its  popular  cashier. 

Not  alone  to  banking  interests,  however,  has 
Mr.  Hicks  confined  his  attention.  The  greatest 
period  of  building  activity  which  the  city  of  Pitts- 
field  has  enjoyed  followed  the  organization  of  a 
savings  and  loan  association.  Mr.  Hicks  called 
a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  such 
an  association,  was  made  its  treasurer  and  con- 
tinued in  that  position  until  the  affairs  of  the  as- 
sociation were  wound  up  with  profit  to  all  con- 
cerned. He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Pike  County  Telephone  Company,  which  was 
capitalized  for  twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  From 
the  time  the  capital  was  first  increased  he  has 
been  its  president.  The  capital  at  the  present 
time  is  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  and  from 
the  beginning  the  company  has  never  failed  to 
earn  and  pay  regular  dividends.  This  is  an  in- 
stitution which  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  busi- 
ness conditions  in  the  county  as  well  as  a  source 
of  individual  profit  to  the  stockholders.  Mr. 
Hicks  also  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the 
Home  Telephone  Company  of  Greenville,  Texas, 
with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 


R.  T.  HICKS 


„„««,?» 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


307 


and  has  been  its  president  from  the  beginning. 
This  has  had  an  equally  successful  existence  and, 
in  fact,  the  various  business  enterprises  with 
which  Mr.  Hicks  has  been  connected  have  proven 
profitable,  for  he  carries  forward  to  successful 
completion  whatever  he  undertakes.  He  possesses 
keen  discrimination,  sound  business  judgment, 
strong  executive  force  and  enterprise,  and  these 
are  indispensable  factors  in  modern  business  con- 
ditions. 

In  October,  1872,  Mr.  Hicks  was  married  to 
Miss  Charlotte  L.  Abbott,  and  unto  them  have 
been  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters :  George 
D.,  who  is  now  assistant  cashier  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Pittsfield;  Fred  A.,  a  traveling 
salesman  representing  a  Boston  house ;  Nettie 
L.  and  Julia  C.,  who  are  at  home. 

In  community  affairs  effecting  the  material, 
political,  social,  intellectual  and  moral  progress 
of  the  community  Mr.  Hicks  has  been  deeply, 
actively  and  helpfully  interested.  He  has  never 
been  an  office  seeker  and,  in  fact,  has  always  pre- 
ferred to  avoid  office  holding,  yet  feeling  that  he 
should  bear  his  full  share  of  the  responsibilities 
of  citizenship  he  has  consented,  at  the  solicitation 
of  his  fellow  townsmen,  to  act  as  alderman  for 
many  terms  and  was  also  mayor  of  the  city.  He 
has  frequently  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education  and  the  cause  of  public  instruction  has 
found  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart  friend.  He 
was  alderman  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of 
the  water  works  and  also  at  the  time  when  street 
paving  was  begun  in  Pittsfield.  When  it  was 
proposed  to  build  the  new  courthouse  for  the 
county  he  was  made  the  chairman  of  the  ways 
and  means  committee,  which  raised  from  the  city 
of  Pittsfield  more  than  one-third  of  the  amount 
required  for  building  purposes.  Mr.  Hicks  gave 
his  political  allegiance  to  the  democracy  until 
i8"j6,  when  free  coinage  became  the  issue  of  the 
people,  when,  like  thousands  of  others  who  up 
to  that  time  had  advocated  the  democratic  ticket, 
he  became  a  supporter  of  "sound  money."  For 
twenty  years  he  has  served  as  superintendent  of 
the  leading  Sunday-school  of  the  countv  and  for 
seven  years  has  been  president  of  the  County 
Sunday-School  Association.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  Pike  countv.  where  he  is  regarded 


as  one  of  the  reliable,  substantial  business  men, 
belonging  to  that  class  of  representative  citizens 
who,  while  promoting  individual  success,  also 
contribute  to  the  general  progress  and  prosperity. 


FIRST     NATIONAL     BANK     OF     PITTS - 
FIELD. 

On  the  28th  day  of  January,  1865,  there  was 
held  at  the  old  courthouse  in  Pittsfield  a  meet- 
ing for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  national  bank, 
out  of  which  grew  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Pittsfield.  The',  cfiafrihan  of  the  meeting  was  the 
Hon.  C.  li,  Higb^e,  the  secretary,  D.  D.  Hicks,  and 
the  allotment  of  shares  of  stock  was  to  the  follow- 
ing persons:  C.L.Higbee,  D.D. Hicks,  Silas  Dut- 
ton,  R.  M.  Atkinson,  Julia  M.  Higbee,  E.  M.  See- 
ley,  J.  F.  Hyde,  Thomas  Dickson,  William  Wat- 
son, H.  M.  Watson,  N.  A.  Wells,  R.  R.  Green,  J. 

C.  McKibben,  M.  J.  Noyes,  D.  W.  Dean,  H.  J. 
Noyes,  J.  C.  Hard,  G.  W.  Jones,  L.  L.  Talcott, 
William  Charles,  C.  P.  Chapman,  Joel  Penning- 
ton,  Edward  Connett,  B.  H.  Atkinson  and  Aus- 
tin Barber. 

The  capital  stock  of  the  bank  was  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  officers  elected  were  C.  L. 
Higbee,  president ;  C.  P.  Chapman,  cashier ;  D. 

D.  Hicks,  assistant  cashier.  Mr.  Chapman  served 
in    the   capacity   of  cashier   for   one   year,   after 
which  time  D.  D.  Hicks,  who  had  begun  with  the 
organization    as    assistant    cashier,    became    the 
cashier  and  his   son,  R.  T.   Hicks,   its  assistant 
cashier. 

Judge  C.  L.  Higbee  held  the  position  as  presi- 
dent of  the  bank  from  year  to  year  until  the  time 
of  his  death,  December  .7,  1884,  at  which  time 
C.  P.  Chapman  was  elected  to  fill  the  position 
and  D.  D.  Hicks  held  the  position  of  cashier  up 
to  January  18,  1892,  and  as  second  vice-president 
from  that  time  until  the  time  of  his  death,  Au- 
gust 30,  1897.  On  February  15,  1879,  the  cap- 
ital stock  of  the  bank  was  increased  to  eighty 
thousand  dollars,  the  increase  being  the  result  of 
a  large  special  dividend  declared  to  the  stock- 
holders. 

Among  the  persons  who  have  occupied  posi- 
tions below  the  cashier  we  would  name  the  Hon. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


G.  E.  Abbott,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  who  is  at 
present  the  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  that  city  and  who  has  been  speaker  of  the 
house  of  representatives  and  also  state  treasurer 
of  Wyoming ;  and  also  Mr.  Ross  Matthews,  who 
began  with  the  bank  in  1883  and  remained  until 
the  organization  of  the  Farmers'  State  Bank  of 
this  city,  at  which  time  he  became  its  cashier, 
which  position  he  still  holds. 

In  1884  the  capital  stock  was  again  increased 
to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  the  influence  of  the  people  more 
generally  it  was  agreed  by  the  stockholders  that 
the  twenty  thousand  dollars  increase  might  be 
subscribed  for,  as  it  was,  by  people  who  were  not 
at  that  time  owners  of  stock. 

In  1885,  after  the  death  of  Hon.  C.  L.  Higbee, 
Mr.  C.  P.  Chapman  was  made  president  of  the 
institution  and  remained  its  president  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  In  the  same  year  the  charter 
of  the  bank,  which  had  been  issued  for  a  period 
of  twenty  years,  expired  and  was  renewed  for 
twenty  years  longer ;  and  the  charter  was  again 
renewed  in  1905  for  a  third  period  of  twenty 
years. 

It  has  been  the  policy  of  the  bank  from  its  or- 
ganization to  avoid  speculation  or  any  induce- 
ments which  offered  more  than  the  usual  rate  of 
interest  as  an  investment  for  its  money,  and  also 
to  comply  strictly  with  the  requirements  of  the 
law  by  having  a  thorough  quarterly  examination 
by  its  directors,  who  regularly  count  the  cash  and 
bonds,  inventory  the  notes  and  examine  its  ac- 
counts. 

Since  the  custom  of  receiving  money  on  de- 
posit for  interest  the  bank  has  annually  paid  large 
sums  to  its  depositors,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  it  amounted  to  more  than  twelve  thousand 
dollars  in  the  year  just  passed.  Upon  the  ist 
of  July,  1905,  it  paid  to  its  stockholders  the 
eighty-fifth  dividend.  Aside  from  having  paid 
from  its  earnings  all  expenses,  losses  and  pre- 
miums on  purchases  of  bonds  it  has  paid  to  the 
present  time  to  its  stockholders  dividends 
amounting  to  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-seven  dollars. 

To  determine  the  relative  strength  of  this  bank 
as  compared  with  that  of  other  institutions  of  a 


like  character  one  will  do  well  to  examine  the 
sworn  statements  which  are  made  not  less  than 
five  times  each  year  and  published  in  the  city 
papers  from  time  to  time.  You  will  note  that 
it  keeps  upon  hand  at  all  times  a  strong  reserve 
of  cash  and  in  banks  subject  to  demand  draft 
more  than  is  required  as  a  legal  reserve ;  and  also 
that  the  amount  of  its  bonds  are  large  and  of  the 
highest  character.  Its  officers  state  that  they 
have  never  purchased  any  bonds  except  for  in- 
vestment purposes  and  which  were  sold  to  them 
at  par  or  above.  The  reason  for  which  being 
that  there  may  be  no  question  of  prompt  pay- 
ment of  either  principal  or  interest. 

In  the  year  1898,  on  the  death  of  C.  P.  Chap- 
man, the  Hon.  Harry  Higbee  was  chosen  presi- 
dent and  is  so  continuing  at  the  present  time. 
R.  T.  Hicks,  who  is  cashier  at  the  present  time, 
has  been  connected  with  the  bank  since  May, 
1867,  first  as  assistant  cashier  and  for  the  past 
thirteen  years  as  its  cashier.  The  present  board 
of  directors  is  as  follows :  Hon.  Harry  Higbee, 
president ;  Augustus  Dow,  vice-president ;  Louis 
D.  Hirsheimer,  A.  J.  Lovell  and  M.  D.  King. 

Something  of  the  progress  of  the  bank  may  be 
determined  by  comparison  of  its  deposits  at  dif- 
ferent periods  during  the  past  fifteen  years.  On 
the  ist  of  January,  1891,  they  were  $170,693; 
ist  of  January,  1896,  $327,813;  January,  1901. 
$404,554:  January,  1905,  $709,934.  Its  pres- 
ent capital  stock  is  $100,000,  its  surplus  $25,000. 
its  undivided  profits  $58,536.84. 

The  present  stockholders  are  as  follows  :     Mrs. 

C.  L.   Higbee,   Mrs.   D.   D.   Hicks,   Mrs.   C.    P. 
Chapman,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Seeley,  Harry  Higbee,  Au- 
gustus Dow.  A.  J.  Lovell,  Louis  D.  Hirsheimer, 
M.  D.  King,  R.  T.  Hicks,  L.  A.  Chamberlain,  C. 
A.  Barber,  Sam  Hirsheimer,  Sr.,  Sam  Hirshei- 
mer, Jr.,  Isaac  Strauss,  Jacob  Strauss.  Mrs.  M. 

D.  King,  Mrs.  Augustus  Dow,  Charles  Shadel, 

E.  C.  Winans,  A.  W.  Plainer,  A.  B.  Carey,  Mrs. 

F.  M.  Lewis,  S.  G.  Shaw,  W.  H.  Vactor.  J.  K. 
Sitton,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Chamberlain,  J.  G.  Willsey. 
T.   X.    Hall.  W.  R.  Willsey,   May  Judcl.   II.  T. 
Duffickl  and  Phebe  Hyatt. 

The  bank  started  upon  its  third  period  of 
twenty  years  with  a  working  capital  three  times 
as  great  as  at  its  beginning,  with  no  entangling 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


3°9 


alliances,  with  no  accumulation  of  worthless  pa- 
per in  its  assets  and  the  liberal  training  and  large 
experience  of  its  officers,  backed  as  they  are  by 
an  extraordinarily  competent  board  of  directors, 
should  add  still  further  luster  to  its  past  good 
record. 


LYMAN  WARD. 

Lyman  Ward  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  Pleasant  V$e 
township,  on  which  he  has  recently  erected  a  fine 
residence,  making  this  one  of  the  best  improved 
and  most  attractive  homes  in  his  community.  He 
was  born  in  this  township  on  the  26th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1849,  ms  parents  being  John  and  Rhoda  (En- 
low)  Ward.  The  father  was  born  in  Allegany 
county,  Maryland,  June  17,  1816,  and  was  a  son 
of  Samuel  Ward,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a 
grandson  of  Abijah  Ward.  The  last  named  was 
a  millwright  by  trade  and  died  at  an  advanced 
age.  His  son,  Samuel  Ward,  wedded  Man- 
House,  of  Maryland,  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
House,  who  was  born  in  that  state  and  fought  for 
the  independence  of  the  colonies  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  In  early  pioneer  times  he  removed 
to  Ohio,  where  his  death  occurred.  His  wife  died 
in  Adams  county  at  the  advanced  age  of  nearly 
ninety  years.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Samuel  Ward  became  residents  of  Colum- 
biana  county,  Ohio,  where  they  spent  about  eleven 
years  and  then  went  to  Knox  county,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  for  a  similar  period.  In  1845  they 
arrived  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  on  sec- 
tion 36,  Pleasant  Vale  township,  their  home  being 
a  log  cabin.  In  the  same  year  while  on  a  trip 
to  Quincy  to  buy  land  Mr.  Ward  was  killed  by 
being  thrown  from  his  horse.  His  widow  sur- 
vived for  many  years,  passing  away  when  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  twelve 
children,  including  John  Ward,  the  father  of  our 
subject.  He  was  reared  in  Columbiana  and  Knox 
counties,  Ohio,  and  received  only  such  educational 
privileges  as  could  be  obtained  in  one  of  the  lit- 
tle log  schoolhouses  of  that  day.  After  arriving 
at  years  of  maturity  he  assumed  the  management 
of  his  father's  farm,  which  he  conducted  until 


about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  after- 
ward employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  a  time  and 
later  rented  land  until  1868,  when  he  invested  his 
savings  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section 
10,  Pleasant  Vale  township.  Two  years  later  he 
disposed  of  this  to  good  advantage  and  bought 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres,  of  which  forty- 
five  acres  were  in  Pleasant  Vale  township  and  the 
remainder  in  Atlas  township.  Upon  this  farm  he 
continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  death  and 
he  added  two  hundred  acres  to  the  original  pur- 
chase, so  that  his  place  was  an  extensive  one,  com- 
prising five  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres.  This 
land  is  very  productive  and  owing  to  his  cultiva- 
tion and  the  improvements  he  placed  upon  the 
property  he  developed  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the 
county.  His  life  was  one  of  untiring  industry 
and  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  fast- 
est workers  in  the  wheatfields  of  the  county.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican 
party  and  he  followed  in  the  religious  faith  of 
his  ancestors,  becoming  a  loyal  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  to  which  his  wife  also  be- 
longed. It  was  in  1842  that  he  married  Rhoda 
Enlow,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Enlow. 
She  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  in  1816.  Her 
parents  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Ireland  re- 
spectively and  the  former  died  in  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  and  the  latter  in.  Ohio.  For  many  years 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Ward  traveled  life's  journey 
happily  together,  but  both  have  now  passed  away, 
the  death  of  Mr.  Ward  occurring  when  he  was 
seventy-seven  years  of  age,  while  his  wife  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  In  their 
family  were  twelve  children,  of  whom  only  four 
are  now  living :  Lucinda  is  the  widow  of  James 
Francis,  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Lyman 
and  Julia  are  twins.  The  latter  is  the  widow  of 
Newton  Miller  and  resides  in  Atlas  township. 
Ella  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  L.  Duckworth  and  re- 
sides near  her  brother's  farm. 

Lyman  Ward  is  indebted  to  the  public-school 
system  of  Pike  county  for  the  educational  privi- 
leges he  enjoyed  in  his  youth.  He  began  life  as 
a  farmer  and  has  always  devoted  his  energies  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  save  for  a  brief  period  of 
three  years  which  was  passed  in  New  Canton, 
where  he  conducted  a  hotel.  He  removed  to  that 


3io 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


city  in  1895,  but  in  1898  returned  to  his  farm. 
He  now  owns  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land 
in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  where  he  resides.  This 
is  a  well  developed  farm  property,  giving  every 
indication  of  the  care  and  thrift  of  the  owner  in 
its  well  tilled  fields  and  excellent  improvements. 
In  1905  he  erected  one  of  the  best  residences  in 
the  township  and  its  tasteful  furnishings  and  gen- 
uine hospitality  make  it  a  very  attractive  home 
to  the  many  friends  of  the  family. 

On  the  ist  of  May,  1878,  Mr.  Ward  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Decker,  of 
Barry  township,  who  was  born  November  4,  1854, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Abner  and  Phoebe  (Nichols) 
Decker.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1818 
and  came  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  carried 
on  farming  in  Barry  township,  owning  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  very  rich,  productive  and 
well  improved  land.  His  wife  was  also  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  came  to  Fike  county  in  pioneer  days. 
They  were  married  here  and  resided  upon  a  farm 
until  1878,  when  Mr.  Decker  sold  his  land  in 
Barry  township  and  removed  to  Texas,  where 
both  he  and  his  wife  died  when  about  seventy 
years  of  age.  She  was  born  in  1820.  In  their 
family  were  ten  sons  and  two  daughters  and 
eight  of  the  number  are  now  living :  William,  who 
resides  near  Jacksonville,  Illinois ;  John,  Walter, 
Aaron,  Moses,  Joshua,  Mary  C.  and  Sarah  E.  In 
his  political  .affiliation  Mr.  Decker  was  a  demo- 
crat and  was  a  man  whose  fearless  defense  of  his 
honest  convictions  won  him  ,the  respect  and  good 
will  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  has  been 
blessed  with  two  daughters  and  a  son :  Bessie  L., 
who  was  born  August  12,  1879,  is  the  wife  of 
James  Rhodus;  Alta  M.,  born  September  15. 
1881,  is  the  wife  of  John  T.  Kendrick;  and  Ern- 
est H.,  born  November  16,  1884,  at  is  home.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Ward  is  an  earnest  repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  road  commissioner  and 
school  director,  filling  the  latter  position  for  some 
time.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp,  No.  1148,  at  New  Canton  and  to  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge,  No.  821.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Eastern  Star  and  holds  membership  relations 
with  the  Methodist  church.  Both  are  pleasant 
people,  highly  esteemed  and  their  circle  of  friends 


is   almost  co-extensive  with   the  circle  of  their 
acquaintance. 


CAPTAIN   BENJAMIN   L.   MATTHEWS. 

Captain  Benjamin  L.  Matthews,  son  of  John 
B.  and  Margaret  (Leach)  Matthews,  was  born 
December  15,  1806,  in  Rowan  county,  North  Car- 
olina. His  father  was  a  native  of  Rockingham 
county,  Virginia,  his  mother  of  North  Carolina. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Leach,  who 
was  of  Welch  descent.  Her  ancestors  emigrated 
to  North  Carolina  long  before  the  Revolution, 
in  which  they  took  an  active  part  on  the  side 
of  the  colonies.  Their  direct  paternity  also 
took  part  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  father 
of  J.  B.  Matthews,  the  grandfather  of  Ben- 
jamin, settled  in  Rockingham  county,  Vir- 
ginia, at  a  very  early  date.  He  also  took  an  active 
part  on  the  side  of  the  colonies  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution. 

John  B.  Matthews  was  among  the  very  earliest 
settlers  in  Pike  county,  having  settled  here  in 
1824.  Crossing  the  Illinois  river  at  Phillip's 
ferry,  he  settled  on  land  in  Flint  township,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming.  When  he  arrived,  many 
remnants  of  once  powerful  Indian  tribes  yet  re- 
mained and  this  was  a  part  of  their  favorite  hunt- 
ing ground.  He  said  that  five  hundred  Indians 
seen  in  one  gang  was  not  an  uncommon  sight. 
He  brought  with  him  a  family  of  a  wife  and  nine 
children:  Benjamin  L.  and  Clarissa,  who  were 
born  in  North  Carolina ;  John,  born  in  Kentucky ; 
James,  Nancy  and  Robert,  born  in  White  county, 
Illinois,  where  the  older  Matthews  emigrated  from 
Hopkinsville,  Kentucky,  in  1817;  two  more  chil- 
dren, Austin  and  Albert,  born  in  Pike  county,  Il- 
linois. All  of  these  are  dead  except  Albert,  who 
lives  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois. 

After  leaving  Flint  township  John  B.  Matthews 
lived  a  few  years  in  Griggsville  township,  then 
in  New  Salem  whence  he  moved  to  Perry,  where 
he  remained  until  near  the  time  of  his  death. 
His  wife,  Margaret  Leach  Matthews,  died  in 
1851,  and  John  B.  Matthews  went  to  Missouri 
to  reside  with  his  daughter,  Elvira,  at  Lancaster, 
where  he  died  in  1857. 

Captain  Matthews,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 


CAPT.   B    L    MATTHEWS 


0*  WE 


.UNOIS. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Kentucky  and  Illinois.  Qn  December  24,  1829,  he 
was  married  to  Minerva  Carrington,  daughter 
of  Asa  and  Lucinda  Carrington,  of  Kentucky. 
Mrs.  Matthews  died  October  15,  1841,  leaving 
a  family  of  four  children,  namely :  Martha,  Asa 
C,  Joseph  H.,  and  Lucinda  M.  Of  these,  two  are 
living,  Martha  and  Asa  C.  Mr.  Matthews  was 
married  a  second  time  to  a  Mrs.  Dean  Wattles 
and  there  were  born  to  this  marriage  two  children, 
Harriet  and  Mary,  one  of  whom,  Mrs.  Mary 
Chenoweth,  still  lives,  and  resides  in  Lathrop, 
Missouri.  He  was  again  married  in  1861  to  Miss 
Layton,  and  to  that  marriage  was  born  one  child, 
Anna  B.,  who  married  Alexander  Gregory  and 
lives  in  Marion,  Indiana. 

Captain  Matthews  permanently  located  near 
Perry,  after  his  first  marriage,  where  he  resided 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  2  ist  day  of  April,  1900,  at  the  age  of  ninety- 
three  years,  four  months  and  eleven  days,  and  was 
buried  in  the  McCord  cemetery,  near  Perry,  Il- 
linois. Up  to  1856  he  had  given  his  entire  at- 
tention to  farming  and  stock-raising  with  fairly 
good  success.  That  year,  he,  with  Cephas  Sim- 
mons, his  old  neighbor  and  friend,  built  the  first 
steam  and  grist  mill  built  in  Griggsville.  This 
enterprise  was  sold  out  in  a  few  years,  and  Cap- 
tain Matthews  then  returned  to  his  farm  near 
Perry. 

Captain  Matthews  was  a  republican  in  politics, 
formerly  a  whig.  During  the  Civil  war  he  took 
a  prominent  part  in  support  of  the  administration 
of  President  Lincoln.  He  recruited  Company 
IS,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  volunteers,  and  went  with 
it  to  the  field.  Physical  infirmity  overtook  him 
and  he  tendered  his  resignation  before  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  gloried  in  the  success  of  the  Union 
Army,  and  in  the  final  preservation  of  the  Union, 
with  those  who  were  permitted  to  remain,  until 
the  last  Confederate  surrendered.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  local  affairs ;  was  a  great  reader  of 
the  public  press;  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
board  of  supervisors;  and  before  the  Civil  war 
%vas  a  candidate  on  the  whig  ticket  for  the  legis- 
lature but  was  defeated  by  a  narrow  majority. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  personal  courage,  and 


always  stood  for  the  right  as  he  saw  the  right, 
without  fear  or  favor.  He  was  well  known 
throughout  the  county  and  was  universally  re- 
spected. His  voice  and  power  were  always  in 
favor  of  moral  measures;  he  never  used  tobacco 
nor  intoxicants  in  any  manner;  he  upheld  religion 
and  aided  materially  by  his  presence  in  the  build- 
ing up  and  progress  of  the  Methodist  church.  He 
was  an  active  member  for  over  seventy  years 
and  dkd  in  the  faith.  He  had  been  permitted 
to  live  far  beyond  the  usual  period  of  life.  He 
had  seen  his  family  grow  up  around  him,  and 
his  grandchildren  reach  manhood  and  woman- 
hood and  become  useful  citizens  in  life.  He  was 
never  very  poor  and  never  very  rich.  He  distrib- 
uted the  most  of  his  property  he  had  before  his 
death  among  his  children,  and  when  the  final 
summons  came  ^  he  was  prepared  to  meet  it,  and 
of  him  it  may  be  said, 

"When  he  had  toiled  to  the  summit, 

He  laid  his  burden  down; 
He  left  his  cross  on  the  hilltop, 
And  bowed  his  head  for  the  crown." 


THOMAS  A.  RETALLIC. 

Thomas  A.  Retallic,  the  extent  and  scope  of 
whose  interests  are  such  as  to  make  him  one  of 
the  prominent  and  representative  citizens  not  only 
of  Barry  but  of  Pike  count)',  is  conducting  a  mar- 
ble business,  is  also  president  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  and  is  engaged  in  real-estate  dealing. 
Watchful  of  opportunities  pointing  to  success  and 
utilizing  every  business  advantage  that  comes 
to  him,  he  has  so  directed  his  efforts  that  he  has 
prospered  and  at  the  same  time  made  a  reputa- 
tion which  is  unassailable.  His  life  record  began 
in  Perry  county,  Ohio,  on  the  3Oth  of  March, 
1854,  his  parents  being  Frank  and  Catharine 
(Fielty)  Retallic.  The  father  was  born  in  Corn- 
wall, England,  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred 
in  County  Donegal,  Ireland,  on  the  22d  of  May, 
1822.  Coming  to  America  in  childhood,  they 


314 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


were  married  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  It  was  in  1850 
that  Frank  Retallic  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents,  settling  in  Zanes- 
ville. He  had  been  educated  in  the  schools  of 
England  and  after  establishing  his  home  in  the 
Buckeye  state  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  coal 
miner.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  however, 
he  put  aside  all  business  and  personal  considera- 
tions in  order  that  he  might  aid  in  the  cause  of 
his  adopted  country  and  in  the  spring  of  1862  be- 
came a  member  of  Company  F,  One  hundred  and 
Twenty-second  Ohio  Regiment  of  Volunteers.  He 
was  wounded  in  battle  and  recovered  from  his  in- 
juries, but  later  became  ill  while  still  in  the  serv- 
ice of  his  country  and  died  August  8,  1864,  when 
thirty-five  years  of  age,  in  the  City  Point  Hos- 
pital in  Virginia.  His  political  support  was  given 
to  the  democracy.  His  widow,  long  surviving 
him,  passed  away  May  2,  1900,  on  the  seventy- 
eighth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  In  their  family 
were  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living : 
Thomas  A.,  of  this  review  ;  Kate,  the  wife  of  Au- 
gust Dulard,  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
Mary  F.,  the  wife  of  Andrew  Kern,  a  resident  of 
Montgomery  City,  Missouri;  and  George  B.,  who 
is  also  living  in  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Retallic,  whose  name  introduces  this  rec- 
ord, spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  native 
state  and  acquired  a  public-school  education 
there.  On  the  5th  of  April,  1870,  when  sixteen 
years  of  age,  he  left  New  Lexington,  Ohio,  and 
went  to  Washington  Court  House,  in  the  same 
state.  In  that  locality  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming  the  better  to  support  his  widowed 
mother.  After  two  years,  however,  he  returned 
to  New  Lexington,  where  he  began  to  learn  the 
trade  of  marble-cutting,  spending  three  years  at 
that  work  ere  he  again  left  New  Lexington.  He 
then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  for  a 
year  and  in  the  spring  of  1877  he  came  to  Barry, 
•  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  marble 
business.  He  has  built  up  a  good  trade  in  this 
line<  turning  out  a  fine  class  of  work,  and  his 
skill  and  ability  combined  with  his  reasonable 
prices  and  honorable  dealing  have  brought  him 
success  which  is  gratifying,  and  which  has  en- 
abled him  to  extend  his  efforts  to  other  lines  of 
business.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 


First  National  Bank  of  Barry  on  the  ist  of  May, 
1901,  and  from  the  beginning  has  been  its  presi- 
dent. This  has  become  a  sound  and  reliable  finan- 
cial institution,  doing  a  large  general  banking 
business.  Mr.  Retallic  is  also  president  of  the 
Barry  Real  Estate  Company,  which  has  recently 
completed  the  new  Barry  Hotel.  He  is  likewise 
president  of  the  Barry  Cement  Construction 
Company  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  erection  of  a 
fine  business  block  in  New  Canton,  and  is  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Park  Lawn  Cemetery,  of 
which  he  has  been  superintendent  and  secretary 
from  the  beginning.  A  man  of  resourceful  busi- 
ness ability  he  has  thus  extended  his  efforts  to 
various  lines.  He  forms  his  plans  readily,  is  de- 
termined in  their  execution  and  carries  forward 
to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes, 
so  that  his  efforts  have  been  of  direct  and  sub- 
stantial benefit  in  promoting  the  commercial  pros- 
perity of  the  city  as  well  as  in  advancing  his  in- 
dividual success. 

Mr.  Retallic  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Rad- 
cliff  while  still  a  resident  of  Ohio.  Her  death  oc- 
curred two  years  after  their  marriage  and  he 
later  wedded  Miss  Dora  Blair,  who  died  about 
eight  years  later.  Of  their  four  children  two 
are  now  living :  Frank  A.,  who  is  teller  in  the 
First  National  Bank  at  Barry ;  and  Adelle  M.,  the 
wife  of  George  C.  Barry,  a  resident  of  the  same 
city.  For  his  third  wife  Mr.  Retallic  chose  Anna 
Carroll,  who  died  a  year  later.  His  present  wife 
was  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  Mayes.  She  was  the  widow 
of  Charles  Mayes  and  they  had  one  child.  Vie, 
now  the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Johnson,  M.  D.,  of 
Barry. 

Mr.  Retallic  has  been  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  since  1880  and  is  now  past  mas- 
ter of  Barry  lodge,  No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
also  belongs  to  Barry  chapter,  No.  88,  R.  A.  M., 
of  which  he  has  been  principal  sojourner  for 
twenty-four  years.  He  likewise  affiliates  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  in  politics  he 
is  a  stanch  and  stalwart  democrat.  He  has  served 
as  mayor  of  the  city,  has  been  alderman  and 
township  trustee  and  still  further  political  honors 
have  been  conferred  upon  him.  for  in  1899  and 
1900  he  represented  his  district  in  the  forty-first 
general  assemblv  of  Illinois.  The  same  keen  in- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


315 


•ight  and  enterprising  spirit  which  have  been 
nanifest  in  his  business  -career  have  also  been  dis- 
>layed  in  his  political  activity  and  have  rendered 
lini  a  capable  officer.  His  devotion  to  the  general 
food  has  been  above  question  and  he  has  ever 
>laced  the  public  welfare  before  personal  gain, 
^is  keen  business  discernment  and  indefatiga- 
»le  diligence  have  been  the  salient  features  in  a 
areer  which  is  as  honorable  as  it  is  successful 
ind  he  is  also  richly  endowed  in  those  traits  of 
:haracter  which  win  personal  friendship  and 
•egard. 


N.  R.  SHULTZ. 

N.  R.  Shultz,  a  leading  business  man  and  finan- 
:ier  of  Pleasant  Hill,  who  for  years  was  a  pros- 
)erous  farmer,  stock-raiser  and  feeder  of  Pleas- 
mt  Hill  township,  but  is  now  engaged  in  the 
>anking  business,  is  numbered  among  the  old 
iettlers  of  this  part  of  Pike  county,  where  he  has 
•esided  for  a  half  century.  He  is  a  native  of 
Dhio,  having  been  born  in  Lancaster  county,  that 
itate,  January  17,  1850.  His  father,  Solomon 
shultz,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  when 
i  young  man  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  mar- 
•ied  to  Melvina  Taylor,  who  was  born  near  Co- 
umbus,  that  state.  For  a  number  of  years  Sol- 
>mon  Shultz  followed  farming  in'  the  Buckeye 
state  and  his  children  were  born  there.  In  1856 
ne  came  westward  to  the  Mississippi  valley,  first 
locating  in  Missouri,  but  later  in  the  same  year 
:ook  up  his  abode  in  Pike  county.  Illinois.  Here 
be  first  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
Df  land  on  the  southern  boundary  line  of  the 
county  and  began  to  farm  and  further  improve 
this  property.  Subsequently  he  purchased  more 
land  and  became  a  prosperous  agriculturist,  car- 
rying on  business  successfully  for  a  number  of 
years,  or  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  July, 
1867.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a  number  of 
years  and  passed  away  in  1885. 

X.  R.  Shultz  came  to  Pike  county  when  a  lad 
of  six  summers  and  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  remaining  with  his  mother  and 
caring  for  her  in  her  declining  days.  He  is  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  two  sons  and  one  daugh- 


ter, his  sister  being  Eliza  Shultz,  who  resides  in 
Los  Angeles,  California,  and  his  brother,  Thomas 
J.,  who  is  now  living  in  San  Antonio,  Texas.  The 
subject  of  this  review  early  became  familiar  with 
farm  labor  and  in  his  youth  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools,  but  he  is  largely  a  self-educated 
man,  having  greatly  broadened  his  knowledge 
through  experience,  reading  and  observation  since 
attaining  to  mature  years.  He  was  married  in 
this  county  in  March,  1885,  to  Miss  Fannie  Ous- 
ley,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Ousley,  an  early  set- 
tler of  Pike  county,  who  came  to  this  state  from 
Kentucky.  Mrs.  Shultz  was  born,  reared  and  ed- 
ucated in  Pike  county  and  remained  in  her  father's 
home  up  to  the  time  of  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Shultz  has  given  his  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  for  many  years  and  with  his  farm- 
ing has  made  a  business  of  raising,  feeding  and 
fattening  good  graded  stock,  which  he  thus  pre- 
pares for  the  market.  In  the  spring  of  1890  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  village  of  Pleasant  Hill 
and  has  remodeled  and  rebuilt  his  home  until  he 
has  a  very  neat  and  comfortable  residence.  He 
was  also  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Citizens' 
Bank  of  Pleasant  Hill  in  1903,  became  one  of  its 
large  stockholders  and  was  elected  and  is  still 
serving  as  the  president  of  the  bank.  A  good 
bank  building  was  erected  with  one  or  more  store- 
rooms also  on  the  ground  floor  and  offices  or 
lodgerooms  on  the  second  floor.  The  rooms  re- 
tained for  the  banking  business  are  large,  neat 
and  well  furnished  and  are  well  lighted  and  ven- 
tilated and  this  business  block  is  a  credit  to  the 
town  and  to  the  county.  The  Citizens'  Bank  has 
become  one  of  the  solid  financial  institutions  of 
Pike  county,  having  among  its  stockholders  men 
of  known  reliability  whose  names  carry  weight 
on  commercial  paper. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Shultz  has  been 
a  lifelong  democrat  where  national  issues  are  in- 
volved, but  at  local  elections  he  has  the  independ- 
ence to  cast  a  ballot  for  the  men  whom  he  re- 
gards as  best  qualified  for  office  without  consid  • 
ering  party  affiliation.  In  this  way  he  displays  a 
broad  mind  and  public  spirit  and  in  such  a  course 
rests  the  safety  of  politics  and  freedom  from  cor- 
rupt influences.  He  has  never  desired  ot  sought 
office  for  himself,  preferring  to  give  his  atten- 


3i6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


tion  to  his  extensive  business  interests.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  at 
Pleasant  Hill  and  also  holds  membership  relations 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen,  while  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Shultz  has 
been  a  resident  of  Illinois  and  Pike  county  for  a 
half  century  and  has  therefore  witnessed  much 
of  the  growth  and  development  of  this  part  of 
the  state,  while  his  interest  in  general  progress 
has  been  manifest  in  his  tangible  efforts  for  the 
public  good  in  Pleasant  Hill  and  this  part  of  the 
county.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  are  greatly  re- 
spected by  all  who  know  them  and  his  business 
career  commands  the  admiration  of  all,  for  it  is 
indicative  of  what  may  be  accomplished  through 

Smination  and  energy.    He  is  now  one  of  the 
landowners  of  the  county  and  in  addition 
has  financial  and  other  business   interests  of  an 
important  and  profitable  nature. 


XURRY  M.  INGALSBE. 

Xurry  M.  Ingalsbe,  who  for  forty-six  years 
has  been  a  resident  of  New  Salem,  was  born  in 
Washington  county,  New  York,  August  16,  1827, 
and  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Ebenezer  Ingals- 
be, his  great  grandfather,  who  was  a  resident  of 
Massachusetts.  Aaron  Ingalsbe,  the  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Shrewsbury,  Massachusetts,  June 
10,  1765,  and,  leaving  New  England,  removed 
to  Hartford,  New  York,  where  he  was  with  the 
Bumps,  the  first  settlers  of  that  town.  There, 
with  an  axe,  he  made  the  first  clearing,  cutting 
away  the  timber  from  a  small  field  back  of  the 
schoolhouse  at  the  log  village  which  is  now  called 
East  Hartford.  He  married  Polly  Hicks,  who 
was  born  January  5,  1773,  and  who  died  January 
5,  1853,  having  for  two  years  survived  her  hus- 
band, who  died  June  17,  1851. 

Belus  Ingalsbe,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  September  8,  1793,  in  Washington  county, 
New  York,  and,  having  arrived  at  years  of  matur- 
ity, was  married  to  Sally  Maynard,  whose  birth 
occurred  June  17,  1797.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  1814  and  they  resided  upon  a  farm  near 
Hartford,  New  York,  where  Belus  Ingalsbe  died 


September  2,  1880.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children  but  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  only 
one  now  living. 

Xurry  M.  Ingalsbe  was  reared  to  farm  life, 
acquired  a  common-school  education  and  in  early 
manhood  was  married,  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1850,  to  Miss  Belinda  H.  Owens,  who  was  born 
in  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  August  26,  1829. 
Before  coming  to  Illinois  they  lived  for  a  time 
in  Wisconsin.  In  1861  they  removed  to  Pike 
county,  settling  in  New  Salem,  and  thus  for  forty- 
six  years  Mr.  Ingalsbe  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
place.  As  the  years  passed  by' five  children  were 
added  to  the  family.  Gertrude  L.,  born  January 
28,  1852,  married  Samuel  Tedrow,  of  New  Sa- 
lem, and  they  have  six  children:  Maud,  the  wife 
of  Newton  Kaylor ;  Fannie,  who  married  David 
Smith;  Ross;  Myron;  Ferris;  and  Nola.  Ida  J. 
Ingalsbe,  the  second  member  of  the  family,  born 
October  13,  1853,  is  the  wife  of  Calvin  A.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Hale,  Missouri,  and  they  have  six  chil- 
dren :  Mina  J.,  the  wife  of  Harry  Preble ;  Came- 
lia,  the  wife  of  Jones  Sheridan,  of  New  York 
city;  Grace;  John;  James;  and  Bert.  Moses 
Belus,  born  March  16,  1855,  married  Emma  Pine 
and  they  have  had  four  children :  Linna,  the  wife 
of  Dr.  Samuel  Higgins,  of  Kansas ;  Truma, 
Xurry  M.,  deceased;  and  Richard.  Sally  Maria, 
born  September  10,  1857,  died  March  16,  1861. 
Thomas  Burr, -born  September  18,  1859,  married 
Emma  B.  Muriam  and  has  one  child,  Spencer. 
This  was  his  second  marriage  and  by  his  former 
marriage  he  had  a  daughter,  Nellie,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Robert  B.  Johnson  and  resides  at 
Norfolk,  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Ingalsbe  had  been  a  resident  of  Illinois 
for  but  a  brief  period  when  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  aid  to  preserve  the  Union, 
enlisting  August  22,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany K,  Ninty-Ninth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers, with  which  he  served  for  three  years  as 
a  wagoner.  He  hauled  provisions  and  amuni- 
tion  for  forty-three  days  at  Vicksburg.  He  was 
injured  at  Donaldsonville,  Louisiana,  in  the  right 
ankle  in  a  runaway  and  was  sent  to  the  marine 
hospital  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  for 
some  time.  In  that  city  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  April,  1865,  and  was  at  Memphis, 


MR.  AND  MRS.  X.  M.  INGALSBE 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


319 


Tennessee,  when  the  news  was  received  of  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 

Following  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Ingalsbe 
returned  to  his  home  in  Illinois  and  began  buying 
and  selling  horses  and  mules,  which  business  he 
followed  for  many  years.  He  afterward  bought 
a  farm  of  ninety-three  acres  which  he  now  owns 
and  which  adjoins  New  Salem,  but  he  is  not 
active  in  the  management  of  the  place, 
renting  the  land  to  his  son.  He  makes  his 
home  in  New  Salem,  where  he  has  a  fine 
residence  and  six  lots  and  he  is  now  living  in 
retirement  from  business,  enjoying  a  well  earned 
rest.  He  votes  with  the  republican  party,  having 
supported  each  presidential  candidate  of  that  or- 
ganization, his  first  vote  having  been  cast  for 
Fremont  in  1856.  In  community  affairs  he  is 
active  and  helpful  and  has  served  as  president  of 
the  village  board  of  New  Salem  in  former  years 
and  is  the  incumbent  at  the  present  time.  Any 
measure  tending  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
community  receives  his  endorsement  and  co- 
operation and  his  efforts  in  its  behalf  have  been 
far-reaching  and  beneficial.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  of  Pittsfield 
and  he  and  his  wife  are  devoted  members  of  the 
Methodist  church.  In  1904  they  celebrated  their 
fifty-fifth  wedding  anniversary,  an  occasion  long 
to  be  happily  remembered  by  all  who  participated 
therein.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingalsbe  are  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  th'em.  They 
now  have  four  living  children,  seventeen  grand- 
children and  six  great-grandchildren.  Their 
lives,  always  honorable  and  upright,  are  indeed 
worthy  of  emulation,  and  they  can  look  back  over 
the  past  without  regret. 


CEPHAS  M.  SIMMONS. 

Cephas  M.  Simmons,  who  at  one  time  was 
closely,  actively  and  prominently  connected  with 
business  interests  in  Pike  county,  but  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life,  was  born  April  4,  1845,  near 
Perry,  Pike  county.  His  father,  Cephas  Sim- 
mons, was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in  Bullitt 
county  on  the  3d  of  September,  1809,  and  was  the 
17 


eldest  son  and  third  child  of  Richard  and  Sophia 
Simmons,  who  were  pioneer  residents  of  that 
state.  They  underwent  the  usual  experiences 
which  come  to  those  who  settle  upon  the  frontier, 
save  perhaps  their  difficulties  and  dangers  were 
greater  than  were  experienced  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  because  the  Indians  were  so  ruthless 
and  remorseless  in  their  treatment  of  the  whites 
that  the  state  became  known  as  the  "dark  and 
bloody  ground."  There  were  also  wild  animals 
in  the  forests  and  the  district  was  so  far  removed 
from  the  older  towns  of  civilization  in  the  east 
that  there  was  little  market  for  the  products 
which  the.  settlers "»aised. 

Cephas  Simmon's;  who  was  one  of  a  family  of 
five  children,  was 'on4y  three  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  father's  death'.*  Later  Mrs.  Simmons 
again  married  but  survived  for  only  a  brief  pe- 
riod, her  death  occurring  in  1817,  only  five  years 
after  the  death  of  her  first  husband.  Cephas 
Simmons  was  then  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources. His  educational  privileges  were  limited 
and  he  had  no  capital  whatever  but  he  depended 
upon  the  safe  and  reliable  qualities  of  industry 
and  perseverance  to  gain  him  a  living.  In  1827 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  spent  the  succeeding  two 
years  with  his  uncle,  Enos  Simmons,  then  a  resi- 
dent of  Morgan  county.  During  that  period  he 
became  acquainted  with  and  wedded  Miss  Lucy 
Bradbury,  who  was  born  in  Clermont  county, 
Ohio,  in  1811,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Patience  Bradbury.  Mr.  Simmons  at  that  time 
owned  a  colt  and  two  calves,  which  constituted 
his  entire  possessions,  but  as  the  years  passed  by 
through  his  untiring  labor,  capable  management, 
economy  and  perseverance  he  accumulated  con- 
siderable wealth  and  was  the  owner  of  a  good 
business  block  in  Griggsville  besides  other  valu- 
able property  there.  As  the  years  passed  eight 
children  were  added  to  the  family,  namely :  D.  C. ; 
Jane;  Mary;  Harriet,  deceased;  Julia;  Cephas 
M. ;  Melissa,  deceased ;  and  Columbus.  Two  of 
the  sons  served  in  the  Civil  war,  D.  C.  Simmons 
volunteering  in  1861  for  three  years'  service. 
He  was  wounded  at  Perryville,  Kentucky,  and  he 
now  lives  in  Salem,  Nebraska.  The  father  also 
was  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  Union  cause  and 
was  ever  readv  to  assist  in  measures  calculated 


320 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


to  bring  about  a  speedy  suppression  of  the  rebel- 
lion. In  local  affairs  he  was  also  deeply  inter- 
ested and  he  gave  his  co-operation  to  many  move- 
ments for  the  general  good.  He  was  highly  re- 
spected by  his  fellow  citizens  for  his  straight- 
forward dealing  in  all  business  transactions  and 
for  his  fidelity  to  honorable  principles  through- 
out his  entire  life.  His  last  years  were  spent  in 
retirement  from  business  labor  in  an  attractive 
home  in  Griggsville,  where  he  died  December  26, 
1883.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  church,  with  which  he  was  connected  for 
seventy-four  years  and  his  wife  for  fifty-three 
years  and  in  that  faith  they  reared  their  children. 

Cephas  M.  Simmons,  having  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  attended  Bryant 
&  Stratton  Business  College  in  Chicago,  after 
which  he  returned  to  the  home  farm  in  Pike 
county,  whereon  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
marriage.  In  the  meantime  he  had  given  active 
aid  to  his  country,  enlisting  at  Griggsville  on  the 
5th  of  May,  1864,  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  In- 
fantry. He  then  went  to  Quincy  and  joined  his 
regiment,  serving  under  command  of  Captain 
Robert  B.  Robinson,  of  Barry,  Illinois.  The  regi- 
ment proceeded  southward  to  Memphis,  Tennes- 
see, where  Mr.  Simmons  was  on  picket  duty  for 
some  time.  On  the  aoth  of  August,  1864,  before 
daylight,  Forrest  made  his  raid  upon  the  Union 
troops  and  Mr.  Simmons  was  captured  with 
others  and  was  inarched  out  into  the  country. 
Owing  to  his  illness  at  the  time  of  his  capture  by 
Forrest  he  was  shortly  afterward  paroled  and 
later  returned  to  his  regiment,  with  which  he 
continued  until  honorably  discharged  with  the 
rank  of  second  corporal  on  the  24th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1864,  by  reason  of  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  service. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1867,  Mr.  Simmons 
was  married  to  Miss  M«ry  W.  Brakefield,  who 
was  born  June  9,  1847,  in  Griggsville  township. 
Pike  county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Carmer)  Brakefield,  who  were  mar- 
ried April  22.  1845.  ^er  father,  who  was  born 
in  England.  April  22,  1822,  passed  away  April 
26,  1873.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  county  of 
Kent  and  when  he  was  a  year  old  his  parents. 


Charles  and  Mary  Brakefield,  brought  him  to 
America,  settling  in  Clinton  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, whence  they  soon  afterward  removed  to 
Schenectady,  New  York. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  James  Brake- 
field  became  a  resident  of  Griggsville,  where  he 
followed  farming  and  broom  manufacturing.  In 
1845  ne  married  Elizabeth  Carmer,  who  was  born 
in  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  September  12,  1825,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Hunt)  Carmer, 
who  were  early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  coming 
here  in  1831  or  1832.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  New  York  city  and  her  mother  of  Philadel- 
phia. Mr.  Carmer  followed  farming  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  December, 
1862,  when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age,  while 
his  wife  died  in  August  previous.  In  March, 
1857,  James  Brakefield  embarked  in  merchandis- 
ing in  Griggsville  in  connection  with  J.  M.  Cran- 
dall,  but  after  three  years'  connection  with  com- 
mercial pursuits  he  returned  to  his  farm.  In  1866 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Levi  W.  Dix, 
but  in  1871  his  health  began  to  fail  and  he 
passed  away  on  the  26th  of  April,  1873.  He  was 
prominently  identified  with  the  interests  of  this 
county  and  was  a  worthy  and  respected  citizen. 
His  wife  died  May  34,  1900,  in  her  seventy-fifth 
year.  In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
eight  children:  Mary  W.,  born  June  9,  1847; 
Charles,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Henry  C.,  who  was 
born  April  26,  1851,  and  died  April  27.  1896,  at 
the  age  of  forty-five  years ;  Burton,  who  was 
born  November  25,  1854,  and  died  in  infancy: 
Lillie.  who  was  born  June  10,  1857.  and  died  in 
infancy :  Carrie,  who  was  born  September  7. 
1857,  and  died  in  infancy;  Lydia  C.,  born  August 
2.  1859:  and  Etta  J.,  born  February  28.  1866. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Simmons  of  this  review 
began  farming  on  his  own  account  in  Griggs- 
ville township  and  was  thus  engaged  for  about 
two  years.  He  then  conducted  a  livery  business 
for  two  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  turned  his 
attention  to  the  live  stock  commission  business  in 
St.  Louis.  Missouri.  There  he  remained  for 
three  years,  when  he  returned  to  Griggsville  and 
again  followed  farming  for  four  or  five  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  began  buying  hogs 
for  the  Meriden  Provision  Company  of  Meriden, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


321 


Connecticut,  and  was  with  that  company  for 
about  ten  years.  The  firm  was  Bartholomew  & 
Coe,  and  when  they  dissolved  business  Mr.  Coe 
became  connected  with  Swift  &  Company.  They 
then  organized  the  Mervin  Provision  Company, 
located  at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and  Mr.  Sim- 
mons engaged  in  buying  hogs  for  that  company 
in  Pike,  P>rown  and  Scott  counties,  Illinois,  for 
about  five  years.  In  1901,  however,  he  retired 
from  business  and  has  since  enjoyed  a  well  earned 
rest,  giving  his  attention  simply  to  the  super- 
vision of  his  farm  property. 

Mr.  Simmons  has  figured  very  prominently  in 
public  life  in  Griggsville  and  his  efforts  have 
been  of  value  in  the  promotion  of  community  in- 
terests. He  has  filled  the  office  of  mayor,  of  al- 
derman and  supervisor  and  for  four  years  was 
a  member  of  the  state  board  of  agriculture.  He 
has  also  been  president  of  the  Illinois  Valley 
Fanners'  Association  for  fifteen  years  and  has 
done  much  to  further  agricultural  interests  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  He  belongs  to  the  Baptist 
church  and  gives  his  political  support  to  the  re- 
publican party.  His  life  has  been  active  and  up- 
right, his  actions  manly  and  sincere  and  in  all 
relations  he  has  won  and  merited  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  his  fellowmen.  He  belongs  to 
an  honored  pioneer  family  of  the  state  and  the 
name  of  Simmons  has  ever  been  a  synonym  for 
sincerity  and  fair  dealing. 


JOHN  E.  MORTON. 

John  E.  Morton,  who  has  been  connected  in 
various  ways  with  business  interests  in  Perry  and 
Pike  county,  contributing  to  general  progress 
and  prosperity  as  well  as  to  his  individual  suc- 
cess, is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  rfsidents  of 
this  part  of  the  state.  His  birth  occurred  in  Todd 
county,  Kentucky,  on  the  Qth  of  September,  1832, 
his  parents  being  Charles  M.  and  Mary  L.  (Haw- 
kins) Morton,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. The  father  was  born  in  1798  and  on  the 
28th  of  January,  1825,  wedded  Miss  Hawkins, 
whose  birth  occurred  June  14,  1802.  She  died 
February  19,  1834,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years, 


passing  away  in  Adams  county,  Illinois.  By  this 
marriage  there  were  four  children :  Ann  P.,  who 
was  born  January  21,  1826,  and  was  married  De- 
cember 19,  1844,  to  George  Terrille,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty'  years,  while  his  wife  now  lives  in 
Quincy;  Joseph  L.,  born  January  31,  1828,  died 
September  i,  1848;  Mary  Jane,  born  April  21, 
1830,  married  Oscar  Proctor,  December  27,  1853. 
John  Edmond,  of  this  review,  was  the  youngest 
child  of  the  father's  first  marriage.  After  losing 
his  first  wife  Mr.  Morton  was  married  Septem- 
ber 17,  1835,  to  Nancy  Vernon,  who  was  born 
March  3,  1804. 

It  was  in  the  year  1832  that  Charles  M.  Mor- 
ton purchased  a  farm  in  Illinois  and  the  follow- 
ing year  he  removed  with  his  family  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Adams  county,  settling  at  Newtown, 
about  four  miles  from  Payson.  The  journey  was 
made  by  teams  and  there  were  five  families  in  the 
party — the  Kays,  Bernards,  Tandeys,  Graves  and 
Mortons.  Mr.  Morton  located  in  Burton  town- 
ship, Adams  county,  where  he  first  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  Subsequently 
he  bought  forty  acres  more  which  was  wild  and 
unimproved  and  there  he  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing. His  market  at  that  time  was  Quincy  and 
there  was  little  money  in  circulation  in  the  west. 
He  obtained  merchandise  for  his  wheat  and  man- 
aged to  sell  his  pork  for  enough  money  to  pay 
his  taxes.  The  family  shared  in  all  the  hardships 
and  trials  incident  to  pioneer  life  and  as  the  years 
went  by  developed  a  very  productive  property. 
Mr.  Morton  served  as  town  clerk  and  he  gave 
his  political  allegiance  to  the  whig  party.  He 
held  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and  was 
a  man  of  genuine  personal  worth,  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him.  He  departed  this  life  July  I, 
1874,  in  his  seventy-seventh  year,  and  his  second 
wife  died  April  23,  1880,  also  in  her  seventy- 
seventh  year.  The  children  of  the  second  mar- 
riage were:  Harriet  A.,  who  was  born  June  15, 
1836.  and  was  married  July  15,  1869,  to  Clinton 
E.  King ;  George  William,  who  was  born  Decem- 
ber 14,  1837,  and  died  December  4,  1838;  Henry 
Clay,  who  was  born  May  8,  1839,  and  was  mar- 
ried February  9,  1860,  in  Missouri  to  Jane  Light- 
foot  ;  James  Edgar,  who  was  born  January  4, 
1841,  and  died  August  18,  1861  ;  and  Christiana 


322 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Virginia,  who  was  born  December  21,  1842,  and 
was  married  October  22,  1868,  to  Granville  Book- 
out.  All  have  passed  away. 

John  E.  Morton,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Adams  county  and  was  there  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  amid  the  environments  of  pioneer  life, 
sharing  with  the  family  in  the  hardships  and 
trials  incident  to  settlement  upon  a  frontier  and 
aiding  in  the  arduous  work  of  developing  a  new 
farm.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  at  Newtown,  Illinois, 
from  1858  to  1861.  He  was  associated  with  his 
father-in-law,  Ezekiel  C.  Brown,  under  the  firm 
style  of  Brown  &  Morton,  and  previous  to  the 
organization  of  this  partnership  Mr.  Brown  had 
carried  on  business  in  Newtown  with  Thomas 
Tripp  under  the  firm  style  of  Brown  &  Tripp 
for  three  or  four  years.  Having  disposed  of  hi.= 
store,  Mr.  Morton  conducted  the  Perry  Springs 
Hotel  until  1864  and  in  the  winter  of  1865  em- 
barked in  merchandising  at  Perry  under  the  firm 
style  of  Morton,  Oat  &  Kellogg.  They  con- 
ducted a  general  mercantile  enterprise  until  1867, 
when  they  closed  out  and  Mr.  Morton  turned  his 
attention  to  the  lumber  and  grain  business.  After 
a  time  he  extended  the  field  of  his  operations  to 
pork  packing,  in  which  he  continued  until  1870. 
In  that  year  his  grain  warehouse  and  lumber  yard 
were  destroyed  by  fire  and  in  order  to  recuperate 
his  losses  Mr.  Morton  went  to  Kansas,  where  he 
spent  the  succeeding  three  years.  In  1874  he  re- 
turned to  Perry,  however,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  insurance  business  for  some  time,  but  for  the 
past  ten  years  has  conducted  an  undertaking  busi- 
ness. 

On  the  2$th  of  March,  1855,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  John  E.  Morton  and  Miss  Emily  Jane 
Brown,  who  was  born  March  30,  1838,  and  was 
a  daughter  of  Ezekiel  C.  and  Clarinda  (Sly) 
Brown,  both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared  in 
Ohio.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  that  state 
December  15,  1831.  Mr.  Brown  was  born  April 
24,  1803,  and  his  wife  on  the  5th  of  January,  1811. 
Following  their  marriage  they  came  to  Illinois  in 
1840  and  were  afterward  identified  with  business 
interests  in  this  part  of  the  state.  Mr.  Brown  was 
a  cooper  by  trade  and  bought  a  farm  in  Payson 


township,  Adams  county,  following  his  removal 
to  Illinois.  There  he  resided  until  1861,  when  he 
came  to  Pike  county  and  purchased  the  Perry 
Springs  Hotel.  Mr.  Morton  came  to  Pike  county 
at  the  same  time  and  they  conducted  the  hotel  to- 
gether during  the  years  1862  and  1863.  The  fol- 
lowing year  they  sold  the  springs  and  the  hotel 
to  the  firm  of  Watson  &  Company  of  Spring- 
field and  Mr.  Brown  then  purchased  a  farm  west 
of  Perry  known  as  the  Dexter  place,  upon  which 
he  lived  for  a  few  years,  when  he  again  took  up 
his  abode  in  the  village  of  Perry.  He  spent  three 
years  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  from  1871  until  1874, 
when  he  returned  to  Pike  county  and  lived  upon 
his  farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  March 
8,  1876.  His  wife  passed  away  July  28,  1889. 
They  were  devoted  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  in  early  life  Mr.  Brown  gave  his  po- 
litical allegiance  to  the  whig  party. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morton  were  born  the  fol- 
lowing named :  Charles  Cooper,  the  eldest,  died 
December  24,  1857.  Venie  Luff  was  married 
October  17,  1878,  to  William  Marden  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  three  children : 
Charles  Morton,  Mabel  Emily  and  Roy  Marden. 
Frankie  Albert  died  November  12,  1862.  Mary 
Clarinda  and  Fannie  Williams  Morton  are  at 
home. 

Mr.  Morton  of  this  review,  long  recognized  as 
an  enterprising  citizen  of  Pike  county,  has  been 
called  to  a  number  of  public  offices.  He  served 
as  supervisor  of  his  township  from  1863  until 
1865  inclusive  and  has  been  justice  of  the  peace 
for  the  past  twenty  years  or  more.  He  was  made 
a  member  of  Kingston  lodge,  No.  266,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  at  Kingston,  Adams  county,  Illinois,  March 
18,  1861,  and  by  demit  joined  Perry  lodge,  No.  95, 
on  the  4th  of  February,  1865.  He  has  acted  as 
master  of  this  lodge  for  several  terms  and  he  also 
belongs  to  Perry  chapter,  No.  135,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
has  filled  the  office  of  high  priest  for  several 
terms.  At  the  present  time  he  is  one  of  the  grand 
lecturers  of  the  state  and  on  several  different  oc- 
casions he  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodge. 
He  served  for  three  years  as  deputy  grand  mas- 
ter of  the  twentieth  district  and  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  the  grand  chapter.  He  takes  a  most  ac- 
tive and  helpful  interest  in  Masonic  work  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


323 


has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  fraternity  in  Illi- 
nois. He  also  holds  membership  relations  with 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  ever  been  a  stalwart  republican,  cast- 
ing his  first  presidential  ballot  for  John  C.  Fre- 
mont. He  was  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  in  1840  at 
the  time  of  the  Harrison  campaign  and  saw  the 
processions  with  their  cider  barrels  and  gourds 
and  wagons  decorated  with  coonskins,  while 
Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too"  was  the  rallying  cry 
of  the  whigs.  His  life  has  been  an  honorable  and 
upright  one  characterized  by  manly  principles 
and  straightforward  conduct  and  he  has  never 
been  known  to  utter  an  oath  in  the  seventy-three 
years  of  his  life.  In  his  business  career  he  has 
been  active  and  energetic  and  has  never  been 
known  to  take  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his 
fellowmen  in  any  trade  transaction. 


LYMAN  SCOTT. 

Lyman  Scott,  who  for  many  years  was  closely 
'associated  with  the  industrial  and  commercial 
development  of  Pike  county,  was  a  son  of  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Dinsmore)  Scott,  who  occupied 
a  comfortable  home  at  Litchfield,  Herkimer 
county,  New  York.  The  father  was  b6rn  in  1763 
and  remained  a  resident  of  the  Empire  state 
until  the  middle  of  March,  1818,  when  he  left 
for  what  was  then  known  as  "the  far  west."  The 
party  traveled  by  sleighs  to  the  head  of  the 
Ohio  river  and  thence  proceeded  down  that  stream 
on  flatboats  to  Cairo.  They  had  to  cordell  the 
Mississippi  river  to  St.  Louis — that  is,  to  go  along 
the  river  bank  in  front  of  the  flatboat  and  pull 
it  up  the  stream.  It  was  before  the  era  of  steam 
navigation  and  after  a  slow  and  tedious  journey 
Mr.  Scott  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
where  the  city  of  East  St.  Louis  now  stands,  the 
date  being  July  4,  1818.  St.  Louis  was  at  that 
time  but  a  small  French  village.  Mr.  Scott  died 
in  1825  and  was  buried  at  Harrisonville,  Monroe 
county,  Illinois,  while  his  widow  later  passed 
away  in  Naples,  Scott  county,  Illinois.  The  sons 
and  daughters  who  survived  the  father  were : 
Lyman,  of  this  review;  Mrs.  Pleuma  Chamber- 


lain ;  Mrs.  Harriet  Wiswell ;  Caroline,  the  wife  of 
Judge  William  Thomas,  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois; 
Mrs.  Louisa  Reeve;  Mrs.  Lucy  D.  Wills; 
Mrs.  Phinelia  B.  Gorbutt,  who  afterward 
married  George  T.  Purkett;  and  Lodema 
H.  Scott,  who  was  born  February  7,  1818,  and 
is  still  living  at  Princeton.  Illinois. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  his  father  Ly- 
man Scott  took  upon  himself  the  care  of  the  family 
and  in  a  short  time  he  removed  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  to  Herculaneum,  Missouri,  where 
he  engaged  in  lead  mining,  gaining  therefrom 
a  comfortable  competencey  but  afterward  losing 
it  in  litigation.  The  owner  of  the  mines  closed 
them,  allowing  no  person  to  mine  lead.  Mr.  Scott 
went  secretly  to  the  mines  and  took  out  the  ore 
by  night.  He  was  suspected,  a  survey  was  or- 
dered and  made,  but  men  in  Mr.  Scott's  employ 
trailed  powder  through  the  mine,  snatched  the 
engineer's  papers  and  stamped  them  in  the  mud, 
after  which  they  touched  off  the  trail  of  powder 
which  made  the  mine  too  smoky  for  the  further 
work  of  the  engineers.  Afterward  a  compromise 
was  effected,  by  which  Mr.  Scott  realized  enough 
to  purchase  the  farm  between  Rockport  and  Atlas 
on  sections  17,  20,  21,  28,  29  and  30  in  Atlas 
township,  which  is  still  known  to  the  older  resi- 
dents as  the  Scott  farm,  although  it  has  been 
divided  and  is  now  owned  by  several  parties. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Scott  was  married  to  Char- 
lotte E.  Ross,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Leonard 
Ross,  who  won  his  title  by  service  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  he  came  to  Pike  county  about  1850. 
In  the  year  1832  he  built  the  large  brick  house  on 
the  Scott  farm,  now  owned  by  Charles  Gay. 

Mr.  Scott  was  the  leading  pork  packer  in  Pike 
county  at  an  early  day  and  was  also  engaged  in 
merchandising.  In  the  year  1836  he  laid  out  the 
town  of  Rockport  and  the  same  year  in  connec- 
tion with  Colonel  William  Ross,  his  wife's  uncle, 
he  erected  a  gristmill  at  Rockport  imder  the  firm 
name  of  Ross,  Scott  &  Company.  They  also  built 
the  mill  dam  and  likewise  a  bridge  across  the  sny, 
Ecarte  slough,  almost  or  quite  on  top  of  the  dam. 
They  likewise  built  a  sawmill  and  both  mills  were 
operated  by  water  power.  About  the  year  1844 
he  built  the  residence  of  the  late  David  W.  Deam 
at  Summer  Hill  for  a  summer  residence  and  for  a 


324 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


number  of  years  he  kept  a  fine  park  there  with 
quite  a  large  number  of  deer  confined  therein. 
On  the  nth  of  March,  1845,  he  laid  out  the  town 
of  Summer  Hill  on  section  13,  Atlas  township, 
and  deeded  the  lot  on  which  the  Congregational 
church  now  stands  to  the  trustees  of  the  church 
and  became  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  He 
also  gave  a  lot  and  built  a  schoolhouse  at  Summer 
Hill  known  as  the  old  red  schoolhouse,  after 
which  he  employed  a  teacher  and  when  the  par- 
ents were  too  poor  to  buy  books  for  their  children 
he  also  supplied  this  want.  About  1850  the 
original  schoolhouse  became  too  small  to  accommo- 
date all  the  scholars  and  he  made  the  proposition 
to  his  neighbors  that  they  should  raise  all  the 
money  that  they  could  and  he  would  give  as  much 
more  and  have  a  good  scKoolhouse  built.  The 
structure  was  erected  but  the  money  raised  was 
not  enough  to  finish  it,  so  Mr.  Scott  supplied  what 
was  still  needed  in  addition  to  having  already 
given  one-half  of  the  amount. 

It  was  Mr.  Scott's  pork-packing  interests  at 
Rockport  that  later  caused  him  heavy  losses.  He 
conducted  the  business  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Scott  &  Whiting  and  they  borrowed  large 
amounts  of  money  for  those  times  in  order  to  buy 
pork.  Leaving  for  New  Orleans  on  a  business 
trip  Mr.  Scott  instructed  his  partner  to  sell  their 
pork,  but  Mr.  Whiting  thinking  the  price  would 
raise  did  not  sell.  Instead  the  price  went  down 
and  upon  Mr.  Scott's  return  he  found  that  all  of 
his  accumulations  had  been  practically  swept 
away.  He  wrote  to  each  of  his  creditors  concern- 
ing his  financial  condition  and  set  a  day  for  them 
to  meet  him  at  Rockport  to  devise  means  for  a 
settlement  that  would  be  just  to  all.  The  cred- 
itors appeared  and  Mr.  Scott,  who  had  made  a  list 
of  all  of  his  indebtedness  and  a  list  of  his  assets, 
said  "Gentlemen,  here  is  what  I  owe,  and  here  is 
what  I  have  to  pay  it  with.  Give  me  time  without 
distressing  me  and  I  will  pay  you  all,  dollar  for 
dollar  with  interest,  or  take  all  I  have  and  release 
me  in  full."  He  also  said,  "I  am  a  very  busy  man. 
I  will  give  you  two  hours  to  deliberate  as  to  what 
.you  think  is  best  to  do.  I  will  then  return  for  your 
answer."  On  his  return  the  creditors  took  his 
property  and  released  him.  After  some  years  Mr. 
Scott  again  came  to  the  front  financially  through 


his  business  capacity,  frugality,  close  attention, 
untiring  energy  and  strict  integrity.  By  those 
who  know  him  his  word  was  considered  as  good 
as  any  bond  solemnized  by  signature  or  seal. 

After  giving  up  everything  Mr.  Scott  met  the 
man  who  had  taken  his  mill  in  the  division  of  the 
property  and  he  offered  it  for  sale  at  a  great  bar- 
gain. On  asking  Mr.  Scott  if  he  knew  of  any 
person  who  would  like  to  become  a  purchaser,  he 
replied,  "Yes,  I  would  like  the  mill  if  I  could 
find  a  way  to  pay  for  it,  and  I  believe  I  have  a 
friend  in  St.  Louis  who  will  loan  me 
the  money  to  buy  the  mill."  Finally  he 
persuaded  the  new  owner  to  go  with  him 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  succeeded  in  bor- 
rowing the  money  on  his  individual  note  with- 
out security  and  thus  he  paid  for  the  mill.  He  also 
built  -^  flatboat  to  carry  freight  to  and  from  the 
river  in  times  of  high  water  and  he  built  ware- 
houses on  the  bank  of  the  Sny  near  where  Gilgal 
church  now  stands  at  the  head  of  the  canal  slough, 
which  extended  from  there  to  the  river  at  Scott's 
landing.  This  warehouse  was  for  storing  freight 
at  times  when  he  could  not  get  to  the  river.  There 
was  a  steamboat  landing  called  Scott's  Landing 
or  Gilgal  which  did  a  flourishing  business  until 
the  railroad  took  the  trade  away  and  since  that 
time  it  has  utterly  disappeared. 

Leaving*  Pike  county  Mr.  Scott  removed  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  invented  what  is  known  as 
Scott's  little  giant  corn  and  cob  mill,  used  for 
making  meal  out  of  ear  corn.  This  machine  was 
manufactured  under  the  firm  name  of  Scott  & 
Hedges,  but  soon  tiring  of  the  business  Mr.  Scott 
sold  out  to  his  partner,  Isaac  A.  Hedges,  and  in 
the  early  5o's  removed  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
owning  large  tracts  of  land  in  that  locality  in 
addition  to  his  real  estate  in  Pike  county.  He 
became  a  prominent  and  influential  resident  of 
the  Sunflower  state  and  was  elected  to  the  Kansas 
legislature  at  the  time  that  John  Brown,  of  Har- 
per's Ferry,  was  inciting  settlers  to  resistance  of 
the  slavery  element.  After  serving  for  one  term 
in  the  legislature  Mr.  Scott  was  re-elected  and 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  questions  which  agi- 
tated the  country  at  that  time.  He  was  also  a 
stanch  temperance  advocate  and  often  made  tem- 
perance speeches  in  various  towns.  One  of  his 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


325 


peculiarities  was  that  he  would  not  sell  a  man 
anything  if  he  knew  he  made  his  money  by  sell- 
ing intoxicating  liquors. 

Mr.  Scott  passed  away  about  1864,  survived  by 
his  wife,  Mrs.  Qiarlotte  E.  Scott,  and  several 
children,  namely :  Vesta  Elizabeth,  who  became 
Mrs.  Naylor  and  afterward  married  Gilbert  N. 
Lee,  who  is  also  deceased ;  Lucien  Scott ;  Mrs. 
Idalia  Weed;  Mrs.  Viola  Baker;  Mrs.  Buena  V. 
Graybill ;  and  Mrs.  Kate  Vanderwerker.  Mr. 
Scott  was  universally  beloved  by  the  young  peo- 
ple, who  always  found  him  companionable  and  at 
the  same  time  recognized  in  him  a  safe  and  wise 
counselor,  who  always  had  time  to  listen  to  their 
troubles  or  hear  the  story  of  their  interests.  Al- 
though at  times  he  suffered  reverses  in  his  busi- 
ness career  his  record  was  such  as  any  man  might 
be  proud  to  possess  because  at  all  times  it  was 
characterized  by  honesty  and  integrity  of  purpose 
and  overcoming  the  obstacles  that  barred  his  path 
in  again  working  his  way  upward,  and  left  a 
competency  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  or 
more  to  his  family.  His  business  activity  in  Pike 
county  forms  an  integral  chapter  in  the  early 
history  of  this  part  of  the  state. 


TAMES  H.  RAINWATER,  M.  D. 

Dr.  James  H.  Rainwater  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  New  Canton 
and  the  consensus  of  public  opinion  concerning 
his  skill  and  ability  is  very  favorable  so  that  he 
is  accorded  a  liberal  patronage.  He  was  born 
in  Somerset,  Pulaski  county.  Kentucky,  Decem- 
ber ii,  1858.  his  parents  being  John  and  Sarah 
(Porter)  Rainwater.  The  father's  birth  occurred 
in  the  same  county  on  the  5th  of  October,  1838. 
while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  near  Detroit,  on  the  26th  of  September, 
1842.  They  were  married  in  Pulaski  county, 
Kentucky,  December  3.  1857,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1860  they  removed  to  Piatt  county,  Illinois,  where 
Air.  Rainwater,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  secured 
a  tract  of  land  which  he  continued  to  cultivate 
and  improve  until  July.  1862.  He  then  enlisted 
for  service  as  a  member  of  Company  D.  Seventy- 


third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  and  with  the 
boys  in  blue  went  to  the  front.  He  gave  his  life 
in  defense  of  his  country,  passing  away  in  the 
hospital  at  Xashville,  Tennessee,  on  the  6th  of 
February,  1863.  His  wife  long  survived  him  and 
died  on  the  gth  of  February,  1892.  In  their 
family  were  three  children,  of  whom  Mary  F. 
died  in  infancy.  The  others  are :  James  H.,  of 
this  review;  and  Enoch  J.,  a  resident  of  this 
county.  He  was  born  January  27,  1861,  is  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  for  some  time  resided 
in  Lincoln  county,  Illinois,  but  recently  sold  his 
farm  there  and  in  February,  1906,  removed  to 
this  county.  He  married  Anna  Foote,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

Dr.  James  H.  Rainwater  was  reared  in  his 
mother's  home,  having  lost  his  father  when  not 
yet  five  years  of  age.  His  early  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  schools,  while  his  profes- 
sional training  was  received  in  the  University  of 
Missouri,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1889.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
started  out  upon  an  independent  business  career 
as  a  teacher  in  Pike  county  and  successfully  fol- 
lowed that  profession  for  ten  years,  being  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  capable  educators  of  his  part 
of  the  state. .  He  regarded  this,  however,  merely 
as  an  initial  step  to  other  professional  labor  and 
desiring  to  become  a  member  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity he  began  reading  to  this  end  and  later 
matriculated  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Missouri,  known  as  the  Missouri 
Medical  College,  from  which,  on  completion  of 
the  regular  course,  he  was  graduated  as  before 
stated.  On  the  7th  of  March,  1889,  he  located  for 
practice  in  New  Canton,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. He  soon  demonstrated  his  ability  to 
cope  with  the  intricate  problems  which  continu- 
ally confront  the  physician  in  his  effort  to  restore 
health  and  strength.  He  is  a  student,  discrimi- 
nating and  accurate,  and  is  quick  to  adopt  new 
and  improved  methods  which  promise  to  be  of 
practical  value  in  his  professional  duties.  At  the 
same  time  he  is  slow  to  discard  old  and  time-tried 
methods,  the  value  of  which  have  been  proverr. 
His  practice  has  grown  steadily  both  in  volume 
and  importance  and  the  medical  fraternity  recog- 


326 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


nizes  his  worth  and  ability  and  honors  him  for 
his  adherence  to  a  high  standard  of  professional 
ethics.  He  belongs  to  the  Pike  County  and  Illi- 
nois State  Medical  Societies  and  also  to  the  Na- 
tional Medical  Association. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1884,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Dr.  Rainwater  and  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Crews,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  are  now  living:  Pearl,  who 
was  born  September  30,  1885,  and  is  engaged  in 
teaching  school ;  Fern,  born  August  4,  1893,  and 
now  a  public-school  student;  and  Russell,  born 
October  7,  1898.  The  second  child,  Merle,  born 
June  27,  1891,  passed  away  on  the  2Oth  of  Sep- 
tember, 1892.  Mrs.  Rainwater  was  a  daughter 
of  Fleming  H.  and  Elizabeth  (White)  Crews, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Missouri,  in  which 
state  they  were  reared  and  married  and  all  of 
their  children  were  born  there.  In  later  years, 
however,  they  came  to  Illinois  and  the  father's 
death  occurred  'in  New  Canton  on  the  gth  of 
•April,  1891,  when  he  was  sixty-seven  'years  of 
age.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Christian  church 
and  exerted  a  strong  and  beneficial  influence  in 
behalf  of  that  denomination.  He  removed  from 
Missouri  to  Illinois  in  1871,  settling  first  in  New 
Hartford,  Pike  county,  and  afterward  living  in 
Rockport,  this  county.  He  later  took  up  his 
abode  in  New  Canton,  where  his  last  years  were 
passed.  His  widow  still  survives  and  now  makes 
her  home  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rainwater.  In  their 
family  were  four  daughters  and  two  'sons, 
namely:  Andrew,  who  married  Miss  Mary  Hos- 
ford ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Card ;  S.  W., 
who  wedded  Miss  Ida  Sigler ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Rain- 
water; Elizabeth,  deceased;  and  Lucretia,  the 
wife  of  Harry  A.  Massie. 

Dr.  Rainwater  belongs  to  New  Canton  lodge. 
No.  821,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  which  was  organized 
in  1892  and  of  which  he  became  first  master.  He 
also  belongs  to  Elm  camp,  No.  1148,  M.  W.  A., 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  rela- 
tions with  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  Mrs. 
Rainwater  holds  membership  in  the  Christian 
church  and  the  Doctor  contributes  liberally  to  its 
support  and  is  interested  in  its  work.  In  politics 
he  favors  principles  rather  than  party  and  casts 
a  somewhat  independent  ballot.  Having  been 


brought  to  Illinois  at  an  early  age  he  has  resided 
continuously  in  Pike  county  with  the  exception 
of  a  brief  period  between  1864  and  1867,  which 
he  passed  in  Kentucky.  He  then  returned  to  Illi- 
nois and  has  since  lived  in  Pike  county,  where  he 
has  made  a  creditable  name  in  a  profession  where 
advancement  depends  entirely  upon  individual 
merit  and  capability.  With  conscientious  regard 
for  the  obligations  that  devolve  upon  him  he 
faithfully  performs  his  duties  day  after  day  and 
is  now  known  as  one  of  the  foremost  representa- 
tives of  the  medical  fraternity  here. 


RANSOM  KESSINGER. 

Ransom  Kessinger  is  one  of  the  venerable  and 
honored  citizens  of  Pike  county,  now  residing 
in  Pearl  township,  and  his  landed  possessions, 
comprising  over  one  thousand  acres,  indicates  a 
life  of  intense  and  well  directed  activity.  .Now 
at  the  advanced  age  of  'eighty-two  years  he  is 
living  retired,  enjoying  the  fruit  of  his  former 
toil  in  a  comfortable  home.  Investigation  into 
his  life  history  shows  that  his  success  has  been 
worthily  won  and  that  straightforward  business 
methods  constitute  the  basis  of  his  success.  More- 
over, he  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  residents 
of  the  state,  for  almost  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed  within  its  borders,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred upon  his  father's  farm,  in  Scott  county, 
on  the  3d  of  September,  1823.  His  parents  were 
Solomon  and  Catharine  (Slagle)  Kessinger.  The 
mother  died  of  smallpox  upon  the  home  farm  in 
Scott  county  when  her  son  Ransom  was  but  three 
years  of  age,  and  the  grandfather,  Peter  Kessin- 
ger, died  at  the  same  time,  but  his  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Kellogg,  returned 
to  her  native  state  of  Kentucky  and  there  died  in 
1838. 

Solomon  Kessinger  continued  a  resident  of 
Scott  county  until  1836  or  1838  and  then  removed 
to  Macon  county,  Missouri,  where  he  remained 
for  about  six  years,  engaged  in  farming.  Return- 
ing to  Illinois,  he  settled  in  Pearl  township.  Pike 
county,  upon  a  rented  farm,  which  he  cultivated 
for  three  years;  when  he  purchased  eighty  acres 


RANSOM  KESSINGER 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


329 


of  land  on  section  8,  of  the  same  township.  Upon 
that  place  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  1864.  In  his  family  were  two  sons 
and  a  daughter,  Ransom,  Christine  and  Peter.  The 
last  named  died  of  smallpox  at  the  time  of  the 
mother's  death  and  Christine  met  death  in  a  run- 
away accident  in  1897  when  returning  from 
church. 

Ransom  Kessinger  remained  in  his  native 
county  until  the  removal  of  the  father  to  Mis- 
souri, and  with  him  he  returned  to  Illinois,  con- 
tinuing upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Pearl 
township  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
'started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  The  oc- 
cupation to  which  he  was  reared  he  determined 
to  make  his  life  work,  and  for  three  years  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  Jacob  Deemer,  during 
which  time  he  supplemented  his  early  education 
by  attending  school  in  the  winter  months.  When 
twenty-two  years  of  age  he  made  arrangements 
whereby  he  was  to  farm  for  Henry  Peacock  and 
was  to  receive  one-fourth  of  the  crop  as  his  share. 
He  was  thus  engaged  for  three  years  and  then 
with  his  earnings  made  purchase  of  eighty  acres 
in  Pearl  township,  where  the  old  homestead  now 
stands.  He  continued  to  cultivate  and  improve 
that  property  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Regiment.  He  participated  in  many  im- 
portant military  movements,  including  the  bat- 
tle of  Hartsville,  Missouri,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg  and  the  battles  of  Black  River,  Fort  Esper- 
anza,  Labaca  Bayou  and  Port  Gaines.  He  served 
for  the  full  term  of  enlistment  and  was  mustered 
out  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  being  honorably 
discharged  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  August  10, 
1865.  He  immediately  returned  home,  rejoicing 
over  the  return  of  the  peace  and  the  preservation 
of  the  Union,  and  throughout  all  the  years  he  has 
been  as  loyal  to  his  country  in  days  of  peace  as 
when  he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes  upon 
southern  battle-fields.  On  again  reaching  home 
he  resumed  farming  in  Pearl  township,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home,  and  the  large  and  grat- 
ifying success  which  has  come  to  him  has  re- 
sulted in  his  well  directed  labors  as  a  farmer  and 
his  judicious  investment  in  property.  As  his 
financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  added 


to  his  holdings  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  over  one  thousand  acres  of  valuabe  land, 
one-half  of  which  is  equal  to  the  richest  land  in 
Pearl  township.  He  has  about  two  hundred 
acres  in  timber,  mostly  hardwood-^oak,  walnut 
and  hickory — and  constituting  a  very  valuable 
timber  tract. 

Before  going  to  the  war  Mr.  Kessinger  was 
married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Sarah 
Jane  Peacock,  whom  he  wedded  June  10,  1852. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Nancy  (Jackson) 
Peacock,  the  former  a  native  of  Tennessee  and 
the  latter  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  Peacock  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Calhoun  county,  Illinois, 
having  located  there  in  1823.  There  he  met  and 
married  Miss  Jackson.  He  engaged  in  farming 
and,  as  stated,  was  connected  with  Mr.  Kessinger 
in  agricultural  •  pursuits.  His  wife  died  about 
four  yeacs^ after  their  marriage,  leaving  two  little 
daughters,  Sarah- J.^nd  Mary  C.  Peacock.  The 
latter  married  Thomas  S.  Hong  and  died  in  1898. 
The  paternal  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Kessinger 
were  John  and  Catharine  (White)  Peacock,  who 
were  pioneer  residents  of  Calhoun  county,  where 
the  latter  died  in  1851  and  the  former  in  1853, 
passing  away  on  Painter  creek. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kessinger  have  been  born 
ten  children :  Henry,  who  married  Annie  John- 
son ;  Nancy  E.,  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Smith ;  Jacob, 
who  married  Mary  Bogart ;  Catharine,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Dr.  Lock  and  later  married 
James  Smith,  while  her  death  occurred  in  South 
McAlester,  Indian  Territory,  in  1902 ;  Peter,  who 
married  Lilly  Wagoner,  who  died  in  Pearl  town- 
ship in  1888,  after  which  time  he  wedded  Alice 
Hall,  who  died  in  Pearl 'township  in  1901 ;  R.  O., 
who  married  Susan  Johnson;  Martha,  the  wife 
of  William  A.  Wagoner ;  John  A.,  who  married 
Emma  Wagoner ;  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years,  and  a  daughter  who  died  un- 
named in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kessinger  have 
thirty-nine  grandchildren  living  and  seventeen 
great-grandchildren.  They  also  had  eleven 
grandchildren  and  seven  great-grandchildren 
who  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Kessinger  was  commander  of  I.  Piper 
post,  G.  A.  R.,  in  1885,  being  chosen  to  that  po- 
sition at  the  time  of  its  organization  and  acting 


33° 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


in  that  capacity  for  twelve  years.  He  likewise 
belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  Society  at  Roodhouse, 
Illinois.  He  is  now  eighty-two  years  of  age  and 
is  living  a  retired  life,  surrounded  by  many 
friends  who  entertain  for  him  warm  regard  be- 
cause of  his  fidelity  to  manly  principles  as  the 
years  have  gone  by. 


W.  S.  BINNS. 

W.  S.  Binns,  one  of  the  well  known  citizens 
of  Pike  county,  where  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed,  is  now  serving  as  deputy  county  clerk 
and  is  also  secretary  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Associa- 
tion, having  filled  the  latter  position  for  eleven 
years  and  the  former  for  ten  years.  He  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Time,  in  Hardin  township,  in 
1864,  his  parents  being  Edward  F.  and  Orpha 
(Norton)  Binns,  both  of  whom  were  early  resi- 
dents of  this  county.  In  fact  the  father  was  a 
native  son  of  Pike  county,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1895,  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
fifty-five  years.  He  had  long  been  active  and 
influential  in  politics  and  was  a  worker  in  the 
democratic  ranks.  In  1887  he  was  elected  county 
clerk  and  served  for  five  years.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  democratic  state  central  committee 
and  was  in  charge  of  the  committee  in  1892  when 
Altgeld  was  elected.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
county  central  committee  for  five  years  and  was 
serving  on  the  state  central  committee  at  the  time 
of  his  demise,  having  also  occupied  that  position 
for  some  time.  He  thus  became  well  known  for 
his  allegiance  to  the  democracy  in  Illinois  and  his 
labor  in  behalf  of  the  party  organization  was  ef- 
fective and  beneficial.  His  wife  was  born  in  Ver- 
milion county,  Illinois,  and  in  her  girlhood  days 
came  to  Pike  county,  where  she  was  married. 
Her  father,  now  ninety-three  years  of  age,  still 
resides  at  Rossville,  Vermilion  county,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  venerable  citizens  of  that  part  of  the 
state.  Mrs.  Binns  died  in  Pittsfield  in  1879,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-nine  years.  By  her  marriage 
she  had  become  the  mother  of  two  sons  and  a 
daughter :  W.  S.,  of  this  review ;  B.  F.,  formerly 


a  merchant  of  Pittsfield  and  now  in  Dixon, 
Illinois;  and  Mrs.  George  Barber,  of  Pittsfield. 

W.  S.  Binns  was  reared  in  Pike  county  and 
completed  his  education  in  Callaghan  College,  at 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Following  his  return  home  he 
became  deputy  county  clerk  and  for  the  past  fif- 
teen years  has  devoted  his  attention  to  official 
services,  discharging  his  duties  with  a  capability, 
promptness  and  fidelity  that  are  above  question. 

Mr.  Binns  was  married  to  Miss  May  Cris- 
well,  of  this  county,  a  daughter  of  James  Cris- 
well,  formerly  editor  of  the  Old  Flag,  now  the 
Republican.  He  was  one  of  the  early  residents  of 
the  county  but  died  several  years  ago.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Binns  have  six  children,  four  sons  and  two 
daughters:  William  C,  Florence  O.,  John  C, 
E.  Coleridge,  Majorie  and  George  R.  They  also 
lost  their  second  son,  Edward,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  years. 

In  politics  Mr.  Binns  has  always  been  a  demo- 
crat, while  socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  being  keeper  of  the  records 
and  seal  in  Pittsfield  lodge,  No.  652.  He  is  like- 
wise treasurer  of  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Life 
Association,  is  a  member  of  the  Tribe  of  Ben 
Hur,  being  past  chief  of  the  tribe  at  Pittsfield. 
Mr.  Binns  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  county, 
where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed,  and  that  he 
has  been  long  retained  in  public  office  is  an  indi- 
cation of  the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  his 
capability  and  worth. 


FRANK  SYKES. 

Frank  Sykes,  who  is  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising at  Haclley,  was  born  March  19,  1869, 
in  Beverly  township,  Adams  county,  his  parents 
being  James  and  Mary  (Ayres)  Sykes.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  March  9.  1819,  in  Huddersfield, 
England,  which  was  the  birthplace  of  his  parents 
and  grandparents.  His  paternal  grandfather  pass- 
ed his  early  life  in  his  native  country  and  when 
quite  young  commenced  to  work  in  the  woolen 
mills,  where  his  close  application  and  ability  won 
him  recognition  and  eventually  he  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  foreman  in  the  finishing  depart- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


ment.  In  1821,  ambitious  to  enjoy  still  better 
business  opportunities,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America  and  secured  a  position  in  Manhattan- 
ville,  now  a  part  of  New  York  city.  He  then  sent 
for  his  wife  and  three  children  to  join  him  in 
the  new  world  and  they  took  passage  upon  a  sail- 
ing vessel,  which  weighed  anchor,  at  Liverpool. 
After  the  vessel  had  been  out  a  few  weeks  it 
sprang  a  leak  and  started  to  retrace  its  course. 
After  sailing  for  thirteen  weeks  they  finally  man- 
aged to  reach  the  port  of  Cork,  Ireland,  and  Mrs. 
Sykes  then  returned  home  with  her  three  children. 
Soon,  however,  she  had  again  completed  arrange- 
ments for  sailing  to  the  United  States  and  this 
time  after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  she  reached 
New  York  city.  She  had,  however,  thus  spent 
twenty  weeks  upon  the  ocean  in  that  year.  She 
joined  her  husband  and  they  resided  for  a  time 
in  New  York  city  afterward  at  Glenham,  in 
Dutchess  county  and  subsequently  in  Brooklyn, 
New  York.  In  June  of  1834  the  grandfather 
visited  Adams  county,  Illinois,  and,  being  pleased 
with  the  country  and  its  future  prospects,  he  pur- 
chased four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  govern- 
ment land  located  in  Beverly  township.  After 
purchasing  this  land  he  returned  to  Brooklyn 
and  on  the  2d  of  October,  1834,  accompanied  by 
his  family,  started  for  the  new  home  in  Illinois. 
They  traveled  on  a  tow  boat  on  the  Hudson  river 
to  Albany,  thence  by  way  of  the  Erie  canal  to 
Buffalo,  by  lake  to  Cleveland  and  on  the  Ohio 
canal  to  Portsmouth,  where  they  took  a  steamer, 
thus  proceeding  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  to  Quincy.  Mr.  Sykes  left  his  family 
in  Quincy  and  went  to  his  farm,  whereon  he 
built  a  log  cabin,  after  which  the  family 
were  soon  installed  in  their  new  home. 
He  then  entered  resolutely  upon  the  task  of  till- 
ing the  soil  and  continued  to  make  his  home  upon 
that  place  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curecl  in  1852.  In  early  life  he  'married  Miss 
Hannah  Hirst,  a  native  of  England  and  a 
daughter  of  William  Hirst,  who  was  also  born 
in  Yorkshire.  They  reared  four  children :  Mary  ; 
William  ;  James,  father  of  our  subject ;  and  John, 
who  was  born  in  New  York. 

James  Sykes  was  only  two  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  mother  to  the  United  States  and 


was  a  youth  of  fifteen  at  the  time  of  the  removal 
to  Illinois,  where  he  assisted  in  the  arduous  task 
of  developing  a  new  farm.  He  continued  upon 
the  old  homestead  until  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority, when  his  father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of 
wild  land,  half  prairie  and  half  brush.  Upon 
this  place  he  erected  a  frame  house,  which  was  the 
third  of  the  kind  in  Beverly  township,  all  of  the 
homes  with  two  exceptions  having  previously 
been  built  of  logs.  Later  he  turned  his  attention 
to  carpentering,  to  which  he  gave  a  part  of  his 
attention  for  nearly  thirty  years  and  in  the  mean- 
time he  superintended  the  •  improvement  of  the 
farm.  By  his  well  directed  thrift  and  enterprise 
he  prospered  and  as  the  years  passed  he  gradually 
increased  his  landed  possessions  until  he  now 
owns  seven  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable 
farming  property  in  Adams  county.  He  continued 
to  live  upon  the  old  homestead  until  1888,  when 
he  purchased  his  present  attractive  residence  that 
is  beautifully  located  on  Diamond  Hill  in  Barry 
and  now  he  is  living  in  well  earned  ease,  enjoy- 
ing a  rest  which  he  has  truly  merited. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1849,  James  Sykes 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ayres,  a  native  of 
Woodbridge,  New  Jersey,  who  died  in  Adams 
county,  April  i,  1873,  leaving  six  children,  while 
five  had  previously  passed  away.  Those  still 
living  are:  Hannah,  the  wife  of  Aaron  House, 
a  resident  of  Cass  county,  Nebraska;  Elizabeth, 
the  widow  of  James  O.  Mcl-ain  and  also  a  resi- 
dent of  Cass  county ;  Joseph,  who  resides  at  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Colorado ;  Emma,  the  wife  of  W. 
M.  Huffman,  who  resides  upon  the  old  Sykes 
farm  in  Beverly  township,  Adams  county ;  Frank, 
of  this  review;  and  Hattie,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Lawson,  who  is  living  near  Barry.  Having  lost 
his  first  wife  Mr.  Sykes  was  again  married,  No- 
vember 25,  1875,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Cunning- 
ham, who  was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio. 
James  Sykes  is  a  stalwart  republican  in  politics 
and  served  for  nearly  thirty  years  as  school  di- 
rector in  Adams  county.  He  has  also  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  education  in  Barry  and  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  health.  He  stands  today  a 
strong  man,  strong  in  his  honor  and  good  name 
because  of  a  life  of  untiring  activity,  of  general 
usefulness  and  of  successful  accomplishment.  He 


332 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


has  now  passed  the  eighty-seventh  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  is  one  of  the  most  venerable 
and  respected  citizens  of  the  county. 

Frank  Sykes  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Adams  county  and  also  spent  one  year 
as  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Barry  and  one  year 
in  the  Gem  City  Business  College  at  Quincy,  Illi- 
nois. He  was  reared  to  farm  labor  and  continued 
to  assist  his  father  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  as 
a  farmer  of  Beverly  township,  Adams  county, 
where  he  remained  for  five  years.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Hadley  township,  where  he  still  owns 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  farming 
land.  He  also  has  a  good  store  at  Hadley  and 
carries  a  •  well  selected  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise, including  shoes,  clothing,  dry  goods, 
groceries  and  other  commodities.  In  July,  1894, 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Hadley,  which 
position  he  has  since  filled,  discharging  the  duties 
of  the  office  in  connection  with  the  management 
of  'his  commercial  interests  and  the  supervision 
of  his  farm.  He  raises  both  stock  and  grain  and 
feeds  a  large  number  of  hogs  annually.  He  also 
buys  grain  for  the  Barry  Milling  Company  and 
practically  handles  all  of  the  grain  raised  in 
Hadley  township.  He  likewise  buys  and  sells 
coal.  His  business  interests  are  thus  extensive 
and  carefully  conducted,  and  his  able  management 
and  enterprise  are  bringing  to  him  very  gratify- 
ing success. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1890,  Mr.  Sykes  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  Hill,  who  was 
born  in  Hadley  township  on  the  24th  of  August, 
1869,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Fred  and  Elizabeth 
(Grammer)  Hill.  Her  father  was  born  in  Rhode 
Island,  March  8,  1844,  and  was  a  son  of  William 
and  Julia  (Farnsworth)  Hill.  The  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  England,  born  in  1820  and  in  1840 
he  came  to  America,  settling  in  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  worked  in  the  cotton  mills.  Later  he 
went  to  Massachusetts  and  was  employed  in  a 
cotton  factory  until  1850,  when  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  making  the  journey  from  New 
York  to  Buffalo  by  canal  boat  and  thence  to 
Chicago  by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes.  He  con- 
tinued his  journey  on  the  canal  to  La  Salle  and 
thence  came  down  the  Illinois  river  to  Pike 


county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  went  to  live  with  the 
great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Sykes,  remaining  there 
for  one  year,  after  which  a  house  was  built, 
which  they  occupied  for  three  years.  It  was  a 
primitive  little  house  without  plastering  and  the 
snow  would  blow  in  between  the  chinks  and  it 
was  very  cold.  He  purchased  four  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Fairmount  township  and  it  was  upon 
this  tract  that  the  house  was  built.  Mr.  Hill 
broke  and  cleared  his  land  which  was  all  a  wild 
timber  tract  when  it  came  into  his  possession. 
He  grubbed  out  the  stumps  and  performed  all 
the  arduous  toil  necessary  to  the  cultivation  of  a 
farm  which  was  evolved  from  a  wild  tract  of 
forest  land.  Ox  teams  were  largely  used  in  the 
farm  work.  The  farm  was  situated  on'  the  divide 
between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers.  The 
family  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  trials  inci- 
dent to  establishing  a  home  on  the  frontier. 
Fred  Hill,  father  of  Mrs.  Sykes,  never  had  an 
overcoat  or  overshoes  until  he  was  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  small  child  when  the 
family  came  to  Pike  county  and  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  here.  He  began  active  work 
oh  the  farm  when  only  eight  years  of  age  and  he 
continued  at  home  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
when  he  rented  land  from  his  father,  continuing 
its  cultivation  for  nine  years.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  his  father  gave  him  a  farm  of 
ninety-six  acres  and  he  continued  its  care  and  cul- 
tivation until  1876,  when  he  bought  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  acres  on  section 
I,  Hadley  township,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
was  married  on  the  5th  of  April,  1866,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Grammer,  a  native  of  Perry  township, 
Pike  county,  Illinois.  They  have  nine  children, 
five  daughters  and  four  sons :  Julia,  who  married 
William  McCleery  and  resides  in  Missouri;  Mrs. 
Sykes ;  Eva,  the  wife  of  Roy  Riggs,  of  Elmwood, 
Illinois ;  Webber,  who  married  Ethel  Ingalls,  and 
lives  in  New  Salem  township,  Pike  county;  Liz- 
zie, Retta,  Frank,  Wilmot,  and  Charles,  all  at 
home.  The  father  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
and  has  a  well  improved  farm,  to  which  he  gives 
his  personal  supervision.  His  political  views  are 
in  accord  with  democratic  principles  and  he  is 
accounted  one  of  the  representative  and  influen- 
tial residents  of  his  localitv,  whose  business  career 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


333 


is  extremely  commendable,  for  through  his  untir- 
ing- labors  he  has  won  the  success  which  he  now 
enjoys. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sykes  have  been  born  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter :  Freddie  James, 
born  March  8,  1894;  Paul  Edwin,  September  2, 
1900;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  October  12,  1903.  The 
parents  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  regard 
of  many  friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr.  Sykes  is 
a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  belongs  to 
the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  Barry  and  to  the 
Odd  Fellows  lodge  there.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  business  career,  ever  manifesting 
the  spirit  of  enterprise  which  would  allow  him  to 
brook  no  obstacles  and  has  enabled  him  to  over- 
come all  difficulties  and  work  his  way  steadily 
upward  to  success.  He  is  justly  accounted  one  of 
of  the  representative  agriculturist  and  merchants 
of  his  community. 


JON  SHASTID. 

Jon  Shastid,  of  Perry,  is  the  owner  of  valuable 
landed  interests  comprising  eleven  hundred  and 
eight  acres  in  Pike  county,  nine  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  in  Texas,  ten  acres  in  Wisconsin  and  eighty 
acres  in  Adams  county.  He  is  now  retired  from 
active  business  life,  for  he  has  passed  the  seventy- 
eighth  milestone  on  life's  journey,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Overton  county,  Tennessee,  June 
2,  1827.  The  following  year  he  was  brought  to 
Illinois  by  his  parents,  John  G.  and  Elizabeth 
(Edwards)  Shastid,  who  took  up  their  abode  in 
Menard  county.  The  father  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky in  March,  1798,  while  the  mother's  birth 
occurred  in  Rutherford  county,  North  Carolina, 
in  September,  1794.  They  were  married  in  Ten- 
nessee and  after  coming  to  Illinois  Mr.  Shastid 
purchased,  land  in  Sangamon  county  which  was 
surveyed  by  Abraham  Lincoln.  This  was  par- 
tially prairie  and  partially  timber  land  and  upon 
the  tract  he  built  a  log  cabin.  He  was  closely  as- 
sociated with  the  pioneer  development  of  that  dis- 
trict and  in  1836  he  removed  to  Pittsfield,  Pike 
county.  Here  he  carried  on  farming  and  teaming 
and  was  a  factor  in  public  affairs,  serving  as  dep- 


uty sheriff,  constable  and  collector.  He  gave  his 
political  support  to  the  democracy  in  early  life, 
being  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  principles  promul- 
gated by  General  Jackson,  but  later  he  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  republican  party.  He  held  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church  and  died  in  that  faith 
in  Pittsfield  in  February,  1874,  when  about  sev- 
enty-six years  of  age.  His  wife  passed  away  De- 
cember 8,  1863.  In  their  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, but  only  two  are  now  living,  Jon  of  this 
review  and  Dr.  T.  W.  Shastid,  a  resident  of  Pitts- 
field.  As  before  stated,  Jon  Shastid  was  only 
about  a  year  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Illinois.  His  early  education  was  acquired  in  the 
public  schools  and  he  afterward  attended  the  Illi- 
nois College  at  Jacksonville.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  began  teaching  school,  following 
the  profession  for  twenty-four  years.  During  the 
first  five  months  of  his  connection  with  the  work 
of  public  education  he  made  about  twelve  dollars 
per  month.  Through  the  careful  husbanding  of 
his  resources  during  all  of  the  time  that  he  was 
teaching  he  found  himself  worth  between  fifteen 
and  twenty  thousand  dollars  when  he  put  aside 
the  duties  of  the  schoolroom.  He  taught  for  three 
months  in  Whiteside  county,  Illinois,  and. for  a 
little  more  than  two  years  in  Fulton  county  and 
during  the  remainder  of  the  time  his  educational 
service  was  rendered  in  Pike  county.  In  1869  he 
joined  his  father-in-law  in  the  conduct  of  a  mer- 
cantile enterprise  and  was  thus  engaged  until  Jan- 
uary i,  1884,  when  he  sold  out  to  Mrs.  Cockill, 
his  mother-in-law.  He  was  very  successful  in 
his  agricultural  venture,  acquiring  a  handsome 
competence  through  well  directed  effort,  judicious 
purchases  and  advantageous  sales.  As  his  finan^ 
cial  resources  have  increased  he  has  made  exten- 
sive investments  in  real-estate  and  now  owns  four 
farms  in  Perry  tbwnship,  one  in  Pittsfield  town- 
ship, one  in  Spring  Creek  township,  one  in  Bev- 
erly township  and  five  in  Texas,  having  altogether 
twenty-one  hundred  and  forty-eight  acres  of  land. 
In  1864  Mr.  Shastid  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Esther  A.  Cockill,  whose  birth  occurred 
January  II,  1843,  her  parents  being  Joseph  and 
Anna  (Beatty)  Cockill.  Her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Schuylkill  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  died 
in  1873,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  His  wife, 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


who  was  horn  in  Xcw  Haven,  Connecticut,  De- 
cember i,  1818,  is  now  living  in  Perry.  They 
were  married  in  the  Keystone  state  and  became 
the  parents  of  three  children,  but  Mrs.  Shastid 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  Her  father  was  a 
merchant  and  coal  operator  in  Pennsylvania  and 
in  1858  he  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  locating 
in  Perry,  where  he  established  a  store  which  is 
still  conducted.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  the  village,  having  a  large  and  profit- 
able trade  and  he  also  acted  as  postmaster  of 
Perry  for  a  number  of  years.  His  parents  were 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  he  was 
reared  in  that  faith.  His  political  support  was 
given  to  the  republican  party. 

Mr.  Shastid  has  always  maintained  his  interest 
in  educational  affairs  and  yet  often  meets  with 
the  teachers  and  discusses  the  school  work  and 
the  best  plans  of  promoting  public  education.  He 
served  as  town  clerk  in  Barry,  but  resigned  the 
office  before  the  expiration  of  his  term.  He  first 
cast  an  anti-slavery  vote  in  1848  and  his  first 
presidential  vote  was  given  in  support  of  Martin 
Van  Buren.  He  has  for  many  years  been  an  ar- 
dent republican,  and  for  sixty-two  years  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  He  has  led 
a  busy,  useful  and  honorable  life  characterized  by 
unfaltering  allegiance  to  manly  principles,  and 
while  he  has  met  with  good  success  his  prosperity 
is  attributable  entirely  to  earnest  and  straightfor- 
ward labor. 


•       W.   A.   WINDMILLER. 

W.  A.  Windmiller,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Pleasant  Hill  but  for  fourteen  years  was  an 
active  business  man  in  the  village,  is  a  native  of 
Pleasant  Hill  township,  his  birth  having  occurred 
on  the  27th  of  October,  1859.  His  father,  Samuel 
Windmiller.  was  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
1807  and  when  a  young  man  he  came  with  his 
mother  and  the  family  to  the  new  world.  The 
father  started  with  them  but  died  on  the  voyage 
over  and  was  buried  at  sea.  The  family  located 
in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  Samuel  Wind- 
miller  was  later  married  to  Mrs.  Anna  (Glenn) 
Williams,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but 
was  of  German  lineage.  Mr.  Windmiller  pur- 


chased land  and  developed  a  farm  in  Pleasant 
Hill  township,  becoming  one  of  the  thrifty  and 
enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  community.  He 
continued  to  give  his  attention  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  upon  the  old  homestead  in  1875. 
His  wife  still  survives  him  and  resides  with  her 
children. 

W.  A.  Windmiller  is  one  of  a  family  of  five 
sons,  who  reached  mature  years.  The  eldest,  G. 
F.  Windmiller,  is  a  farmer  of  Pleasant  Hill  town- 
ship ;  J.  H.  Windmiller  also  devotes  his  attention 
to  farming ;  W.  A.  is  the  next  of  the  family ;  and 
C.  T.  is  a  merchant  of  Pleasant  Hill.  One 
brother,  Samuel,  reached  mature  years  and  mar- 
ried, but  is  now  deceased. 

W.  A.  Windmilkr,  spending  his  boyhood  days 
in  his  native  township,  acquired  his  education 
in  the  common  schools,  and  was  reared  to  farm 
labor,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  duties 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  was 
married  in  Pleasant  Hill  on  Christmas  eve,  of 
1884,  to  Miss  Susie  Capps,  a  native  of  Kansas, 
and  a  daughter  of  W.  D.  Capps,  who  removed  to 
the  Sunflower  state,  and  there  resided  for  a  few 
years,  after  which  he  returned  to  his  old  home 
in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  so  that  his  daughter  was 
reared  and  educated  here.  Following  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Windmiller  engaged  in  farming  for 
seven  years,  operating  rented  land.  He  then 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  store  in  1891  and 
afterward  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Pleasant 
Hill,  becoming  sole  proprietor  of  the  store  in 
1893.  He  continued  in  active  business  for  nearly 
fourteen  years,  carrying  a  large  and  well  se- 
lected line  of  general  merchandise.  His  straight- 
forward business  methods  and  unfaltering  en- 
ergy won  for  him  a  large  patronage,  and  he 
gradually  added  to  his  capital.  He  also  purchased 
and  still  owns  a  business  house  in  the  village ; 
and  he  erected  a  neat  residence,  which  he  now 
occupies.  Mr.  Windmiller  has  extended  his  ef- 
forts to  other  fields  of  activity,  having  purchased 
land  and  laid  out  an  addition  to  the  town.  He 
also  bought  a  farm  in  Pleasant  Hill  township 
and  continued  its  cultivation  and  further  im- 
provement liaving  now  a  valuable  property  which 
returns  to  him  a  good  income. 


FAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


335 


The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windmiller 
has  been  blessed  with  three  children:  Nina  and 
Marie,  who  are  students  in  the  home  school; 
Howard  Earl,  the  second  in  order  of  birth,  was 
horn  May  3,  1891,  and  died  November  28,  1892, 
at  the  age  of  one  year  and  six  months.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
in  politics  Mr.  Windmiller  has  been  a  lifelong 
democrat.  He  was  elected  and  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  village  board,  and  has  also  been  a  di- 
rector of  schools ;  but  does  not  desire  nor  seek  of- 
fice, preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies  upon 
his  business  interests.  He  is  a  Master  Mason,  be- 
longing to  Pleasant  Hill  lodge,  and  he  has  passed 
all  of  the  chairs  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge, 
and  is  past  chancellor.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Pike  county ;  and  he  has  therefore  wit- 
nessed much  of  its  growth  and  development, 
helping  to  improve  and  make  the  village  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  what  it  is  to-day.  He  is  one  of  the  origi- 
nal stockholders  of  the  Citizens  Bank,  and  is  now 
vice  president  of  the  institution.  His  invested 
interests  bring  to  him  a  good  financial  return  an- 
nually, and  indicate  his  resourceful  business  abil- 
ity, keen  insight  and  sound  judgment.  He  is 
well  known  throughout  his  native  county  as  a 
man  of  strict  integrity  and  worth,  and  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  held  in  uniform  regard. 


JAMES  WHEELAN. 

James  Wheelan,  engaged  in  general  farming  on 
section  i.  Pleasant  Vale  township,  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1837,  and  in  1848  accompanied  his 
mother  to  St.  Louis,  Misouri.  His  parents  were 
Richard  and  Mary  (Scully)  Wheelan.  The  fa- 
ther died  about  1846,  and  the  mother,  as  before 
stated,  came  to  the  new  world,  establishing  her 
home  in  St.  Louis.  The  voyage  was  made  on  a 
sailing  vessel,  the  General  Taylor,  which  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans  after  six 
weeks  and  four  days  spent  upon  the  Atlantic. 

Mr.  Wheelan  of  this  review  remained  in  St. 
Louis  with  his  mother  until  1855,  there  learning 
the  blacksmith  trade,  and  they  then  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  began  working  at  his 


trade,  being  first  employed  by  Horace  Palmer, 
while  later  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count in  New  Canton.  He  followed  that  pursuit 
until  1873,  when  he  abandoned  the  trade  and  re- 
moved to  a  farm,  upon  which  he  resided  until 
1877.  The  place  upon  which  he  now  resides  he 
purchased  in  1870,  and  seven  years  later  he  took 
up  his  abode  thereon,  and  has  since  made  it  his 
home.  He  has  built  here  a  beautiful  residence, 
fine  barns  and  other  substantial  buildings,  and  in 
fact,  all  of  the  improvements  on  the  place  stand 
as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  labor.  He  has  also 
purchased  a  farm  adjoining  the  original  property 
and  yet  owns  this.  His  landed  possessions  aggre- 
gate two  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of  rich 
and  productive  soil,  which  he  has  brought  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  from  which  he  an- 
nually harvests  abundant  crops.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  makes  a 
specialty  of  shorthorn  cattle  and  a  good  grade 
of  hogs. 

In  1857  Mr.  Wheelan  was  married  to  Miss  Isa- 
belle  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  unto 
this  union  have  been  born  seven  children,  of 
whom  four  are  living:  Mary,  the  wife  of  John 
Kendrick  who  resides  near  her  father's  farm; 
Belle,  who  is  the  wife  of  Warren  Spencer  and 
lives  upon  an  adjoining  farm ;  William,  who  mar- 
ried Anna  Brammel,  who  died,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren, John  B.,  James  S.  and  George  S.,  who  with 
their  father  reside  upon  the  old  farm  homestead; 
and  James  G.,  who  married  Anna  Hoverland, 
also  deceased,  while  he  resides  with  his  father. 
Those  who  have  passed  away  are :  Ella,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  Lax  and  left  one  child; 
Alexander  H. ;  Rebecca,  who  married  Ed.  Fesler, 
and  both  are  now  deceased,  leaving  two  children, 
James  W.  and  Ella  W.,  the  latter  living  with 
her  grandfather  Wheelan;  and  Richard.  Mrs. 
James  Wheelan  died  in  1873,  and  in  1877  Mr. 
Wheelan  was  married  to  Eliza  Brown,  who  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1849  and  came:  to  America  in 
1870,  making  her  home  in  Ogle  county,  Illi- 
nois, with  her  mother.  She  afterward  came  to 
Pike  county  on  a  visit  and  later  most  of  her 
mother's  family  removed  to  this  county. 

Politically  Mr.  Wheelan  is  a  democrat,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  served  as  village  trustee  of 


336 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


New  Canton.  He  was  also  road  commissioner  for 
six  years,  and  for  a  long  period  has  been  a  school 
director,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  ad- 
vance the  cause  of  public  education,  in  which  he 
is  deeply  interested.  He  belongs  to  Barry  lodge, 
No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Barry  chapter,  No. 
88,  R.  A.  M.  The  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  They  reside  on  section  I,  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  about  three  miles  from  Barry  and 
three  miles  from  New  Canton,  and  they  are  now 
pleasantly  '  situated  in  life  although  when  Mr. 
Wheelan  came  to  Pike  county  he  had  a  capital  of 
but  thirty  cents.  He  has  been  an  industrious, 
hard-working  man,  and  all  that  he  possesses  has 
been  acquired  through  his  own  labors.  Toil — 
earnest  unremitting  toil — this  is  the  secret  of  his 
prosperity,  and  his  example  should  serve  as  a 
source  of  encouragement  and  inspiration  to 
others  who  have  begun  life  empty-handed  as  he 
did.  In  no  country  does  labor  receive  its  just 
reward  as  surely  as  it  does  in  America,  and  with 
the  improvement  of  business  opportunities  Mr. 
Wheelan  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  place 
among  the  well-to-do  residents  of  Pleasant  Vale 
township. 


E.  R.  STONER,  M.  D. 

Dr.  E.  R.  Stoner,  the  oldest  practicing  phy- 
sician in  Pike  county  to-day,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
January  n,  1827,  a  son  of  Colonel  Joseph  and 
Margaret  (Fred)  Stoner.  The  father  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred 
in  Virginia  in  1800.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
and  Mr.  Stoner  passed  away  in  1852,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  years,  while  his  wife  died  in  1857, 
at  the  same  age.  In  1836  the  father  came  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  that  part  of  Schuyler  county 
which  is  now  Brown  county.  He  first  purchased 
land  at  the  usual  government  price  of  a  dollar 
and  a  quarter  per  acre,  securing  three  hundred 
acres,  and  he  built  thereon  a  log  cabin  and  at  once 
began  breaking  the  wild  prairie  land  with  oxen. 
Dr.  Stoner,  who  was  then  but  a  young  lad,  often 
assisted  in  this  work.  In  1841  Mr.  Stoner  erect- 
ed a  more  commodious  and  modern  residence — a 
frame  structure — and  the  family  were  soon  in- 


stalled in  a  comfortable  home.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  active  and  capable  in  affairs  of 
general  interest.  He  served  as  colonel  of  a  regi- 
ment of  the  Ohio  militia  and  as  captain  of  a  mili- 
tary company  in  Illinois.  He  also  acted  as  gov- 
ernment commissioner  in  Schuyler  county.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy 
and  he  was  a  Universalist  in  religious  belief.  In 
his  family  were  ten  children,  but  only  two  are  now 
living:  Dr.  Stoner,  of  this  review,  and  Stephen, 
who  resides  at  Burnside,  Hancock  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  is  engaged  in  business  as  a  mer- 
chant and  stockdealer. 

Dr.  Stoner  acquired  his  literary  education  in 
the  public  schools.  Determining  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  as  a  life  work,  he  entered  the 
Missouri  Medical  College,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1854.  He  began  prac- 
tice, however,  in  1852,  when  he  first  came  to  Pike 
county,  locating  at  Chambersburg,  where  he  spent 
two  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  town  of 
Perry,  where  he  resided  for  seven  years,  and  in 
1861  he  came  to  Griggsville.  He  has  been  in 
active  practice  in  this  .county  altogether  for  fifty- 
three  years  and  has  always  kept  in  touch  with  the 
advance  made  by  the  medical  fraternity  as  in- 
vestigation, research  and  experiment  have  broad- 
ened the  knowledge  and  promoted  the  efficiency 
of  its  representatives. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1855,  Dr.  Stoner  was 
married  to  Miss  Ann  Eliza  Whitaker,  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Delia  (Wood)  Whitaker,  who 
were  natives  of  New  York  city.  Her  father  came 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  settling  on  a  farm 
two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Perry,  Pike  county, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  meat-packing  business 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  afterward  removed 
to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
a  general  commission  business  for  twenty  years, 
and  in  1876  he  came  to  Griggsville,  where  he 
lived  retired  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  eighty-one  years  of  age. 
His  wife  survived  and  passed  away  at  the  very 
venerable  age  of  ninety-four  years.  They  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  Mr.  Whitaker 
gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican 
party.  In  his  family  were  four  children,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  James ;  Mrs.  Helen 


DR.  E    R.  STONER 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY 


339 


Dozer,  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Mrs. 
Stoner,  and  Mrs.  Emma  Lacey,  who  is  living  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland. 

Unto  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stoner  have  been  born 
three  children.  Mrs.  Emma  Douglas  is  now  in 
Paris,  France,  educating  her  two  daughters.  The 
elder,  Kathryn,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaevachase 
school  and  is  now  engaged  in  translating  lan- 
guages. Margaret,  the  younger  daughter,  is  at- 
tending a  French  school  in  Paris.  The  mother 
is  a  most  highly  educated  lady  of  superior  lit- 
erary attainments  and  is  also  acting  as  chap- 
eron for  two  other  young  ladies  beside  her  own 
daughters  in  Paris.  Stanley,  the  only  son,  mar- 
ried Miss  Evadne  Rumsey,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
They  were  married  in  Minnesota  and  have  one 
child.  Stanley  is  a  graduate  of  Cornell  Univer- 
sity of  the  class  of  1886  and  was  a  teacher  of  po- 
litical economy  for  three  years  in  Washington 
University.  He  was  appointed  to  represent  Chan- 
celor  Elliott  after  his  death  and  for  fifteen  years 
he  was  a  practitioner  of  law  in  St.  Louis.  He  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  consul  general  from 
President  Roosevelt  to  Calcutta,  India,  and  was 
transferred  to  that  place  from  Bombay,  but  he 
resigned  his  position  because  of  his  family,  it 
being  unsafe  for  them  to  remain  there  on  account 
of  the  plague.  Alice,  the  third  member  of  the 
family,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Vincent  Lasbury,  of 
Chicago. 

In  his  early  life  Dr.  Stoner  engaged  in  teaching 
school  between  the  ages  of  seventeen  and  twenty 
years  and  then  entered  upon  preparation  for  the 
medical  profession.  Since  engaged  in  practice 
he  has  had  eighteen  or  twenty  students  under  his 
direction  and  some  of  them  attained  prominence 
in  medical  circles,  including  Professor  A.  C.  Cot- 
ton, who  is  with  the  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chi- 
cago ;  Dr.  Charles  A.  Wade,  who  is  a  teacher  in 
Chicago,  and  Dr.  Henry  Hatch,  who  after  study- 
ing with  Dr.  Stoner  continued  his  studies  in  Lon- 
don and  Berlin.  He  died  in  Quincy,  Illinois, 
in  the  summer  of  1905  and  was  buried  in  Griggs- 
ville  cemetery.  Dr.  Stoner,  although  for  more 
than  a  half  century  connected  with  his  profes- 
sion, is  still  the  beloved  family  physician  in  manv 
a  household  in  Griggsville  and  the  surrounding 
districts,  and  his  professional  skill  and  irreproach- 
18 


able  private  life  have  won  him  the  love,  confi- 
dence and  trust  of  his  fellowmen  and  made  him 
a  most  honored  citizen  of  Pike  countv. 


ROLLIN  MEARS  DIX. 

One  does  not  have  to  carry  his  investigations 
far  into  the  history  of  Griggsville  to  learn  that 
the  name  of  Dix  has  long  been  an  honored  one 
in  Pike  county  and  the  subject  of  this  review  has 
fully  sustained  the  admirable  family  record.  He 
was  born  in  this  county  August  31,  1855,  and  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Griggsville.  His  father,  Levi  W.  Dix,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  born  February  15, 
1821,  and  his  death  occurre.d~ih  Griggsville,  April 
30,  1874.  He  -was'  a-  son  of  John  Dix,  who  in 
1834  came  to  Illinois  with  his  family.  In  1841 
Levi  W.  Dix  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ruth  E.  Kiddle,  a  native  of  Yarmouth,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  a  daughter  of  Arthur  Kiddle.  Five 
children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  but  only 
Rollin  M.  Dix  is  now  living.  The  father  was 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Griggsville  for  ten 
or  fifteen  years  and  had  a  good  business,  being 
known  as  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  this 
place.  He  was  a  partner  of  James  Brakefield 
and  in  all  of  his  business  relations  commanded 
uniform  confidence  and  trust. 

Rollin  Mears  Dix  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Griggsville  and  has  spent  much  of  his 
life  in  traveling  with  his  mother.  With  her  he 
visited  her  old  home  in  1881  and  at  that  time  they 
took  an  extended  trip  over  the  New  England 
states,  visiting  many  places  of  historic  interest.  He 
lived  in  Las  Vegas,  New  Mexico,  from  July  18, 

1888,  until  after  the  death  of  his  sister  in  April, 

1889.  In   1897  he  and  his  mother  made  an  ex- 
tended trip  in  the  east,  visiting  many  points,  in- 
cluding Chautauqua,  New  York.    On  the  22d  of 
December,   1899,  Mr.  Dix  lost  his  mother,  since 
which  time  he  has  occupied  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  periods  devoted  to  travel.     He  has 
lived  on  this  site  for  forty-one  years,  but  two  of 
the  old  houses  have  been  torn  down.     His  life 


340 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


-was  devoted  to  his  mother  and  the  affection  be- 
tween them  was  largely  ideal.  He  gave  to  her 
almost  his  entire  thought  and  devotion  and  put 
forth  every  effort  in  his  power  for  her  comfort 
and  happiness.  His  home  is  a  beautiful  one,  most 
attractively  furnished,  showing  every  evidence  of 
a  refined  and  cultured  taste  as  well  as  of  wealth. 
Jn  politics  Mr.  Dix  has  always  been  a  republican 
and  his  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Congregational  church. 


JOHN  P..  CHAMBERLIN. 

There  are  no  rules  for  building  character; 
there  is  no  rule  for  achieving  success.  The  man 
who  can  rise  from  the  ranks  to  a  position  of 
prominence  is  he  who  can  see  and  utilize  the 
opportunities  that  surround  his  path.  The  essen- 
tial conditions  to  human  life  are  ever  the  same," 
the  surroundings  of  influence  differ  but  slightly 
and  if  one  man  passes  another  on  the  highway, 
reaching  the  goal  of  prosperity  before 'those  who 
perhaps  started  out  ahead  of  him,  it  is  because 
he  has  the  power  to  use  the  advantages  which 
probably  encompass  the  whole  human  race.  To- 
day among  the  most  prominent  business  men  of 
Barry  stands  Mr.  Chamberlin  and  his  name 
brings  to  mind  an  important  commercial  indus- 
try of  the  city,  for  he  has  long  been  engaged  in 
the  conduct  of  a  men's  furnishing  goods  store  in 
Barry,  where  he  has  made  an  unassailable  repu- 
tation for  business  integrity,  for  progressive 
methods  and  for  successful  accomplishment. 

Mr.  Chamberlin  was  born  in  Butler  county, 
Ohio,  May  n,  1832,  and  is  descended  from  one 
of  the  old  colonial  families  of  New  Jersey.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Chamberlin,  was  one 
of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  Following 
the  close  of  hostilities  he  owned  a  farm  near  that 
battle-field,  upon  which  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  reaching  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
four  years. 

Aaron  Chamberlin,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Monmouth  county,  New  Jersey,  in 
1/87,  and  in  early  manhood  went  to  Ohio,  locat- 


ing at  Darr  township,  Butler  county.  He  was 
married  in  Ohio  to  Miss  Rachel  Bryant,  a  native 
of  Butler  county,  where  her  father  had  located  in 
pioneer  times.  Mr.  Chamberlin  followed  the 
wagonmaker's  trade  in  Darr  township  until  1835, 
when  he  removed  to  Illinois  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  five  children,  making  the  journey  by 
way  of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers  to 
Phillip's  ferry  and  thence  to  Derry  township, 
Pike  county,  Illinois.  Upon  a  previous  visit  to 
the  county  he  had  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  of 
which  twelve  or  fifteen  acres  had  been  cleared, 
while  the  remainder  was  wild  prairie  and  timber. 
The  family  took  up  their  abode  in  the  little  log 
cabin,  which  had  already  been  erected,  and  Mr. 
Chamberlin  continued  to  engage  in  farming  there 
until  his  death  in  1850.  His  wife  long  survived 
him,  passing  away  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  In  their  family  were  four  children : 
Alfred  and  James  W.,  both  deceased ;  John  B., 
of  this  review ;  and  Lydia  A.,  the  wife  of  Hutson 
Martin,  a  resident  of  -Rockport.  By  a  former 
marriage  the  father  had  one  son,  William  Cham- 
berlin. 

John  B.  Chamberlin  of  this  review  has  been  a 
resident  of  Pike  county  from  the  age  of  three 
years.  When  a  young  lad  he  attended  the  daily 
school  in  Derry  township  which  was  conducted 
upon  the  subscription  plan.  Primitive  conditions 
existed  on  all  sides  and  the  most  far-sighted  could 
scarcely  have  dreamed  of  the  changes  which  were 
to  occur  and  bring  about  such  a  radical  trans- 
formation in  the  appearance  of  the  county  which 
at  that  time  contained  many  tracts  of  wild  prairie 
land  and  stretches  of  unbroken  forest.  Mr.  Cham-  ( 
berlin  passed  many  a  pleasant  hour  in  hunting 
and  killed  many  deer  and  much  lesser  game  in 
this  county.  His  youth  was  passed  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  and  he  assisted  in  its  care  and 
cultivation  until  1848,  when,  thinking  that  he 
would  find  other  pursuits  more  congenial  he  se- 
cured a  clerkship  in  a  general  store  in  Rockport, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  In  1850, 
however,  he  went  with  his  father  upon  a  visit  to 
the  latter's  old  home  in  New  Jersey,  the  journey 
to  the  east  being  made  by  way  of  the  Illinois. 
Mississippi  and  Ohio  rivers  to  Cincinnati  and 
thence  by  rail  to  Sanduskv  City,  Ohio,  where 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


34i 


they  arrived  Saturday  evening.  They  found  they 
could  secure  a  boat  that  night  but  a  friend,  Mrs. 
Bradley,  who  was  traveling  with  them,  was  very 
tired  and  desired  to  wait  until  Monday  and  then 
take  the  regular  packet.  Mr.  Chamberlin  and  his 
father  decided  to  wait  with  her  and  found  that 
they  were  very  fortunate  in  doing  so,  for  the 
other  boat  on  which  they  might  have  sailed  was 
lost  with  all  on  board.  They  proceeded  by  packet 
to  Buffalo  and  by  rail  to  New  York  city  and 
thence  on  to  their  destination.  On  the  return 
trip  they  traveled  by  way  of  the  lake  from  Buf- 
falo to  Detroit,  by  rail  across  the  state  of  Michi- 
gan and  from  New  Buffalo  across  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  Chicago,  thence  by  canal  to  La  Salle  and 
on  down  the  Illinois  river  to  their  home.  Such 
was  the  slow  and  tedious  method  of  travel  in 
those  days  before  Illinois  had  become  the  great- 
est railroad  state  in  the  L'nion. 

After  his  return  to  Pike  county  Mr.  Chamber- 
lin engaged  in  clerking  in  a  store  at  Winchester 
for  about  six  months  and  in  1851  came  to  Barry, 
where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  of 
Shields  &  Lillis.  Many  nights  he  slept  upon  the 
counter  in  the  store  and  he  used  every  oppor- 
tunity that  would  enable  him  to  promote  his 
financial  interests.  He  continued  with  the  above 
mentioned  firm  until  they  retired  from  business, 
when  he  formed  a  partnership  and  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Hammond  &  Chamberlin. 
After  a  year,  however,  Mr.  Chamberlin  sold  his 
interest  to  Dr.  D.  W.  Greene.  On  the  8th  of 
April,  1858,  Mr.  Chamberlin  purchased  his  first 
bill  of  clothing  and  embarked  in  the  line  of 
business  in  which  he  has  since  continued,  occupy- 
ing at  first  a  rented  building,  in  which  he  placed 
his  small  stock  of  ready-made  clothing.  This 
was  the  nucleus  of  his  present  large  establish- 
ment. In  1861  he  purchased  the  building  in 
which  he  was  conducting  business  and  his  fur- 
ther success  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  1863 
lie  built  a  frame  building  thirty  by  sixty  feet.  His 
trade  continued  to  grow  and  in  1869  justified  the 
erection  of  a  brick  building  on  the  corner — a 
two  story  structure  thirty  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet.  There  he  continued  with  growing 
success  until  the  big  fire  of  1894,  when  his  store 
with  its  contents  was  destroyed.  However,  it  rose 


phoenix-like  from  the  ashes,  for  with  an  unfalter- 
ing courage  and  determination  he  at  once  began 
the  erection  of  a  second  brick  structure,  two 
stories  in  height  with  enlarged  dimensions,  it 
being  seventy-five  by  one  hundred  feet.  He  now 
rents  one  store,  while  the  remainder  of  the  build- 
ing is  occupied  with  the  clothing  stock  of  the  firm, 
for  since  1875  Mr.  Chamberlin  has  been  associ- 
ated with  his  son,  Albert  J.  Chamberlin,  whom 
he  in  that  year  admitted  to  a  partnership.  They 
still  continue  in  business  having  a  large  and  fine 
stock  of  goods  and  a  very  extensive  patronage 
which  makes  the  volume  of  business  transacted 
over  their  counters  each  year  of  much  importance. 
Theirs  has  become  one  of  the  leading  commercial 
enterprises  of  the  town. 

On  the  2ist  of  August,  1854,  Mr.  Chamber- 
lin was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  E. 
Rush,  who  was  born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio, 
April  i,  1829,  a  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Mary 
(Cook)  Rush.  Her  father  was  born  in  Virginia 
and  her  mother  in  Ohio.  At  an  early  day  they 
came  to  Pike  county  and  continued  residents  of 
Barry  up  to  the  time  of  their  death.  In  their 
family  were  four  children:  Caroline,  Catherine, 
Martha  and  Mary  Ann.  The  last  named  was  the 
wife  of  William  F.  White  and  all  are  now  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Chamberlin  died  at  her  beautiful 
home  in  Barry,  March  n,  1901.  In  her  child- 
hood she  had  come  with  her  parents  to  this  city, 
where  she  continued  to  live  until  called  to  her 
final  rest.  In  early  life  she  became  a  believer  in 
the  Christian  religion  and  her  faith  was  always 
exemplified  in  her  daily  conduct.  Her  nature  was 
refined  and  sensitive  to  an  unusual  degree  and 
she  possessed  the  kindly  spirit  and  tact  which 
placed  at  ease  all  who  came  within  her  presence. 
In  her  family  she  was  a  most  devoted  and  loving 
wife  and  mother  and  her  relations  to  those  out- 
side of  her  own  home  were  always  just,  kind  and 
magnanimous.  She  seemed  to  live  to  make  others 
happy  and  her  death  came  as  a  crushing  blow 
to  her  many  friends  and  to  the  members  of  her 
own  household.  Her  memory  is  yet  enshrined 
in  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  her  and  her  in- 
fluence remains  as  a  blessed  benediction  to  those 
with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Chamberlin  were  born  three  children : 


342 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Eugenie  R.,  who  is  living  at  home;  Freddie,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  five  years ;  Albert  J.,  who  mar- 
ried Anna  Scott  and  has  one  daughter,  Zoe,  the 
wife  of  De  M.  Doran,  by  whom  she  has  one 
child.  Mr.  Chamberlin  has  a  beautiful  home, 
where  he  now  resides.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of 
six  acres  of  land  and  is  surrounded  by  fine  shade 
trees.  He  also  owns  the  old  homestead  property 
adjoining  his  present  residence  and  now  he  has 
made  many  improvements.  He  likewise  has  very 
valuable  realty  in  Barry,  having  made  judicious 
investment  of  his  capital.  He  has  never  cared  for 
public  office  but  is  a  stanch  republican,  having 
supported  the  party  since  casting  his  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.  For  almost  a  half  century 
he  has  been  numbered  among  the  merchants  of 
this  town  and  he  has  made  a  reputation  that  any 
man  might  be  proud  to  possess.  He  has  been 
prompt  in  meeting  obligations  and  in  keeping  en- 
gagements and  his  name  has  become  an  honored 
one  on  commercial  paper.  His  career  has  ever 
been  such  as  to  warrant  the  trust  and  confidence 
of  the  business  world,  for  he  has  ever  conducted 
all  business  transactions  on  the  strictest  principles 
of  honor  and  integrity.  His  devotion  to  the  pub- 
lic good  is  unquestioned  and  arises  from  a  sincere 
interest  in  his  fellowmen. 


MRS.  SUSAN  ROBERTS. 

Mrs.  Susan  Roberts,  living  in  Montezuma 
township,  was  born  December  15,  1840,  in  Mar- 
tinsburg  township.  Her  parents  were  Asa  D.  and 
Eleanor  (Goodin)  Cooper,  the  former  born  in 
Kentucky,  February  27,  1811,  and  the  latter  in 
Saline  county,  Missouri,  October  10,  1818.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  George  W.  Cooper,  was 
born  in  Georgia,  removing  to  Tennessee,  after- 
ward to  Kentucky  and  subsequently  to  Morgan 
county,  Illinois,  thence  to  southwest  Missouri  and 
afterward  resided  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  whence 
he  went  to  Macon  county,  this  state,  his  death 
there  occurring.  The  maternal  grandfather  was 
Robert  Goodin,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  re- 
moved to  Missouri  and  subsequently  became  a  res- 
ident of  Martinsburg  township,  Pike  county,  Il- 


linois, making  his  home  near  Pittsfield,  where  his 
death  occurred,  his  remains  being  interred  in 
the  Goodin  graveyard. 

Asa  D.  Cooper,  father  of  Mrs.  Roberts,  re- 
moved to  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  in  the  early 
'305  and  prior  to  his  marriage  came  to  Pike 
county.  He  wedded  Miss  Eleanor  Goodin 
in  Martinsburg  township,  in  April,  1834, 
and  her  death  occurred  in  the  same  town- 
ship, on  March  20,  1854,  her  remains  being 
interred  in  the  Goodin  graveyard.  Mr.  Cooper 
survived  until  December  29,  1858,  and  also  passed 
away  on  the  old  homestead,  after  which  his  re- 
mains were  interred  near  the  burial  place  of  his 
wife.  In  their  family  were  eight  children,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Roberts  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth.  The  others  were :  John  H.,  born  October 
10,  1836;  Mary  E.,  January  n,  1838;  Robert  A., 
January  27,  1843;  George  W.,  in  June,  1845; 
Nancy  J.,  January  6,  1847;  James  M.,  October 
26,  1850;  and  Sarah  A.,  born  March  9,  1853. 
Of  these,  three  have  now1  passed  away :  George, 
who  died  October  10,  1853,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Goodin  graveyard,  four  miles  south  of  Pittsfield ; 
Robert  B,  who  died  near  Folsom,  California,  in 
November,  1854;  and  Sarah,  who  died  near  Dal- 
las, Texas. 

Susan  Cooper  spent  her  girlhood  days  in  her 
parents'  home  upon  the  old  farm  in  Martinsburg 
township  and  was  educated  in  the  country  schools, 
while  under  her  mother's  instruction  she  was 
trained  to  the  duties  of  the  household,  so  that  she 
was  well  qualified  to  take  charge  of  a  home  of 
her  own  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  On  the- 
20th  of  March,  1862,  she  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  David  Roberts,  a  son  of  David  and  La- 
vina  (Pool)  Roberts,  who  were  natives  of  New 
England,  the  former  having  been  born  in  Ver- 
mont in  1800,  and  the  latter  in  New  York  in  1802. 
The  grandfather  of  David  Roberts  also  bore  the 
name  of  David  Roberts,  and  was  a  wheelwright 
by  trade  and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 
In  1816  he  became  a  pioneer  settler  of  Ohio 
and  in  1839  took  up  his  abode  in  Pike  county.  Il- 
linois, where  he  died  in  1847. 

David  Roberts,  his  grandson,  was  a  man  of 
more  than  average  ability  intellectually  and  was 
a  very  interesting  and  entertaining  conversation- 


DAVID     ROBERTS 


**** 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


345 


alist.  His  educational  opportunities  were  very 
meagre,  for  in  school  he  never  progressed  beyond 
the  third  reader  but  after  putting  aside  his  text- 
books he  read  and  studied  extensively.  He  never 
attended  school  after  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age  and  up  to  that  time  had  only  such  instruction 
as  was  afforded  in  the  old-time  log  schoolhouse. 
He  read  extensively  however,  and  was  an  ex- 
cellent judge  of  people  as  well  as  of  books.  He 
was  also  a  logical  reasoner  and  deep  thinker  and 
was  always  regarded  as  an  educated  man  by  those 
who  conversed  with  him,  for  his  language  was 
good,  his  words  ever  being  well  chosen.  In  1850, 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  accompanied  his 
father  to  California,  remaining  on  the  Pacific 
slope  for  eight  years.  He  then  returned  home 
in  April,  1858,  and  engaged  in  farming  at  the 
old  homestead  for  three  years.  He  then  started 
out  upon  an  independent  business  career  as  a 
farmer  and  from  time  to  time  added  to  his  landed 
possessions.  In  the  spring  of  1870  he  purchased 
a  farm  in  Montezuma  township,  whereon  he  re- 
sided for  thirty  years,  or  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  led  an  eventful  and  prosperous  life 
and  became  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres  of  very  valuable  land,  now  held 
by  his  heirs.  The  home  farm  was  not  improved 
in  the  least  when  it  came  into  his  possession  and 
the  only  building  upon  it  was  a  log  cabin,  but  he 
soon  wrought  a  transformation  in  the  appearance 
of  the  place  and  was  a  successful  agriculturist 
who  added  various  improvements  to  the  farm  in 
the  way  of  buildings  and  machinery,  while  the 
soil  produced  bountifully,  good  crops  being  annu- 
ally harvested.  The  little  log  cabin  was  replaced 
by  a  more  modern,  commodious  and  substantial 
residence,  the  fields  were  fenced,  barns  were  built 
and  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement  was 
carried  steadily  forward. 

By  the  marriage  of  David  Roberts  and  Susan 
Cooper  there  were  born  five  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons.  Lavina  E.,born  December  26, 
1862,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Illinois  State  Normal. 
at  Normal,  Illinois.  She  discontinued  teaching 
on  account  of  ill  health  and  later  made 
a  canvass  for  the  office  of  school  superin- 
tendent of  Pike  county,  1890.  being  en- 
dorsed by  the  republican  and  union  labor  par- 
ties, but  the  county  is  overwhelmingly  democratic 


and  she  failed  of  election.  She  then  took  up  the 
cause  of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  and  discussed  the 
platform  throughout  the  county.  Later  when  the 
Farmers'  Alliance  was  merged  into  the  people's 
party  she  espoused  that  cause  and  delivered  many 
addresses  in  support  of  its  platform  throughout 
Illinois  and  Missouri.  In  1894  she  took  charge 
of  the  populist  newspaper  published  in  Pittsfield 
and  was  at  its  head  for  nearly  two  years.  In  the 
summer  of  1894  she  was  nominated  by  the  popu- 
lists of  Illinois  for  the  position  of  state  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction.  While  engaged  in 
newspaper  work  she  was  ably  assisted  by  her 
brother,  John  I.  Roberts,  who  was  a  brilliant 
writer.  Lizzie  Roberts^  born  September  10,  1864, 
died  August  6r  1884, -when  about  twenty  years  of 
age  and  was  burie'd  m.tjie  Green  Pond  cemetery. 
John  I,  born  December  "18*,  .'1866,  passed  away 
July  23,  1896.  David,  who  was  of  the  fifth  gener- 
ation of  that  name,  was  born  August  15,  1869, 
and  died  July  15,  1894.  George  Roberts,  born 
April  8,  1871,  is  now  superintending  the  old 
home  farm  in  a  successful  manner.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  hus- 
band and  father,  after  a  useful,  active  and  honor- 
able career  departed  this  life  May  8,  1900,  and  his 
death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and  wide-spread 
regret  among  his  many  friends.  He  had  resided 
upon  the  home  farm  for  thirty  years  and  during  a 
long  residence  in  the  county  had  become  very 
widely  and  favorably  known,  his  good  qualities 
endearing  him  to  all  with  whom  he  was  associ- 
ated. Mrs.  Roberts  lives  at  the  old  homestead 
in  Montezuma  township  and  her  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  this  county,  so  that  she  is  largely 
familiar  with  its  history  and  has  been  a  witness  of 
much  of  its  growth  and  change. 


FRANKLIN  M.  FENTON. 

The  farming  and  stock-raising  interests  of  Pike 
county  have  a  worthy  representative  in  Franklin 
M.  Fenton,  who  is  living  on  section  21,  Newburg 
township.  He  is  operating  the  old  Fenton  home- 
stead of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is  a 
neat  and  well  improved  property.  It  was  upon 


346 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


this  farm  that  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
of  day  on  the  I2th  of  March,  1877,  his  parents 
being  John  M.  and  Sarah  M.  (Biggs)  Fenton. 
His  father  was  born  April  22,  1825,  in  Butler 
county,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
and  Mary  (Degroff)  Fenton.  The  ancestral  his- 
tory can  be  traced  back  to  a  still  more  remote  pe- 
riod, the  founders  of  the  family  in  America  hav- 
ing come  from  Scotland.  The  great-grandfather 
of  John  M.  Fenton  was  George  Fenton,  who  was 
was  born  December  24,  1748,  while  his  wife, 
Elizabeth,  was  born  August  18,  1749.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  John  M. 
Fenton's  grandfather,  John  Fenton,  who  was  born 
August  18,  1779,  and  married  Elizabeth  Marsh, 
who  was  born  June  8,  1786.  John  M.  Fenton's 
father,  Rev.  Samuel  Fenton,  was  a  native  of 
Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  born  May  4,  1800,  and 
was  a  minister  of  the  Christian  church,  devoting 
his  life  to  that  holy  calling  He  was  also  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade.  He  died  in  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
in  1839,  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  survived  him  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  spent  her  last  days  in  the  home  of  her 
son,  J.  M.  Fenton,  in  Pike  county.  She  was  born 
in  1803,  and  died  in  1895,  at  the  good  old  age 
of  ninety-two  years. 

John  M.  Fenton  was  reared  to  mature  years  in 
Ohio,  and  had  but  limited  educational  privileges, 
so  that  he  is  largely  a  self-educated  man,  having 
greatly  broadened  his  knowledge  after  attaining 
to  years  of  maturity.  He  is  a  man  of  superior 
business  ability,  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
Illinois.  Coming  to  this  state  in  1856,  he  settled 
in  Pike  county,  purchasing  land  in  Newburg 
township,  owning  here  some  five  hundred  acres 
of  land,  comprised  in  several  well  improved  and 
valuable  farms.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  to  the  raising  and  feeding 
of  stock,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  success- 
ful farmers  and  stockmen  of  the  county.  He 
has  been  married  twice.  In  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
in  1844,  he  wedded  Miss  Sarah  Biggs,  who  died 
at  their  home  in  Newburg  township.  There 
are  two  living  sons  of  this  marriage :  Samuel  A., 
a  resident  farmer  of  Beeville,  Texas;  and  Albert 
M.,  who  is  a  substantial  agriculturist  of  Ne\v- 
burg  township.  In  1876  Mr.  Fenton  was  mar- 


ried in  Griggsville  township  to  Mrs.  Sarah  M. 
-Davis,  nee  Biggs,  the  widow  of  F.  M.  Davis. 
By  this  marriage  three  children  were  born,  in- 
cluding Franklin  M.  Fenton  of  this  review.  In 
recent  years  the  father  has  lived  a  retired  life, 
and  for  some  time  has  spent  the  winter  months 
in  California  and  Texas,  having  a  residence  in 
Los  Angeles.  In  the  summer  seasons  he  returns 
to  Illinois  and  visits  with  his  children.  His  life 
has  been  active  and  enterprising  and  his  labors 
have  been  crowned  with  a  gratifying  measure  of 
prosperity.  There  are  two  daughters  of  the  sec 
ond  marriage :  Rosa,  now  the  wife  of  Charles 
Bradburn,  a  farmer  of  Newburg  township;  and 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Otto  Offenbecker,  now  of 
Lawrence,  Indiana. 

Franklin  M.  Fenton  was  reared  upon  his  fa- 
ther's farm  and  acquired  his  preliminary  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools,  while  later  he  at- 
tended the  Pittsfield  high  school.  He  remained 
with  his  father,  and  upon  attaining  his  majority 
took  charge  of  the  home  farm,  since  which  time 
he  has  given  undivided  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  raising  and  feeding  stock. 

On  the  nth  of  September,  1901,  in  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois,  Mr.  Fenton  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Flora  'Kelley,  a  native  of  Newburg  town- 
ship, and  a  daughter  of  William  W.  Kelley.  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fenton  began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  where  they  now  reside,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children :  Char- 
lotte May,  born  August  3,  1902;  Geneva  Lillian, 
born  November  25,  1903 ;  and  Margery  Mildred, 
born  December  16,  1905.  Mr.  Fenton  gives  his 
undivided  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  stock-raising  and  feeding,  making  a 
specialty  of  feeding  hogs,  raising  one  hundred  or 
more  head  per  year.  He  also,  raises  good  horses 
and  cattle,  however,  and  has  made  a  start  in  the 
sheep  industry,  and  raises  all  kinds  of  grain 
adapted  to  his  locality.  In  his  work  he  is  prac- 
tical and  energetic,  and  his  labors  have  been  at- 
tended with  a  gratifying  degree  of  prosperity. 
Politically  he  is  a  democrat,  but  prefers  to  vote 
for  men  rather  than  party,  and  to  give  his  at- 
tention to  his  business  affairs  rather  than  to  seek- 
ing office.  His  farm  is  well  improved  with 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


347 


modern  equipments,  and  everything  about  his 
place  is  kept  up  in  accordance  with  the  modern 
ideas  of  fanning,  according  to  the  best  of  his 
ability. 


H.  CLAUDE  FORTUNE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  H.  Claude  Fortune  is  numbered  among  the 
younger  representatives  of  the  medical  fraternity 
in  Pike  county,  but  his  years  seem  no  bar  to  his 
progress  nor  success.  He  is  associated  in  practice 
with  his  father  at  Pleasant  Hill,  and  his  excellent 
qualifications  for  his  profession  and  his  conform- 
ity to  a  high  standard  of  professional  ethics  have 
gained  him  favorable  regard  throughout  the  com- 
munity. He  was  born  in  Prairieville,  Pike  county, 
Missouri,  on  the  5th  of  October,  1872,  and  when 
about  two  years  of  age  was  brought  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  by  his  father,  Dr.  H.  D.  Fortune. 
His  preliminary  education  was  acquired  in  the 
public  schools  of  Pleasant  Hill,  and  he  entered 
upon  the  preparation  for  his  chosen  profession 
under  the  direction  of  his  father.  When  Presi- 
dent McKinley  called  for  volunteers  for  the  Span- 
ish-American war  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  en- 
list from  Pike  county.  He  comes  of  a  fighting 
ancestry,  his  great-grandfather  having  been  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution,  while  his  father  was  an 
officer  in  the  Confederate  service  in  the  Civil 
war.  Dr.  Fortune  of  this  review  went  with  his 
company  to  Manila,  and  entered  the  hospital  serv- 
ice there,  being  connected  with  the  United  States 
army  for  more  than  three  years.  Following  his 
discharge  he  returned  home  and  spent  four  and 
a  half  years  as  a  student  in  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  St.  Louis  University,  being  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1905.  He  then  joined  his 
father  in  practice  in  Pleasant  Hill,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  successful  physicians  of  the  county,  being 
in  every  way  qualified  for  his  chosen  life  work, 
in  which  he  is  now  meeting  with  gratifying  suc- 
cess. He  has  had  extensive  experience  for  so 
young  a  man,  especially  in  the  line  of  surgery, 
and  has  done  excellent  work  in  that  department 
of  practice. 

Dr.  Fortune  was  married  in  Vandalia,  Mis- 
souri, September  26,  1904,  to  Miss  Fannie  But- 


ler, a  native  of  that  state,  and  a  daughter  of 
Judge  W.  A.  Butler,  who  occupied  the  bench  of 
the  county  court  of  Rails  county.  Dr.  Fortune 
votes  with  the  democracy,  where  national  issues 
are  involved,  but  at  local  elections  casts  an  inde- 
pendent ballot.  He  is  a  Master  Mason  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  lodge,  and  is  now  serving  as  junior 
warden.  Having  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  vil- 
lage, he  has  a  wide  acquaintance;  and  the  fact 
that  many  of  his  stanchest  friends  are  numbered 
among  these  who  have  known  him  from  his  boy- 
hood to  the  present  is  an  indication  that  he  is  well 
worthy  of  the  regard  that  is  unifoimly  given  him. 


W.  B.  POWELL. 

The  development  and  progress  of  every  com- 
munity depends  upon  its  business  interests  and 
the  class  of  men  who  are  in  control  of  its  indus- 
trial and  commercial  affairs.  In  this  connection 
Mr.  Powell  may  well  be  termed  one  of  the  promi- 
nent and  leading  citizens  of  Barry,  where  he  is  ex- 
tensively and  successfully  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  cigars,  which  he  sells  to  wholesale  trade. 
He  has  conducted  thebusiness  for  twenty-five  years 
with  gratifying  prosperity  and,  moreover,  he  is 
a  stockholder  and  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  the  town.  His  keen  busi- 
ness discernment  and  unfaltering  energy  consti- 
tute the  basis  of  success,  which  is  as  commendable 
as  it  is  desirable. 

Mr.  Powell  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Hannibal  on  the  I2th  of  Au- 
gust, 1861.  His  parents,  John  E.  and  Eliza 
(Truitt)  Powell,  were  both  natives  of  Maryland, 
and  in  their  childhood  days  accompanied  their 
respective  parents  on  the  removal  of  the  families 
to  Missouri.  John  E.  Powell  became  a  tobacco 
worker,  carrying  on  that  business  for  some  time. 
He  passed  away  on  the  i8th  of  April,  1905,  and 
his  widow  still  survives  and  yet  makes  her  home 
in  Hannibal,  Missouri.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

W.  P..  Powell,  reared  under  the  parental  roof, 
pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Hannibal  and  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of 


348 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


manufacturing  cigars.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
has  been  engaged  in  business  in  Barry,  establish- 
ing his  manufactory  here  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
1881.  He  manufactures  high  grade  cigars  of 
the  best  quality  and  has  gained  a  splendid  repu- 
tation for  the  desirability  of  his  output.  He  finds 
a  ready  sale  for  his  product  in  Missouri,  Illi- 
nois, Iowa,  Nebraska  and  other  states.  He  began 
business  on  a  small  scale,  but  his  trade  gradually 
increased  in  extent  and  importance  until  he  is  now 
in  control  of  the  largest  cigar  manufactory  in 
the  county.  He  follows  the  most  modern  pro- 
cesses in  the  work  of  manufacturing,  and  his  very 
liberal  patronage  is  indicative  of  the  favor  which 
his  product  finds  with  the  trade. 

On  the  22d  of  December,  1886,  Mr.  Powell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  E.  Wagy, 
of  Plainville,  Illinois,  who  was  born  on  the  loth 
of  December,  1863,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Oscar 
and  Rebecca  (Decker)  Wagy.  Mrs.  Powell  is  a 
native  of  Adams  county,  Illinois,  where  her  par- 
ents located  at  an  early  day.  Her  parental  grand- 
parents were  Henry  and  Eleanor  (Stone)  Wagy. 
The  grandfather  was  of  German  lineage,  and  was 
the  second  man  to  settle  in  the  city  of  Quincy, 
removing  to  Adams  county  from  Licking  county, 
Ohio.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  family  and 
took  up  his  abode  on  the  present  site  of  Quincy, 
where  he  lived  for  a  brief  period,  after  which 
he  purchased  the  "smoking  Dutchman's"  place 
in  Melrose  township,  Adams  county.  When  he 
disposed  of  that  property  he  removed  to  Mc- 
Craney  creek,  where  he  lived  for  a  few  years, 
and  then  established  his  home  near  Plainville, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  residing  thereon  until 
his  death.  He  was  closely  associated  with  the 
early  agricultural  development  of  Adams  county 
and  reclamation  of  this  wild  land  for  the  uses  of 
the  white  race.  He  lived  there  when  almost  the 
entire  district  was  in  its  primitive  condition, 
when  wild  game  of  all  kinds  was  plentiful,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  noted  deer  hunters  of  his  day. 
Oscar  Wagy,  father  of  Mrs.  Powell,  was  reared 
in  Adams  county  amid  the  scenes  of  pioneer  life 
and  was  married  there  to  Miss  Rebecca  Jane 
Decker.  The  Deckers  were  of  Irish  lineage,  and 
became  early  settlers  of  Richfield  township, 
Adams  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oscar  Wagy  be- 


gan their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  and  became 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  community  in 
which  they  resided,  eventually  owning  seven  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres  of  valuable  and  pro- 
ductive land  there.  In  their  family  were  ten  chil- 
dren. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wagy  have  now  de- 
parted this  life. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powell  have  a  beautiful  home  in 
Barry,  where  they  reside.  Their  residence  is 
finished  in  hardwood  throughout,  and  is  built  in 
modern  style  of  architecture.  It  stands  in  the 
midst  of  beautiful  and  well  kept  grounds,  and 
indeed  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  residences 
of  the  town.  Its  hospitality,  too,  adds  to  its 
charm,  and  the  various  social  functions  there  held 
are  greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many  friends.  Mr. 
Powell  is  an  honored  member  of  Barry  lodge, 
No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Royal  Arch  chapter, 
No.  88,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
He  likewise  belongs  to  the  Court  of  Honor,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  Pike  County 
Mutual  Association,  while  his  wife  is  an  earnest 
member  and  active  worker  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Both  are  highly  esteemed  for  their 
genuine  worth ;  and  Mr.  Powell  has  made  a  most 
creditable  business  record,  his  keen  insight  into 
business  situations,  his  ready  mastery  of  intricate 
problems  and  his  unfaltering  diligence  proving 
a  safe  and  sure  foundation  upon  which  to  rear 
the  superstructure  of  his  present  prosperity. 


T.  W.  SHASTID,  M.  D. 

D/.  T.  W.  Shastid,  who  since  1856  has  been 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  is  one 
of  the  venerable  and  honored  members  of  the 
medical  fraternity  in  Pittsfield,  was  born  near 
Petersburg,  Menard  county,  Illinois,  on  the  26th 
of  August,  1831,  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Elizabeth 
B.  (Edwards)  Shastid.  The  father  was  born 
at  Green  River,  Kentucky,  in  1798,  and  was  of 
French  lineage,  his  grandfather  being  a  French 
Huguenot,  who  was  born  in  the  northern  part  of 
France.  John  G.  Shastid  was  only  eight  years 
of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  until 


DR    T.   \V.  SHASTID 


^ 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


351 


1818,  when  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  B.Edwards, 
who  was  born  in  Rutherford  county,  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1794,  and  went  with  her  parents  at  an 
early  age  to  Tennessee.  Following  their  mar- 
riage Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shastid  resided  in  that  state 
until  1828,  when  they  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Sangamon  county,  where  Mr.  Shastid  entered 
land  and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising 
until  the  year  1835.  Becoming  dissatisfied  with 
that  locality,  he  made  arrangements  to  remove 
to  Pike  county,  settling  in  Pittsfield  on  the  2Oth 
of  January,  1836.  He  took  up  his  abode  in  the 
town  in  order  to  educate  his  children  and  in  this 
county  he  was  engaged  in  farming,  teaming  and 
other  pursuits  for  about  seven  years,  when  he 
was  elected  constable.  In  the  meantime  he  was 
appointed  deputy  sheriff  of  Pike  county,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  about  eight  years.  He 
likewise  acted  as  mail  carrier  and  in  the  discharge 
of  his  various  public  duties  displayed  marked 
capability  and  fidelity.  His  death  occurred  on 
the  5th  of  February,  1874,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  on  the  8th  of  December,  1863.  She  was 
a  devoted  wife  and  mother  and  an  earnest  Christ- 
ian woman.  Mr.  Shastid  was  also  a  member  of 
the  church  and  commanded  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  all  who  knew  him.  He  spent  his  last 
days  in  the  home  of  his  son,  Dr.  Shastid,  of  this 
review.  In  their  family  were  nine  children. 

Dr.  T.  W.  Shastid  pursued  his  early  education 
in  Pittsfield  and  prepared  for  his  chosen  profes- 
sion in  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Missouri,  at  St.  Louis,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  March,  1856.  Before  taking  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  however,  he  taught  for  two 
terms  and  had  pursued  his  preliminary  reading 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  O.  S.  Campbell  and 
Professor  John  T.  Hodges,  and  also  at  Cincinnati 
under  Dr.  N.  J.  Elsenheimer,  A.  J.  Ganvoort. 
Richard  Schliewer  and  Frank  Van  der  Stucker. 
Following  his  graduation  he  came  to  Pittsfield, 
where  he  practiced  for  a  year  and  then  went  to 
Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  remained  for  five  and 
a  half  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Pitts- 
field,  where  he  has  since  been  in  active  practice. 
He  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  medical 
journals  on  his  original  investigation,  resulting 
in  gleaning  many  valuable  truths  that  caused  his 


writings  to  be  a  helpful  addition  to  medical  lit- 
erature. He  is  a  member  of  the  County,  State 
and  American  Medical  Associations  and  is  now 
president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  Pittsfield. 
Everything  that  tends  to  bring  to  man  the  key 
to  the  complex  mystery  which  we  call  life  is  of 
interest  to  him  and  in  his  practice  he  has  con- 
tinually sought  out  new  methods  for  the  further 
alleviation  of  suffering  and  the  restoration  of 
health  and  has  found  in  the  faithful  performance 
of  each  day's  duty  courage  and  strength  for  the 
labors  of  the  succeeding  day. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  1860,  Dr.  Snastid  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  F.  Edwards,  of  Columbus, 
Ohio,  and  they  had  one  child,  William  E.,  who  is 
now  a  practicing  physician  of  Pittsfield.  Mrs. 
Shastid  died  o'n..the  I'dth  of  April,  1864,  and  on 
the  ist  of  October-,  1865,  the  Doctor  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Louise  M. 
Hall,  of  Pittsfield,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Hall, 
Sr.,  and  a  sister  of  Thomas  Hall,  Jr.,  of  this  city. 
There  have  been  three  children  by  this  marrige. 
Thomas  Hall  Shastid,  born  July  19,  1866,  was 
educated  in  Pittsfield,  at  the  Eureka  College,  at 
Eureka,  Illinois,  and  Harvard  University,  from 
which  classic  institution  he  was  graduated.  He 
studied  medicine  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  New  York  for  two  years,  was  grad- 
uated at  the  University  of  Vermont  and  is  now 
practicing  medicine  in  Harrisburg,  Illinois.  He 
was  married  May  16,  1887,  to  Miss  Fannie  Cor- 
delia English,  a  sister  of  Harry  English,  a  mer- 
chant of  Pittsfield.  Following  his  graduation 
Thomas  Hall  Shastid  went  to  Europe,  spent  some 
time  in  study  in  Vienna,  Austria,  and  also  took 
post-graduate  courses  in  Germany.  He  was  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  Michigan,  receiving 
the  degrees  of  A.  M.  and  LL.  B.  He  practiced 
in  Pittsfield  for  two  years  before  his  removal 
to  his  present  home.  He  has  not  only  attained 
prominence  in  the  medical  profession  but  has 
also  gained  more  than  local  note  as  a  writer  of 
prose  and  poetry.  One  of  his  volumes,  entitled 
"A  Country  Doctor,"  has  his  father  as  its  main 
character.  Jon  Sheperd,  born  January  20,  1870, 
was  educated  in  Pittsfield.  began  the  study  of 
music  under  his  mother's  direction,  afterward 
studied  under  Professor  George  Crawford,  of 


352 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Pittsfield,  and  later  went  to  Chicago,  where  he 
was  a  student  under  Professor  Liebling  for  a 
year.  He  then  went  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  where 
he  studied  under  Professor  Metcalf,  and  during 
the  succeeding  two  years  was  a  pupil  of  Profes- 
sor E.  M.  Bowman  in  New  York.  He  next  es- 
tablished a  conservatory  of  music  in  Pittsfield, 
which  he  conducted  for  six  years,  doing  a  fine 
business,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  went  to  New  York,  where  he  is  now  preparing 
for  special  work.  He  possesses  superior  talent 
that  has  already  gained  wide  recognition,  and  he 
is  making  constant  progress  in  his  art.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Anna  Barton,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Bar- 
ton, on  the  6th  of  September,  1892,  and  on  the 
27th  of  February,  1895,  she  departed  this  life. 
Professor  Shastid  was  again  married  November 
3,  1897,  to  Miss  Mary  Barton,  a  daughter  of  John 
Barton  and  a  native  of  this  county.  Joseph  Cal- 
vin Shastid,  born  April  13,  1877,  was  educated 
in  the  Pittsfield  schools,  studied  the  foreign  lan- 
guages under  private  teachers  and  took  up  the 
study  of  music  under  his  brother  Jon  at  the  Con- 
servatory of  Music  in  Pittsfield,  where  he  was 
graduated  on  the  3ist  of  November,  1895.  He 
afterward  became  a  student  in  the  College  of 
Music  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  was  under  the 
private  instruction  of  Albino  Gorno  and  John 
Brockhoeven,  studying  the  violin.  He  spent  three 
years  in  that  city,  after  which  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  studied  under  Professor  Kroe- 
ger,  director  of  music  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition,  remaining  in  that  city  for  one  year. 
He  then  returned  home  and  established  the  Pitts- 
field  Piano  School,  which  he  has  since  conducted. 
He  has  classes  in  both  piano  and  harmony.  In 
the  spring  of  1905  he  returned  to  Cincinnati  and 
was  married  to  Miss  Mabel  Bradley,  a  daughter 
of  H.  C.  Bradley,  a  large  manufacturer  of  that 
city. 

Dr.  Shastid  is  a  republican  and  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  while  he  and  his  family 
are  all  members  of  the  Christian  church.  He  has 
been  medical  examiner  for  several  societies,  and 
since  the  early  days  of  his  residence  in  Pittsfield 
lias  maintained  a  prominent  position  as  a  fore- 
most representative  of  the  medical  fraternity  of 
Pike  countv.  Moreover,  he  is  honored  for  his 


genuine  personal  worth  and  his  prominence  is 
none  the  less  the  result  of  professional  skill  than 
an  irreproachable  private  life.  He  takes  special 
delight  in  the  study  of  philology,  music,  sculpture 
and  painting. 


ROBERT  E.  CUNNINGHAM. 

Robert  E.  Cunningham,  living  on  section  25, 
Harclin  township,  is  one  of  the  active  and  thrifty 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  the  community,  in 
which  he  has  long  made  his  home,  and .  in  the 
control  of  his  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  he 
shows  thorough  familiarity  with  modern  methods 
and  their  practical  utilization  in  the  every-day  af- 
fairs of  business  life.  His  birth  occurred  in  Pike 
county,  June  17,  1865.  His  father,  Thomas  Cun- 
ningham, was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
count)"  and  assisted  in  the  material  development 
of  this  section  of  the  state  at  a  time  when  prog- 
ress and  improvement  had  scarcely  been  begun. 
He  married  Miss  Sarah  Edmondson,  a  native  of 
Ireland.  He  owned  and  operated  land  near 
Griggsville  for  several  years  and  after  selling  that 
property,  bought  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
where  he  now  resides,  continuing  to  devote  his 
entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  passed 
away  upon  this  farm  in  February,  1902.  His 
wife  survives  him,  and  now  resides  in  Baylis. 

Robert  E.  Cunningham  is  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and 
four  daughters,  and  with  the  exception  of  one 
of  the  daughters  all  are  yet  living.  He  spent  his 
youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  attend- 
ing the  common  schools  and  working  in  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months.  His  father  was 
given  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  he  attained 
his  majority  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account,  and  made  arrangements  for  having 
a  home  of  his  own  by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Hunter,  whom  he  wedded  in  Pittsfield  on 
the  loth  of  February,  1904.  She  was  born  and 
reared  in  Newburg  township  near  Pittsfield  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Robert  Hunter,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  and  substantial  farmers  of  the  county, 
who  came  from  Ireland  to  the  new  world  when 
a  lad  of  nine  years.  Prior  to  his  marriage  Mr. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


353 


Cunningham  had  purchased  the  place  upon  which 
he  now  resides  and  had  made  some  improvements 
there.  He  has  built  a  good  barn,  also  erected 
a  substantial  residence,  and  by  well  kept  fences 
has  divided  the  place  into  fields  of  convenient 
size.  Through  the  careful  rotation  of  crops,  the 
use  of  good  seeds  and  the  proper  cultivation  of 
the  soil  he  is  enabled  to  gather  annually  good 
harvests;  and  in  connection  with  his  farming  he 
raises  good  grades  of  stock,  feeding  and  fatten- 
ing each  year  a  large  number  of  swine  for  the 
market.  Mr.  Cunningham  commenced  life  emp- 
ty-handed, and  has  accumulated  what  he  pos- 
sesses through  his  own  efforts,  becoming  a  sub- 
stantial resident  of  the  community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cunningham  have  been 
born  two  daughters,  Helen  Edith  and  Sadie  J. 
Politically  he  was  a  democrat  where  national  is- 
sues were  involved,  but  he  is  now  independent 
in  politics,  having  supported  Theodore  Roosevelt 
at  the  last  election.  Locally  he  votes  for  the 
men  best  qualified  for  office  without  regard  to 
party  affiliation.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  at  Milton,  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
League.  As  the  years  have  passed  by  his  circle 
of  acquaintances  has  been  extended  and  the  circle 
of  his  friends  has  grown  proportionately.  He 
possesses  good  traits  of  character  which  insure 
kindly  regard ;  and  his  genial  nature  has  won  for 
him  the  friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact. 


WARREN  S.  SPENCER. 

Warren  S.  Spencer,  interested  in  general  farm- 
ing on  section  n,  Pleasant  Vale  township,  is  a 
native  of  Derry  township,  Pike  county,  born  on 
the  22d  of  January,  1856,  his  parents  being 
Franklin  and  Ltiretta  (Pursley)  Spencer.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  removed  from  that 
state  to  Missouri  and  subsequently  came  to  Pike 
county,  where  he  died  July  25,  1856,  when  his 
son  Warren  was  but  five  months  old.  He  had 
followed  farming  in  Derry  township,  having  set- 
tled on  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
wJien  it  was  a  wild  timbered  region.  He  had  just 


began  clearing  his  land  when  his  life's  labors 
were  ended  in  death.  Wild  animals  were  very 
numerous  in  this  part  of  the  county  at  that  time, 
and  many  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  pioneer 
life  were  to  be  endured.  Two  sons  survived  the 
father's  death:  Thomas  J.,  who  was  born  in 
1847,  ar)d  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Derry  township ;  and  Warren  S.,  of  this  review. 
After  losing  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Spencer  be- 
came the  wife  of  Joseph  Turnbaugh,  of  Martins- 
burg  township,  where  he  died  in  November,  1886. 
Mrs.  Turnbaugh  is  now  living  in  Pittsfield  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  hale  and  hearty  old  age,  having 
attained  her  eighty-first  year  on  the  3ist  of  July, 
1905.  There  was  one  son  of  her  second  marriage, 
William  B.  Turnbaugh,  of  St.  Louis. 

Warren  S.  Spencer  was  reared  in  Derry  and 
Martinsburg  townships,  acquiring  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  latter.  He  started  out 
in  life  on  his  own  account  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority,  after  which  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the  old 
homestead,  which  he  inherited.  He  lived  upon 
that  place  until  the  spring  of  1883,  when  he  sold 
his  property  in  Derry  township,  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  where  he  now  re- 
sides, having  made  his  home  thereon  continuously 
since.  In  addition  to  tilling  the  soil  he  raises 
and  feeds  considerable  stock,  making  a  specialty 
of  feeding  hogs  for  the  market.  He  also  raises 
shorthorn  cattle  ;  and  both  branches  of  his  business 
are  proving  profitable.  His  farm  is  a  fine  prop- 
erty, located  on  the  bluffs  and  on  the  river  bot- 
toms, and  he  has  erected  here  an  attractive  coun- 
try residence  and  substantial  barn.  None  of  the 
improvements  of  a  model  farm  are  lacking  and 
all  the  evidences  of  careful  supervision  and  prac- 
tical management  are  here  seen. 

On  the  2ist  of  November,  1878,  Mr.  Spencer 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Belle  Wheelan, 
who  was  born  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  Janu- 
ary 25,  1860.  She  is  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Isabelle  (Brown)  Wheelan.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1837  and  came  to  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  with  his  mother  in  1848.  He  was  a 
son  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Scully)  Wheelan;  and 
the  former  died  in  1846,  after  which  the  mother 


354 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her  son,  making  the 
voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel,  which  was  six  weeks 
and  four  clays  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Atlantic 
before  dropping  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New 
Orleans.  They  remained  in  St.  Louis  until  1855, 
when  Mr.  Wheelan  came  to  Pike  county,  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Horace  Palmer,  a  blacksmith. 
Later  he  followed  the  same  pursuit  on  his  own 
account  in  New  Canton  until  1873,  when  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  and  in  1877  he 
took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm,  which  he  had 
purchased  in  1870,  and  on  which  he  has  resided 
continuously  since.  He  has  here  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  fine  land  on  section  i,  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  improved  with  a  beautiful  home 
and  substantial  buildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain 
and  stock.  He  was  married  in  1857  to  Miss  Isa- 
belle  Brown,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  of  their 
seven  children,  four  are  yet  living,  namely : 
Mary,  the  wife  of  John  Kendrick,  of  Pleasant 
Vale  township ;  Mrs.  Spencer ;  William,  who  re- 
sides with  his  father,  having  lost  his  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Brammel,  and 
who  at  her  death  left  three  children:  John  B., 
James  S.  and  George  S. ;  James  G.,  who  also  lives 
with  his  father.  He  married  Anna  Hoverland, 
who  has  departed  this  life.  One  daughter,  Ella, 
became  the  wife  of  John  Lax,  and  at  her  death 
left  a  son,  Alexander  H.  Rebecca  married  Ed. 
Fesler,  and  both  are  now  deceased.  They  left 
two  children,  James  W.  and  Ella  W.  Richard 
was  the  other  member  of  the  Wheelan  family. 
•  The  mother  died  in  1873  and  in  1877  Mr.  Whee- 
lan married  Eliza  Brown.  He  is  a  democrat  and 
a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  have  no  children  of  their 
own,  but  have  reared  two  of  Mrs.  Spencer's  neph- 
ews, John  B.  and  George  S.  Wheelan.  In  political 
views,  he  is  a  stalwart  democrat,  but  without  as- 
piration ,for  office.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to 
Barry  lodge,  No.  336,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is 
a  past  noble  grand ;  and  he  is  likewise  affiliated 
with  the  encampment.  His  membership  relations 
also  extend  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at 
New  Canton ;  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church.  In  1886  they  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, spending  the  year  in  that  sunny  clime  for 
the  benefit  of  Mr.  Spencer's  health.  He  has  been 


quite  successful  in  his  business  operations;  and 
his  farm  is  well  located,  while  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  he  has  bestowed  upon  it  have  made 
it  a  valuable  property 


ROBERT  J.  McCONNELL,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Robert  J.  McConnell,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  Baylis,  is  a  native  of  Gilmer 
township,  Adams  county,  born  September  23, 
1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Arma  M.  (Jack- 
son) McConnell,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
County  Monaghan,  Ireland.  The  father  was  born 
December  18,  1804,  and  on  the  7th  of  February, 
1840,  he  wedded  Anna  Matilda  Jackson,  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  being  performed  by  the  Rev. 
John  Blakely,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Monaghan,  Ireland.  Mrs.  McConnell  was 
born  on  the  2Oth  of  May,  1818,  and  following 
their  marriage  they  remained  residents  of  the 
Emerald  Isle  until  the  fall  of  1857,  when  they 
started  for  America,  landing  at  New  Orleans  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1858,  remaining  in  the  Cres- 
cent city  until  May  of  that  year.  Robert  McCon- 
nell then  made  his  way  to  Gilmer  township, 
Adams  county,  and  in  the  spring  of  1873  removed 
to  McKee  township,  of  the  same  county.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  a  local  paper  said :  "He  lived 
a  sober  and  exemplary  life,  was  a  loving  husband 
and  the  best  of  fathers,  and  was  highly  esteemed 
by  his  neighbors  and  all  who  knew  him.  He 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  at  an  early 
age,  and  lived  a  consistent  Christian  life."  His 
demise  occurred  September  4,  1892,  and  his 
widow  survived  until  March  29,  1899,  when  she 
too,  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  After  the  eight 
weeks'  voyage  to  America,  during  which  they 
encountered  some  severe  weather  and  sailed  out 
of  their  course,  and  following  their  residence  of 
several  months  in  New  Orleans,  they  became 
identified  with  farming  interests  in  Gilmer  town- 
ship, Adams  county,  and  later  purchased  a  farm 
in  McKee  township,  which  Mr.  McConnell  con- 
tinued to  improve  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
built  a  new  house  there  and  in  his  later  years  en- 
joyed many  of  the  comforts  of  life.  In  early 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


355 


days  his  market  was  at  Quincy,  and  he  had  to  pay 
as  high  as  three  dollars  and  a  half  per  bushel 
for  seed  wheat.  This  was  in  1867,  soon  after 
the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  when  prices  were 
greatly  inflated.  In  1873  he  drove  his  hogs  to 
market  at  Mount  Sterling,  where  he  sold  them  at 
two  dollars  and  a  quarter  per  hundred  pounds. 
He  never  cared  for  public  office,  but  was  a  firm 
believer  in  republican  principles  and  gave  earnest 
support  to  the  party.  His  widow  survived  him 
for  several  years  and,  like  her  husband,  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Her 
life  was  given  to  the  welfare  of  her  husband  and 
children,  and  she  counted  no  personal  sacrifice  too 
great  if  it  would  enhance  the  happiness  of  her 
loved  ones.  Her  memory  is  deeply  cherished  by 
all  who  knew  her;  and  when  she  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  her  remains  were  interred  by  the 
side  of  her  husband  in  the  Dunkard  churchyard. 
In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  seven 
children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  and  with 
the  exception  of  our  subject  all  were  born  in  Ire- 
land. Those  who  still  survive  are :  William  H., 
a  resident  of  Kellerville,  Illinois,  who  married 
Miss  Martha  Reid  and  has  two  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of  John  S. 
Doole  and  resides  in  Kellervrlle  with  her  three 
sons;  John  C.,  also  living  in  Kellerville,  and  who 
married  Belle  Jones,  by  whom  he  has  two  chil- 
dren ;  and  Robert  J.,  of  this  review. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Adams  county 
Dr.  McConnell  spent, the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
early  youth  and  acquired  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  district  schools.  He  afterward 
attended  the  Gem  City  Business  College  in 
Quincy,  Illinois,  and  the  Western  Normal  School 
at  Bushnell,  Illinois.  Having  gained  a  good  lit- 
rrary  knowledge  to  serve  as  the  foundation  for 
professional  learning,  he  began  preparation  for 
the  practice  of  medicine  as  a  student  in  Keokuk 
Medical  College  of  Keokuk.  Iowa,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1891.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  had  followed  other  busi- 
ness pursuits  in  order  to  acquire  the  funds  nec- 
essary to  enable  his  to  pursue  his  collegiate 
course.  He  erected  a  building  in  which  he  con- 
ducted the  first  restaurant  at  Siloam  Springs,  in 
Brown  county,  Illinois.  This  was  in  1885.  He 


taught  school  in  the  winters  of  1886,  1887,  1888 
and  1889,  and  the  money  which  he  was  enabled 
to  save  from  his  earnings  provided  for  his  col- 
legiate education.  He  also  taught  writing  school 
at  night,  acted  as  pension  agent,  and  in  fact, 
worked  hard  and  persistently  for  the  money  to 
pay  for  his  medical  education.  He  first  began 
reading  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  George  W. 
Cox,  of  Clayton,  Illinois,  and  he  spent  the  sum- 
mers of  1889  and,  1890  as  a  student  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  John  G.  McKinney,  of  Barry,  Pike  county, 
assisting  him  in  his  sanitarium.  Following  his 
graduation  he  opened  an  office  in  Fishhook,  Illi- 
nois, in  May,  1891,  and  there  remained  for  seven 
months,  after  which  he  came  to  Baylis,  where  he 
has  since  been  located  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large 
and  growing  practice. 

On  the  nth  of  November,  1894,  Dr.  McCon- 
nell was  married  to  Miss  Emma  M.  McCleery, 
who  was  born  April  n,  1873,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Hannah  E.  (Farmer)  McCleery. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  May  8, 
1831,  and  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  when 
but  six  years  of  age.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
and  John  McCleery  followed  the  same  pursuit 
throughout  his  entire  life.  For  many  years  he 
served  as  supervisor  of  Hadley  township.  Pros- 
pering in  his  business  undertakings,  he  was  at 
one  time  owner  of  three  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  rich  and  valuable  land,  and  his  attention  was 
devoted  to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  to 
stock-raising.  In  community  affairs  he  was  also 
actively  and  helpfully  interested,  and  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years  and  for  a  long 
period  was  school  director.  His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he 
was  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  When  about  twenty-two 
years  of  age  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  El- 
len Farmer,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  No- 
vember 3,  1833,  and  who  now  makes  her  home 
with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McConnell.  The  death  of  Mr. 
McCleery  occurred  July  22,  1890,  and  was  the 
occasion  of  deep  regret  in  the  community  where 
he  lived,  for  many  friends  esteemed  him  for  his 
genuine  worth.  In  their  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  six  are  now  living:  William  H., 
residing  in  Salem,  Dent  county,  Missouri,  mar- 


356 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


ried  Julia  Ann  Hill,  and  has  eight  children. 
James  A.,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma,  married  Miss 
Alnora  Atwood  and  has  five  children.  Thomas 
A.,  of  Hadley  township,  wedded  Susanna  Tolson 
and  has  six  children.  Martha  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  S.  Stauffer,  a  banker  of  Baylis,  by  whom 
she  has  four  children.  Lucy  E.,  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  L.  Tolson,  of  Barry,  and  has  two  children. 
Mrs.  McConnell  completes  the  family.  She  was 
married  at  her  mother's  home  November  n, 
1894,  and  in  Baylis  both  the  Doctor  and  his  wife 
have  gained  many  warm  friends  who  esteem  them 
highly  for  their  genuine  worth  and  many  good 
qualities.  In  his  political  views  the  Doctor  is  a 
stalwart  republican  but  does  not  seek  nor  desire 
the  honors  nor  emoluments  of  public  office.  The 
cause  of  education,  however,  finds  in  him  a  warm 
friend ;  and  he  has  been  school  director  for  nine 
years  and  school  trustee  for  three  years.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  Summit  lodge,  No. 
384,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Rebekah  lodge,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  and  of  the  Grand 
Orient.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Neigh- 
bors. In  the  line  of  his  profession  Dr.  McConnell 
is  connected  with  the  Pike  County  Medical  So- 
ciety and  the  American  Medical  Association.  He 
has  made  admirable  progress  in  his  profession 
since  leaving  school,  for  by  broad  reading  and  re- 
search he  has  continually  added  to  his  knowledge 
and  promoted  his  efficiency.  He  has  also  done 
post-graduate  work  in  Chicago,  and  has  attended 
clinics  in  that  city  and  in  St.  Louis.  For  the  past 
ten  years  he  has  been  surgeon  for  the  Wabash 
Railroad  Company  in  addition  to  the  duties  of  a 
large  private  practice,  and  the  community  reposes 
much  confidence  in  his  professional  ability  while 
entertaining  for  him  warm  personal  regard. 


FRANCIS  AUBREY  LONGNECKER. 

Francis  Aubrey  Longnecker,  station  agent  for 
the  Wabash  Railroad  at  Kinderhook,  was  born 
August  6,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  B.  and  Nancy 
H.  (Hull)  I^ongnecker,  the  latter  a. daughter  of 
Thomas  Hull,  who  came  here  in  1831  and  was 


one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Kinderhook  township, 
where  he  engaged  in  preaching  the  gospel  as  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mrs. 
Longnecker  was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Illi- 
nois,- April  8,  1829.  A.  B.  Longnecker  was  born 
October  24,  1824,  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and 
when  a  young  man  he  was  a  gatekeeper  at  Alton 
penitentiary.  Later  he  turned  his  attention  to 
merchandising  in  Kinderhook  following  that  pur- 
suit the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  died  May  4, 
1873,  while  his  wife  passed  away  near  Griggs- 
ville,  January  7,  1894.  They  were  the  parents  of 
three  children :  Francis  Aubrey,  William  A., 
a  member  of  the  Iowa  Conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  Mis.  Thomas  Simp- 
kin,  Jr.,  of  Griggsville,  Illinois.  The  father  was 
a  republican  in  -his  political  views;  and  he  be- 
longed to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  holding  a  mem- 
bership in  the  Kinderhook  lodge  and  also  in  the 
chapter  at  Clayton,  Illinois. 

Francis  A.  Longnecker  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Kinderhook  and  Griggsville  and 
learned  telegraphy  in  the  Kinderhook  office.  He 
was  afterward  operator  at  Valley  City  for  six 
months  and  subsequently  at  Barry  for  two  years, 
and  has  been  agent  at  Kinderhook  since  the  I4th 
of  April,  1887,  covering  a  period  of  nineteen 
consecutive  years.  His  entire  life  has  been  de- 
voted to  this  business,  and  he  is  a  popular  and 
efficient  employe  of  the  railroad,  his  unfailing 
courtesy  and  obliging  manner  winning  for  him 
the  friendly  regard  of  the  patrons  of  the  Kinder- 
hook  office.  In  connection  with  his  other  duties, 
Mr.  Longnecker  has  for  ten  years  had  charge  of 
the  sand  and  gravel  pit  east  of  Kinderhook,  where 
he  does  a  good  business.  He  shipped  out  three 
hundred  and  fifty  carloads  of  sand  and  gravel  in 
the  year  1905,  shipping  mostly  to  Springfield  and 
Jacksonville,  where  the  product  is  used  for  side- 
walks and  in  concrete  work.  He  is  also  interested 
in  two  telephone  systems,  having  eight  lines  cen- 
tering in  Kinderhook  and  connecting  with  va- 
rious farms  in  this  part  of  the  county  and  with 
adjacent  towns. 

On  November  19,  1889,  Mr.  Longnecker  was 
married  to  Miss  Lottie  Colvin,  a  daughter  of  J. 
C.  Colvin,  a  merchant  of  Kinderhook.  Her 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Andrews; 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


357 


and  the  parents  came  from  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut, to  Illinois,  where  the  father  engaged  in  the 
milling  business  and  also  carried  on  general  mer- 
chandising at  Kinderhook.  He  was  a  good  busi- 
ness man,  and  at  his  death  left  a  valuable  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy, 
he  served  as  township  school  trustee  for  fifteen 
years  and  was  also  collector  for  several  years. 
He  belonged  to  the  Masonic  lodge  and  was  a  man 
whom  to  know  was  to  respect  and  honor.  He 
died  March  23,1.900,  and  his  wife  is  still  living, 
making  her  home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Long- 
necker. 

Mr.  Longnecker  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  at  Kinderhook,  and  has  acted 
as  clerk  of  the  lodge  since  its  organization  sev- 
enteen years  ago.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Kin- 
derhook lodge,  No.  353,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Barry 
chapter,  No.  88,  R.  A.  M.,  and  of  the  former  has 
been  secretary  for  three  years.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  He  has  a  nice 
home,  and  is  one  of  the  foremost  residents  of 
Kinderhook.  His  political  affiliation  is  with  the 
prohibition  party;  and  he  was  village  treasurer 
for  several  terms.  In  manner  he  is  social  ard 
genial,  well  known  and  well  liked. 


F.  MARION  CRANE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  F.  Marion  Crane,  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Pittsfield. 
was  born  near  this  city  upon  the  home  farm  in 
Newburg  township,  July  20,  1862,  his  parents 
being  Lafayette  and  Susan  U.  (Leeds)  Crane. 
The  mother  is  now  living  in  Newburg  township 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  The  parents 
removed  to  Illinois  from  Ohio,  and  were  natives 
of  the  Buckeye  state  and  Pennsylvania  respect- 
ively. They  located  in  Pike  county  at  an  early 
epoch  in  its  development,  and  Lafayette  Crane 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  various  pursuits  of 
farming,  carpentering  and  cabinet-making.  His 
later  years,  however,  were  given  entirely  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  he  continued  upon  the 
home  farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 


1863,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  In  his  fam- 
ily were  three  daughters,  who  are  residents  of 
Newburg  township — Mrs.  D.  B.  Rose,  Mrs.  R. 
M.  Weeks  and  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Fenton. 

Dr.  Crane  also  has  one  living  brother,  A.  D. 
Crane,  a  farmer,  residing  on  the  old  homestead; 
and  there  is  also  a  half-brother,  Felix  L.  Crane, 
who  is  located  in  Stafford  county,  Kansas.  One 
brother  is  deceased,  Eli  L.,  and  also  a  half -brother, 
Ezra.  Both  Ezra  and  Felix  were  born  in  Ohio. 
George  W.,  another  brother,  died  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years,  and  one  sister,  Mary  Elizabeth, 
died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  Crane  was  reared  in  Pike  county,  and  in 
its  schools  acquired  his  early  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  three  years'  attendance  at  the 
Illinois  State  Normal  University  at  Normal.  He 
early  became  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist  upon  the 
home  farm.  He  read  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  Smith 
Thomas,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Illinois,  while  teaching 
school  in  that  section,  and  subsequently  matricu- 
lated in  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  where 
he  completed  the  regular  course  in  1892.  Im- 
mediately afterward  he  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  with  Dr.  Thomas,  at  Pleasant 
Hill,  with  whom  he  was  associated  for  three 
and  a  half  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  went  to  the  Hawiian  Islands  as  one  of  the  gov- 
ernment physicians,  but  upon  returning  home  for 
his  family  to  take  them  to  the  islands  he  was 
taken  ill  with  typhoid  fever,  and  his  wife  con- 
tracted the  same  disease  three  days  later.  He 
then  resigned  his  position,  and  has  since  prac- 
ticed in  Pittsfield  with  constantly  growing  suc- 
cess, keeping  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  is 
continually  being  made  by  the  medical  fraternity 
as  investigation,  research  and  experiment  pro- 
mote the  efficiency  of  its  followers.  He  practices 
along  modern,  scientific  lines,  and  has  recently 
completed  and  occupies  a  fine  new  office  building 
near  his  home,  supplied  with  all  modern  equip- 
ments. He  owns  a  splendid  compound  toepler- 
holtz  static  machine  of  the  Nelson  type,  on  which 
he  can  use  all  static  currents  including  theX-Ray. 
Dr.  Crane  was  married  to  Miss  Eva  H.  Platt- 
ner,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Pittsfield,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  A.  W.  Plattner,  an  undertaker 


358 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  this  city.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  two 
children:  Florine  May,  who  was  born  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill,  Illinois,  in  1894;  and  Russell  Andrew, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Pittsfield  in  1896.  The 
parents  are  members  of  the  Christian  church ;  and 
Dr.  Crane  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views, 
but  without  aspiration  for  office.  He  is  serving 
on  the  official  board  of  the  church  and  takes  an 
active  and  helpful  interest  in  its  work.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and  was  on 
the  pension  board  until  it  resigned  bodily,  a  new 
board  being  later  appointed.  In  the  line  of  his 
profession  he  is  connected  with  the  Pike  County 
and  Illinois  State  Medical  Societies  and  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  is  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  first  named.  Th£  profession  as  well 
as  the  general  public  recognize  his  skill  ,and 
learning.  He  maintains  a  high  standard  of  pro- 
fessional ethics,  and  by  reading  and  research  is 
continually  broadening  his  knowledge  so  that  he 
is  well  qualified  to  meet  the  responsibilities  that 
devolve  upon  him  in  connection  with  the  impor- 
tant work  he  has  chosen  as  his  life  vocation. 


WILLIAM  H.  BROWN. 

William  H.  Brown,  the  owner  of  six  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land  in  Pike  county  and  also 
well  known  in  commercial  circles  as  a  dealer  in 
hard  and  soft  coal  at  Maysville,  was  born  in 
Griggsville  township  on  the  roth  of  November, 
1867,  a  son  of  Henry  R.  and  Jane  (Chapman) 
Brown.  The  father's  birth  occurred  in  Brown 
county,  Ohio,  July  15,  1821,  and  he  was  a  son  of 
William  Brown,  Sr.,  a  well  known  pioneer  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county.  Henry  Brown  came  to 
Illinois  in  1834,  making  his  way  at  once  to  this 
county  and  establishing  his  home  on  section  29, 
Griggsville  township.  He  followed  a  breaking 
plow  and  dropped  corn  on  the  Griggsville  prairie, 
the  rows  being  one  mile  in  length.  He  was  em- 
ployed at  that  work  by  George  W.  Jones,  who  has 
since  passed  away.  Mr.  Brown  also  worked  in 
a  cotton  gin  in  Morgan  county  for  about  three 
years  and  like  other  boys  of  that  early  day  he 
was  largely  deprived  of  educational  advantages 


and  was  compelled  to  undergo  many  hardships 
and  privations  incident  to  the  settlement  of  the 
frontier.  He  saw  the  first  steamboat  that  sailed 
on  the  waters  of  the  Illinois  river  and  was  a 
witness  of  many  of  the  historic  events  which  have 
marked  the  development  of  this  county.  He  also 
saw  deer  running  wild  on  the  prairies,  there 
being  twenty  or  more  in  a  drove,  but  he  never 
shot  one. 

Henry  R.  Brown  was  married  first  to  Miss 
Harriet  Park  on  the  i8th  of  January,  1842,  and 
just  two  years  later  she  passed  away,  leaving  one 
son,  George  W.,  who  was  born  November  18, 
1843.  He  served  his  country  in  the  Civil  war 
as  a  member  of  the  Union  army  and  died  July 
7,  1900.  On  the  22d  of  December,  1847',  Henry 
R.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Chapman, 
a  daughter  of  E.  W.  Chapman,  deceased,  well 
known  in  early  history  of  Pike  county.  By  this 
marriage  there  were;  eight  children.  John  Q.,  who 
was  bom  October  j  3,  .1848,  and  married  Miss  Ella 
Eastman,  is  now  engaged  in  cultivating  a  farm 
of  about  five  hundred  acres  in  Kansas.  Mary  J., 
born  June  16,  1850  is  the  wife  of  John  F.  Wat- 
kins,  a  farmer  of  Griggsville  township.  Sarah 
F.,  born  May  17,  1852,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  O. 
Skinner,  a  resident  of  Griggsville.  William  E., 
born  August  12,  1854,  died  May  6,  1855.  Julia 
A.,  born  November  8,  1856,  has  also  passed  away. 
Flora  E.,  born  January  12,  1862,  died  January 
10,  1867.  Captain  Amos  W.  Brown,  born  Decem- 
ber 17,  1863,  married  Louise  Lewis  and  they 
now  reside  in  Kansas,  where  he  follows  farming 
and  in  1902-3  he  raised  thirty  thousand  bushels 
of  wheat.  William  H.  completes  the  family. 
The  father,  Henry  R.  Brown,  long  an  active, 
enterprising,  prosperous  and  honored  agricul- 
turist of  Pike  county,  passed  away  June  7, 
1903,  when  eighty-two  years  of  age,  and  his  wife, 
-who  was  born  in  1823,  is  now  living  in  her  eighty- 
second  year,  at  the  present  writing  visiting  her 
sons  in  Kansas. 

William  H.  Brown,  reared  under  the  parental 
roof,  acquired  his  elementary  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  afterward  attended  Illinois 
College  at  Jacksonville.  He  was  early  trained 
to  habits  of  industry,  economy  and  enterprise 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  and  was  associated 


LIBRARY 

Of   THE 

UNIVERSITY   (Jf    'UINOIS. 


MR.   AND  MRS.   W.  H.   BROWN 


MR.   AND  MRS.   H.   R.   BROWN 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


363 


with  his  father  in  business  until  the  latter's  death. 
In  recent  years  he  had  more  and  more  relieved 
his  father  of  the  care  and  arduous  duties  incident 
to  a  business  career  and  since  his  demise  he  has 
been  farming  the  old  homestead,  comprising  six 
hundred  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land.  He 
also  raises  and  feeds  stock  on  an  extensive  scale, 
having  a  feed  shed  two  hundred  by  two  hundred 
feet  with  fifty  feeding  chutes.  In  1904  he  fed 
over  five  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  he  now  has 
on  hand  about  two  hundred  head  of  cattle  and 
between  five  and  six  hundred  head  of  hogs.  He 
is  the  most  extensive  live  stock  shipper  in  this 
locality,  buying  cattle  all  over  the  county  and  his 
business  has  reached  mammoth  and  profitable 
proportions.  He  also  has  coal  sheds  at  Maysville 
and  is  a  dealer  in  both  soft  and  hard  coal,  which 
likewise  adds  materially  to  his  annual  income. 
In  January,  1906,  he  traded  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  in  Brown  county,  for  a  well 
improved  place  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Butler  county,  Kansas,  three  miles  from 
Latham. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1902,  Mr.  Brown 
was  married  to  Miss  Josie  A.  Mink,  who  was  born 
in  Salem  township,  Pike  county,  December  i, 
1882,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  D.  and  Catherine 
(Chipman)  Mink,  the  former  born  in  Ohio  in 
1852  and  the  latter  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in 
1858.  Her  father  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
in  Salem  township,  cultivating  about  five  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land.  He  came  to  this  state 
when  young  and  in  limited  financial  circumstances 
but  gradually  he  worked  his  way  upward  and  has 
found  that  success  is  ambition's  answer.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democracy. 
In  his  family  were  three  sons  and  six  daughters, 
as  follows:  Jessie,  the  wife  of  Ralph  Gleckler; 
William  H.;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  William  Dean; 
Rachel ;  Grover ;  Frank,  who  died  in  his  seventh 
year ;  Eunice  R. ;  Mamie ;  and  Emmett. 

Mr.  Brown  has  never  cared  for  public  office 
but  has  always  preferred  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  affairs  and  in  connec- 
tion with  his  other  interests  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Illinois  Valley  Bank  at  Griggsville.  He 
votes,  however,  with  the  republican  party  and  he 
is  a  member  of  Pike  lodge,  No.  73,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
19 


at  Griggsville,  while  his  wife  is  connected  with 
Dove  lodge  of  the  Rebekah  order.  They  are 
highly  esteemed  people  of  the  community,  repre- 
senting worthy  and  prominent  pioneer  families 
and  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes  is 
freely  accorded  them.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  man  of 
excellent  business  ability,  of  keen  discernment  and 
unfaltering  enterprise,  and  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  modern  trend  of  thought  and  progress  in 
relation  to  agricultural  and  commercial  pursuits. 


ROBERT  YATES  BARNES. 

Robert  Yates  Barnes,  vice  president  of  the 
Farmers  Bank  of  Baylis,  also  a  representative  of 
agricultural  and  stoG^-^i^ing  interests,  is  ac- 
counted one  of.fhe  active  business  men  of  his  vil- 
lage and  community,  and  -the.  extent  and  impor- 
tance of  his  business  operations  have  brought  him 
a  good  financial  return  and  at  the  same  time  have 
made  him  a  factor  in  the  advancement  of  general 
prosperity.  He  was  born  April  6,  1861,  in  Pike 
county,  his  parents  being  Nathan  L.  and  Mar- 
garet (Cunningham)  Barnes.  The  father  was 
born  March  15,  1833,  in  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Sarah  (Lawson)  Barnes,  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of  1854 
and  located  near  Baylis,  buying  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section  24,  New 
Salem  township.  The  grandfather  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  raising  stock,  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  cattle  and  horses.  He  spent  his  remain- 
ing years  here,  passing  away  September  4,  1884, 
while  his  wife  died  in  1868. 

Nathan  L.  Barnes  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Pennsylvania  and  remained  at 
home  until  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Pike 
county,  after  which  he  entered  business  life  here 
by  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  Sub- 
sequently he  returned  to  the  Keystone  state,  and 
was  there  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Cunningham 
in  1855.  He  brought  his  bride  to  Pike  county, 
and  she  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  thus 
assisted  him  in  gaining  a  start.  He  was  paid  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter  per  day  for  his  labor,  and 


364 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


was  thus  employed  for  six  months,  after  which 
he  rented  land  for  three  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  with  the  capital  he  had  man- 
aged to  save  from  his  earnings  he  bought  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  about  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  south  of  Baylis.  To  this  he  has 
added  until  he  now  owns  three  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  land,  and  his  farm  is  a  well  improved 
property,  the  well  tilled  fields  yielding  him  ex- 
cellent harvests  annually.  He  has  placed  all  of 
the  buildings  upon  his  farm,  and  has  cleared  most 
of  the  land.  He  has  engaged  quite  extensively  in 
the  stock  business;  and  although  he  came  to  this 
county  a  poor  boy,  he  is  to-day  one  of  its  pros- 
perous citizens — a  fact  which  is  attributable  en- 
tirely to  his  own  efforts.  In  1863  he  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife.  In  October, 
1905,  he  removed  from  his  farm  to  Baylis,  where 
he  is  now  living  a  retired  life,  resting  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church;  and  his 
political  views  are  those  of  a  prohibitionist.  He 
is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Pike 
county,  and,  moreover,  is  a  citizen  whom  to  know 
is  to  respect  and  honor  because  of  his  fidelity  to 
manly  principles  in  all  life's  relations.  His  in- 
fluence is  ever  given  on  the  side  of  right,  justice 
and  truth,  and  he  advocates  every  movement 
which  tends  to  ameliorate  the  hard  conditions 
of  mankind  or  to  uplift  humanity  intellectually 
and  morally. 

Robert  Yates  Barnes  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Pike  county  and  remained  at 
home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  trav- 
eled through  the  west,  visiting  Colorado,  Cali- 
fornia and  Washington.  He  spent  two  years  in 
the  west,  being  in  Seattle  in  1882,  when  there 
were  but  five  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  city. 
In  1884  he  returned  to  Pike  county  and  entered 
upon  the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been  reared. 
For  a  year  he  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
and  then  went  to  Missouri  for  the  winter,  but  in 
the  spring  returned  to  this  county  and  resumed 
general  agricultural  pursuits.  He  made  his  first 
purchase  of  land  in  1887,  becoming  the  owner 
of  sixty  acres  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  which 
he  sold  in  1894.  He  then  bought  where  he  now 
lives,  owning  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine 


land,  which  adjoins  Baylis  and  is  splendidly  lo- 
cated. His  farm  is  on  section  12,  Haclley  town- 
ship, and  is  a  well  improved  property,  the  fields 
having  been  brought  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, while  the  fences  are  well  kept  and  the 
buildings  are  in  good  repair.  He  has  a  fine 
home,  tasteful  in  its  furnishings  and  attractive  in 
its  surroundings.  He  keeps  a  large  amount  of 
cattle,  hogs  and  horses  and  is  a  lover  of  good 
horses,  having  now  in  his  possession  some  fine 
coach  horses  and  _  also  some  fine  driving  stock. 
Moreover,  he  figures  prominently  in  financial  cir- 
cles .in  the  county  as  the  vice  president  of  the 
Farmers  Bank,  with  which  he  has  been  con- 
nected since  its  organization.  In  fact  he  was  one 
of  the  organizers  and  is  a  stockholder,  and  from 
the  beginning  has  occupied  his  present  official 
connection  therewith. 

In  1885  Mr.  Barnes  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Nancy  Davidson,  who  was  born  September 
4,  1859,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Susan  (Hartman)  Davidson,  of  Adams  county, 
Illinois.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion ;  but  both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  have  been  born  two 
sons  and  a  daughter:  Arthur  L.,  who  was  born 
March  22,  1887,  was  graduated  from  the  high 
school  at  Baylis  in  1905,  and  is  living  at  home; 
Ralph  D.,  born  March  15,  1888,  was  educated  in 
Baylis,  and  is  also  with  his  parents ;  Alta  May, 
born  May  16,  1892,  died  in  1897. 

Mr.  Barnes  has  always  voted  with  the  repub- 
lican party,  but  does  not  seek  nor  desire  the 
honors  nor  emoluments  of  public  office.  He  served 
on  the  town  board,  however,  and  was  a  school 
director  for  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp,  No.  593,  of  Baylis,  and  of 
the  Mutual  Protective  League.  His  wife  and 
elder  son  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  Mr.  Barnes  contributes  generously  to  its  sup- 
port. He  keeps  thoroughly  informed  concern- 
ing the  conditions  of  the  village  and  commu- 
nity, and  gives  active  co-operation  to  many  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good.  As  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  developed  extensive  business  in- 
terests which  have  proven  to  him  a  profitable 
source  of  income,  and  his  life  of  industry  is  in- 
dicative of  the  fact  that  faithfulness  to  duty  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


365 


strict  adherence  to  a  fixed  purpose  in  life  will  do 
more  to  advance  a  man's  interests  than  wealth  or 
advantageous  circumstances. 


ROBERT  A.  ANDERSON. 

Robert  A.  Anderson  is  a  self-made  man  who  as 
the  result  of  his  industry,  economy  and  well  di- 
rected labors  in  former  years  is  now  enabled  to 
live  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  comfortable 
competence.  He  makes  his  home  in  Griggsville, 
but  for  many  years  was  identified  with  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Pike  county.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Durham  county,  England,  on  the  3d 
of  October,  1828,  and  when  eleven  years  of  age 
he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  since 
which  time  he  has  depended  upon  his  own  re- 
sources for  everything  that  he  has  secured  and 
enjoyed.  His  parents  were  Anthony  and  Han- 
nah (Meggeson)  Anderson,  the  former  born  in 
England  in  1797,  while  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  England  about  1799.  They  were  mar- 
ried at  Houghton  Lee  Springs,  in  Durham 
county,  England,  and  the  father  died  in  his  na- 
tive country  in  1850,  having  for  a  number  of 
years  survived  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in 
1836,  when  thirty-seven  years  of  age.  They  had 
a  family  of  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  living 
in  Griggsville  at  the  present  time :  Ralph,  who 
was  born  in  1822  and  is  therefore  eighty-three 
years  of  age ;  William,  born  February  22,  1825 ; 
Robert  A.,  of  this  review;  Jane,  born  June  20, 
1830;  and  John  M.,  born  August  20,  1835. 

Robert  A.  Anderson  remained  a  resident  of 
England  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  in 
company  with  his  brother  Ralph  he  took  passage 
on  a  sailing  vessel  which  weighed  anchor  at  Liv- 
erpool in  May,  1850.  They  landed  at  New  York 
in  July  on  the  day  that  President  Taylor  was 
laid  to  rest.  They  did  not  tarry  long  in  the  east- 
ern metropolis,  however,  but  went  up  the  Hud- 
son river  to  Albany,  thence  by  rail  to  Buffalo, 
New  York,  and  by  steamboat  to  Chicago,  on  the 
Michigan  and  Illinois  canal  to  LaSalle  and  thence 
by  boat  down  the  Illinois  river  to  Griggsville 
Landing.  On  the  1st  of  October,  1851,  Robert 


A.  Anderson  started  on  the  return  trip  to  Eng- 
land by  the  same  route  and  remained  in  his  na- 
tive country  until  March,  1852,  when  he  came 
again  to  the  United  States  accompanied  by  his 
younger  brother  and  sister.  They  were  pas- 
sengers on  a  sailing  vessel  which  after  a  voyage 
of  nine  weeks  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of 
New  Orleans,  whence  they  came  by  steamboat 
direct  to  Griggsville  Landing. 

Mr.  Anderson  at  once  began  farming  on  a  tract 
of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  which 
the  brothers  purchased  conjointly,  and  his  time 
and  energies  were  given  to  agricultural  pursuits 
until  1866,  when  he  and  his  sister  and  brother 
John  returned  to  England  on  a  visit.  In  1867 
they  came  once  more  to  the  United  'States  and 
remained  upon  the  farm  until  1873,  when  Mr. 
Anderson  purchased  for  them  a  home  in  the  city 
of  Griggsville,  where  they  now  reside.  He  and 
his  younger  brother  and  sister  have  always  lived 
together.  While  upon  the  home  farm  he  was  en- 
gaged in  raising  Durham  shorthorn  cattle,  hav- 
ing only  standard-bred  animals.  He  followed  that 
business  for  a  number  of  years,  purchasing  im- 
ported stock,  and  found  it  a  profitable  source  of 
income.  For  a  long  period  he  was  accounted 
one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of 
Pike  county,  and  continued  in  business  with  his 
brother  until  1873,  since  which  time  he  has  lived 
a  retired  life.  The  farm  is  located  on  section  5, 
Flint  township,  and  consists  of  three  hundred 
acres,  and  is  still  managed  by  the  brothers, 
being  rented  to  Mr.  Henry  Anderson,  a  nephew, 
and  son  of  William  Anderson.  In  June,  1867,  Mr. 
Anderson  attended  the  Paris  Exposition  for  fif- 
teen days.  In  later  years  he  has  spent  several 
fall  seasons  hunting  large  game  in  Wyoming, 
finding  this  a  pleasurable  source  of  recreation. 
He  has  never  cared  for  public  office  for  himself, 
but  has  always  opposed  misrule  in  'municipal  af- 
fairs, and  has  advocated  the  election  of  citizens 
of  known  ability  and  integrity  to  office.  For  sev- 
enteen years  he  was  treasurer  of  the  Griggsville 
Farmers  Fire  &  Lighting  Insurance  Company. 
Mr.  Anderson  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he 
has  accomplished  in  life,  as  he  had  no  pecuniary 
assistance  when  he  started  out  for  himself  at  the 
early  age  of  eleven  years.  He  depended  upon  the 


366 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


safe  and  substantial  qualities  of  earnest  labor  and 
straightforward  dealing,  and  upon  these  as  a 
foundation  has  builded  the  superstructure  of  his 
success  as  the  years  have  gone  by. 


DR.  R.  R.   POLLOCK. 

Dr.  R.  R.  Pollock,  of  Nebo,  who  is  one  of  the 
prominent  bankers  and  financiers  of  Pike  county, 
and  for  many  years  has  been  recognized  as  a  lead- 
ing business  man  in  this  part  of  the  state,  dates 
his  residence  in  the  county  from  1866.  He  was 
born  in  Union  county,  Ohio,  on  the  28th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1843,  and  is  a  son  of  John  D.  Pollock,  a 
native  of  Delaware,  whose  birth  occurred  in  1811. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Robert  Pollock,  was 
born  December  23,  1784,  and  married  Margaret 
Hurley,  October  2,  1806.  He  removed  from  Del- 
aware to  Ohio,  becoming  an  early  settler  of  Un- 
ion county  and  there  John  D.  Pollock  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  married  Miss  Rachel  G.  Dy- 
sert,  who  was  born  in  Union  county,  Ohio,  in 
1817.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  in 
that  county  until  his  removal  to  Illinois,  at  which 
time  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Edgar 
county.  Subsequently  he  became  a  resident  of 
Aurora,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  last  years  in 
honorable  retirement  from  further  labor,  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  that  city  in  1897.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  now  resides  with  Dr.  Pollock,  a 
hale  and  hearty  old  lady  of  eighty-eight  years. 

Dr.  Pollock  went  to  Illinois  in  early  life  and 
there  was  reared.  He  attended  the  common 
schools,  and  afterward  continued  his  studies  in 
Abingdon  College,  having  in  the  meantime  studied 
also  in  the  schools  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  On  the 
27th  of  July,  1861,  when  eighteen  years  of  age, 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops, 
and  'with  patriotic  ardor  joined  Company  A. 
Tenth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  enlisted  as 
a  private  and  so  served  until  September  28,  1865. 
when  he  was  honorably  discharged,  after  having 
been  with  the  army  for  three  years  and  two 
months.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  promi- 
nent and  important  engagements,  including  the 


battles  of  luka,  Corinth,  the  Siege  of  Vicksburg 
and  Mission  Ridge.  He  was  also  at  Lookout 
Mountain  and  was  at  Kingston,  Georgia,  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  after  which  he 
was  honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out. 

Dr.  Pollock  then  returned  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
where  he  continued  his  education,  while  later  he 
became  a  student  in  Abingdon  College  at  Abing- 
don, Illinois.  He  took  up  the  study  of  medicine 
there  under  the  direction  of  his  brother,  and  at- 
tended his  first  course  of  lectures  in  1870  in  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  following  year  he  began  practice  in 
Nebo,  where  he  has  remained  continuously  since 
as  an  active  and  able  representative  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  attended  his  last  course  at  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  in  1877  and  1878,  and  was  graduated  in  the 
latter  year.  He  built  up  a  large  lucrative  prac- 
tice, becoming  recognized  as  one  of  the  capable 
members  of  the  medical  fraternity  in  Pike  county. 
He  also  established  and  carried  on  a  drug  store 
in  Nebo  for  a  number  of  years.  As  his  financial 
resources  have  increased  he  has  made  judicious 
investments  in  real  estate  and  now  owns  several 
farms  in  Spring  Creek  and  Pleasant  Hill  town- 
ships. In  1903  he  established  the  Bank  of  Nebo, 
and  erected  a  large  neat  brick  bank  building,  two 
stories  in  height.  This  building  includes  the  post- 
office  and  store  on  the  ground  floor  and  offices 
above.  The  Doctor  is  president  of  the  bank 
while  his  youngest  son  is  cashier.  It  has  become 
a  strong  financial  institution  and  a  general  bank- 
ing business  is  carried  on,  a  liberal  patronage  hav- 
ing already  been  secured.  Dr.  Pollock  has  also 
aided  materially  in  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of 
the  town  of  Nebo,  where  he  owns  a  neat  residence 
and  also  about  forty  acres  of  land  within  the  town 
limits. 

Dr.  Pollock  was  married  in  Pleasant  Hill  in 
August,  1866,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Ferguson,  a  na- 
tive of  Pike  county,  who  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Abingdon,  Illinois,  where  she  became 
acquainted  with  her  husband.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  James  H.  and  Eliza  Ferguson,  early  settlers 
of  Pike  county.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Pollock  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters:  Robert  Cleon,  of  Peoria,  Illinois,  who  is 
married  and  has  two  children ;  John  R.,  who  is 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


367 


a  practicing  physician  represented  elsewhere  in 
this  work ;  Ralph  Waldo,  who  is  cashier  of  the 
bank;  and  Nellie  and  Alice  both  at  home.  The 
daughters  have  been  afforded  liberal  educational 
privileges,  and  Alice  is  a  normal  university  grad- 
uate, having  received  excellent  training  in  teach- 
ing. Nellie  is  a  graduate  of  Wesleyan  College 
of  Music,  Bloomington,  Illinois. 

Dr.  Pollock  is  independent  in  his  political  views 
and  supports  the  best  men  regardless  of  party 
affiliations.  He  is  enterprising  and  watchful  of 
opportunities  both  for  his  individual  interests 
and  for  the  public  welfare,  and  public  opinion 
is  not  divided  concerning  his  ability  in  his  pro- 
fession and  in  business  life  and  his  worth  as  a 
citizen. 


ERNEST  E.  WILLIAMSON. 

Ernest  E.  Williamson,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  The  Independent  Press  of  Griggsville,  one  of 
the  leading  papers  of  Pike  county,  is  a  progres- 
sive young  man  and  has  been  quite  successful 
since  taking  charge  of  this  paper. 

He  is  a  native  of  Pike  county  and  was  born  in 
the  city  of  Pittsfield,'  March  16,  1870.  The  Wil- 
liamsons are  of  mingled  Irish,  Scotch  and  Welsh 
ancestry.  The  father  of  our  subject,  whose  name 
was  Thomas,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  son 
of  Jesse  Williamson,  a  native  of  Highland  county, 
that  state,  he  having  been  born  there  in  an  early 
day.  He  was  reared  there  to  the  life  of  a  farmer, 
and  was  married  to  Martha  Sloan,  also  a  native 
of  Highland  county.  After  the  birth  of  their 
children,  he  brought  his  family  to  Illinois  in 
1857,  journeying  hither  by  land  and  settling  on 
a  farm  in  Detroit  township,  Pike  county.  His  land 
was  somewhat  improved  and  he  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  active  life  in  developing  a  farm.  After 
the  death  of  his  wife  in  1869,  he  retired  from 
business,  removed  from  Detroit  township,  and 
went  to  Pittsfield,  where  his  death  occurred  only 
a  few  years  ago,  at  the  advanced  age  of  nearly 
ninety  years. 

Thomas  Williamson,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  one  of  the  younger  of  his  mother's 


children  and  he  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  he  at- 
tained manhood,  having  been  bred  to  the  life  of  a 
farmer.  He  was  married  there  to  Esther  Slagle, 
who  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  and  came  of 
southern  parentage  and  German  ancestry.  After 
marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williamson  moved  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Detroit  township,  Pike 
count}'.  He  subsequently  went  to  Pittsfield  and 
engaged  in  the  drug  business.  He  now  resides 
in  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  He  had  the  misfortune 
to  lose  his  wife,  who  died  in  their  home  in  Pitts- 
field,  July  4,  1873,  when  she  was  less  than  forty 
years  of  age.  She  was  a  kind  neighbor,  a  true 
friend,  a  devoted  wife  and  a  loving  mother. 
She  was  an  earnest  Christian  and  was  identified 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  She  was 
the  mother  of  two  children,  our  subject  and  his 
brother  Raymond,  the  latter  of  whom  resides  at 
El  Reno,  Oklahoma. 

Ernest  Williamson  was  quite  young  when  he 
was  deprived  of  the  care  of  his  mother  and  for  a 
time  was  reared  by  his  father  and  maternal  grand- 
mother, Julia  A.  Slagle,  of  Pittsfield,  the  latter 
of  whom  died  September  10,  1888.  It  was  while 
living  with  her  that  he  secured  a  practical  edu- 
cation in  the  city  schools  of  Pittsfield.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  and  while  still  attending  school  he 
learned  typesetting  in  the  Old  Flag  office  at  Pitts- 
field,  later  worked  on  the  Democratic  Herald  for 
a  short  period  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered 
upon  the  work  which  led  him  into  journalism,  as 
he  then  secured  a  situation  in  the  printing  office 
of  the  Pike  County  Democrat,  edited  by  Hon.  J. 
M.  Bush,  Sr.  He  became  familiar  with  general 
newspaper  business,  and  for  a  year  before  he  left 
to  take  control  of  his  first  paper,  he  was  foreman 
of  the  Pike  County  Democrat.  He  became  proprie- 
tor of  The  Independent  Press  in-the  month  of  June, 
1889,  which  he  did  not  change  in  title  or  politics, 
which  is  strickly  independent.  It  is  a  six-column 
quarto  sheet,  with  a  full  line  of  local  and  general 
news  and  is  popular  wherever  it  circulates.  It 
has  continued  to  prosper  since  it  came  in  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  Williamson,  who  succeeded  Arnold 
Hughes,  who  founded  the  paper  in  1879.  It 
now  has  a  circulation  of  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred copies  weekly,  and  it  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  newsy  and  well  edited  papers  of  the  day. 


368 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


Mr.  Williamson  was  married  April  2,  1891,  to 
Miss  Jessie,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  T.  Kenney,  of  Griggsville.  They  have 
three  children,  Helen  Louise,  born  September  10, 
1894;  Kenney  Ernest,  bom  April  7,  1899;  and 
Raymond,  born  June  26,  1903.  , 


XAVIER  CARLEN. 

Xavier  Carlen,  better  known  as  Charles  Carl  en, 
is  an  enterprising  agriculturist  of  Pleasant  Vale 
township,  and  is  also  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war.  He  was  born  on  the  Rhine  in  France, 
June  3,  1832,  and  was  the  only  child  of  Charles 
and  Catherine  (Lougel)  Carlen.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran'  church.  They 
died  many  years  ago,  Mr.  Carlen  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two  years  and  Mrs.  Carlen  when  forty- 
three  years  of  age. 

Charles  Carlen  of  this  review  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  country  and 
continued  his  residence  there  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  when,  (attracted  by  the  favorable 
reports  that  he  had  heard  concerning  business 
opportunities  and  advantages  in  the  United  States, 
he  came  to  America  in  1857,  landing  in  New 
York.  He  traveled  for  a  number  of  years  before 
taking  up  his  abode  permanently  in  Pike  county. 
He  was  first  married  to  Polly  Meeks  of  this 
county,  the  wedding  taking  place  in  1866.  They 
had  four  children:  Lewie,  the  wife  of  William 
Battle,  who  is  living  in  Eldara ;  Lizzie,  the  wife 
of  Jacob  Moyer,  a  resident  of  Hadley  township; 
Charles,  at  home ;  and  Emma,  the  wife  of  George 
Watson,  a  resident  of  Peoria,  Illinois.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  in  1873,  and  it  was  not  until 
1891  that  Mr.  Carlen  was  again  married,  in  which 
year  he  wedded  Mrs.  Rosella  Fox,  nee  Saxbury. 
She  was  born  in  New  Canton,  Pike  county, 
August  17,  1857,  was  the  widow  of  William  Fox 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Edison  Saxbury.  He  was 
a  schoolmate  of  Martin  Van  Buren  and  was  one 
of  the  first  white  men  to  establish  a  home  within 
the  borders  of  this  county  and  aid  in  its  recla- 
mation for  the  uses  of  civilization.  Edison  Sax- 


bury  became  a  farmer  and  devoted  his  attention 
to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  until  after  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war,  when,  on  the  I3th  of  August, 
1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Ninety-ninth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers 
under  Captain  M.  D.  Massie.  He  was  with  the 
army  for  three  years,  and  was  then  honorably 
discharged  July  31,  1865,  at  Baton  Rouge,  Louis- 
iana. Following  his  return  to  Pike  county  he 
resumed  farming  and  spent  his  remaining  days 
here.  His  birth  occurred  in  1827  and  he  departed 
this  life  May  25,  1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Carlen  had 
four  children:  Walter  and  Edward  both  living 
near  our  subject ;  Stella,  the  wife  of  Fred  Wilson, 
of  Eldara ;  and  Lena,  the  wife  of  Frank  Strater, 
who  is  assistant  postmaster  at  Carthage,  Illi- 
nois. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carlen  has  been  born 
one  son,  George. 

-Mr.  Carlen  had  been  a  resident  of  the  new 
world  only  four  years  when  the  country  be- 
came involved  in  the  Civil  war.  He  informed  him- 
self concerning  the  conditions  of  the  times  and 
the  great  questions  under  discussion  and  believ- 
ing in  the  justice  of  the  Union  cause  he  enlisted 
on  the  1st  of  August,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany H,  Tenth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  until  honorably  discharged, 
December  31,  1863,  at  Larkinson,  Alabama.  He 
re-enlisted  there  as  a  veteran  on  the  ist  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  and  was  appointed  fifth  corporal 
of  Company  H,  Tenth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry, 
receiving  the  appointment  on  the  5th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1864,  from  Colonel  P.  P.  Henderson,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  regiment.  While  at  the 
front  Mr.  Carlen  participated  in  the  movements 
of  the  armies  under  Generals  Grant,  Sherman, 
McPherson,  Logan,  Howard  and  Dodge,  taking 
part  in  a  number  .of  hotly  contested  engagements, 
and  on  the  15th  of  August,  1865,  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas. 

Following  the  close  of  hostilities  Mr.  Carlen 
took  up  his  abode  in  Pleasant  Vale  township, 
where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  from 
Captain  Massie's  father-in-law.  This  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest  and  there  with  the  green 
woods  all  around  him  he  began  the  arduous  task 
of  clearing  and  improving  a  new  farm.  He  first 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


369 


lived  in  a  log  shanty  and  there  he  put  forth  stren- 
uous effort  to  develop  his  land  and  to  care  for  his 
family,  for  his  wife  left  him  with  four  children, 
whom  he  reared  himself,  putting  forth  every 
effort  in  his  power  for  their  welfare,  comfort  and 
happiness.  As  the  years  passed  he  prospered  in 
his  undertakings  and  in  addition  to  the  tract  of 
land  which  he  now  owns  he  also  operates  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  adjoining  his  place. 
He  has  good  buildings  and  improvements  upon 
his  farm  and  a  glance  will  serve  to  indicate  to 
the  passerby  the  careful  supervision  of  a  pains- 
taking effort  of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Carlen  is  a  republican. 
He  belongs  to  Amos  Morey  post,  No.  617,  G.  A. 
R.,  at  New  Canton  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church. 

There  is  no  more  loyal  citizen  in  Pike  county 
than  this  adopted  son  who  from  the  early  years 
of  his  residence  in  America  has  manifested  a 
sincere  and  deep  attachment  to  the  stars  and 
stripes.  Local  advancement  as  well  as  national 
progress  is  a  cause  dear  to  his  heart  and  his  co- 
operation has  always  been  depended  upon  in 
matters  of  general  improvement  and  progress 
here.  The  hope  that  led  him  to  seek  a  home  in 
America  has  been  more  than  realized  for  he  has 
found  good  business  opportunities  here,  the 
utilization  of  which  has  resulted  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  a  comfortable  property  and  at  the  same 
time  he  has  won  many  warm  friends  among  his 
neighbors  and  fellow  townsmen  in  Pike  county. 


W.    A.    RAKER. 

W.  A.  Baker,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  usually  called 
Judge  1'aker,  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
Pike  county  and  one  of  the  few  remaining  early 
settlers.  For  years  he  was  a  manufacturer  of 
tobacco  and  his  well-directed  activity  resulted  in 
making  him  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  his 
community.  He  dates  his  residence  in  Illinois 
from  1844  and  has  made  his  home  in  I  "ike  c  unity 
since  1865.  His  birth  occurred  in  Ohio  on  the 
28th  of  September.  1825.  his  father  being  George 
W.  Raker,  who  was  born  in  West  Union.  Ohio, 


where  his  childhood  and  youth  were  passed.  He 
became  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  carried  on  a  shop 
at  West  Union  and  conducted  a  successful  busi- 
ness. At  that  place  he  was  married  and  in  1831 
he  removed  to  Kentucky,  locating  in  Gallatin 
county,  where  he  carried  on  business  for  a  long 
period,  spending  his  remaining  days  there. 

Judge  Raker  was  reared  in  Kentucky,  where  he 
received  fair  school  advantages.  He  came  to 
Illinois  as  a  young  man  about  1844,  locating  at 
Carthage,  Hancock  county,  where  he  turned  his 
attention  to  merchandising,  following  that  pursuit 
for  about  four  years.  In  1850  he  removed  to 
Louisiana,  Missouri,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  and  sale  of  tobacco,  continuing  in 
the  trade  at  that  point  for  sixteen  years,  after 
which  he  came  to  Pike  county,  settling  first  in 
Rarry.  He  there  continued  in  the  tobacco  trade 
for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  El- 
clara,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  to- 
bacco for  about  two  years.  In  1870  he  came  to 
Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  continued  in  the  tobacco 
business  for  three  years. 

While  living  in  Carthage.  Hancock  county,  Mr. 
Raker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Louisa  E. 
Conklin,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  but  was  reared 
in  Hancock  county,  Illinois.  This  union  has  been 
blessed  with  five  children :  W.  V.,  at  home ;  Ida. 
the  wife  of  Richard  Turner,  of  Oregon ;  Duane, 
a  telegraph  operator  now  at  home ;  and  Elmer, 
who  carries  on  a  harness  business  in  Pleasant 
Hill.  He  married  Gertrude  Gelvin  and  they  have 
a  son,  Ralph.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Raker  also  lost  one 
daughter,  Clara,  who  grew  to  womanhood,  was 
married  and  died  in  1882,  leaving  three  children. 

Judge  Raker  has  been  a  stalwart  democrat 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  in  1848. 
He  has  never  once  missed  a  presidential  election 
and  has  always  stood  loyally  by  the  principles 
which  he  believes  to  contain  the  best  elements  of 
good  government.  He  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  in  Derry  township  and  long  filled  the  same 
office  in  Pleasant  Hill.  He  has  also  served  as 
police  justice  for  years,  his  incumbency  in  the 
two  positions  covering  thirty  years.  He  has  like- 
wise been  notary  public  and  has  frequently  been 
chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the  county  and  congres- 
sional conventions.  His  residence  in  the  countv 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


covers  more  than  a  half  century,  during  which 
time  he  has  witnessed  its  growth  and  progress, 
watching  its  transformation  from  an  unbroken 
wilderness  and  swamp  to  a  district  of  rich  fer- 
tility with  splendidly  developed  farms,  in  the 
midst  of  which  are  thriving  villages  or  more  pre- 
tentious cities.  His  life  has  been  a  useful  one  and 
his  influence  has  ever  been  given  on  the  side  of 
improvement  and  progress.  He  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife  in  1895,  her  death 
occurring  in  Pleasant  Hill.  She  was  an  esti- 
mable lady  and  like  her  husband, enjoyed  the  warm 
regard  of  many  friends.  Mr.  Baker  made  a  cred- 
itable record  in  business  circles  and  his  official 
record  is  equally  commendable,  for  at  all  times 
he  has  been  found  faithful  to  duty  and  loyal  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him. 


M.   D.   KING. 

M.  D.  King,  the  junior  member  of  the  milling 
firm  of  Dow  &  King,  the  leading  representatives 
of  this  line  of  industrial  activity  in  Pike  county, 
has  advanced  from  a  humble  financial  position 
to  one  of  affluence  entirely  through  his  own  ef- 
forts. His  connection  with  the  present  busi- 
ness covers  a  long  period  and  began  as  a  general 
utility  man  about  a  mill.  Gradually  his  ability 
and  worth  won  recognition  and  to-day  he  is  half 
owner  of  what  is  now  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
profitable  enterprises  of  Pittsfield. 

Mr.  King  was  born  near  Springfield,  Hamp- 
den  county,  Massachusetts,  in  1849,  a  son  °* 
Dwight  and  Martha  (Vinton)  King,  and  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  eighth  generation  of  the  King 
family  of  Massachusetts,  the  first  American  an- 
cestors having  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1640.  His 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  in  1810  at  a  period  before 
any  railroads  were  built  in  the  state.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  Mrs.  Julia 
Waterman,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Waterman,  of  Elgin, 
Illinois:  Frank  M.,  who  is  living  in  Munson, 
Massachusetts ;  Henry  A.,  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law  at  Springfield,  Illinois ;  and  M.  D.,  of  this 


In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state  M.  D. 
King  acquired  his  education  and  in  the  spring  of 
1873  came  to  the  west,  then  a  young  man  of 
twenty-three  years.  He  was  attracted  by  the 
opportunities  of  this  growing  section  of  the  coun- 
try and  after  spending  several  months  in  Mis- 
souri he  came  to  Pike  county  in  June,  1873,  for 
the  purpose  of  attending  the  funeral  of  Colonel 
Ross.  He  was  pleased  with  the  city  and  accepted 
a  position  in  the  mill  owned  and  operated  by 
C.  P.  Chapman  &  Company  being  first  employed 
as  a  general  man  about  the  office  and  mill.  He 
steadily  advanced  from  one  position  to  another 
and  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Chapman  acquired  a 
half  interest  in  the  business,  which  is  now  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  style  of  Dow  &  King. 
The  mill  was  built  by  Mr.  Chapman  and  G.  J. 
Shaw  and  had  been  carried  on  under  the  firm 
name  of  C.  P.  Chapman  &  Company.  The  an- 
nual sale  of  the  products  now  reaches  four  hun- 
dred thousand  dolkrs,  the  business  being  very 
extensive  and  profitable. 

In  December,  1876,  Mr.  King  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Rosabella  G.  Chapman,  the  only 
child  of  Clark  P.  and  Amelia  (Shaw)  Chapman. 
She  was  born  in  1856  in  Pike  county,  her  father 
having  removed  to  this  county  in  1847.  Taking 
up  his  abode  in  Pittsfield  he  was  first  employed 
as  a  clerk  by  the  firm  of  Ross  &  Gay,  merchants 
of  Pittsfield,  and  later  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  business,  which  was  then  conducted  under 
the  firm  style  of  Gay,  Chapman  &  Kellogg,  and 
afterward  of  Chapman,  Kellogg  &  Hull.  In 
1863  Messrs.  Chapman  and  Hull  sold  their  inter- 
est to  Mr.  Kellogg,  who  conducted  the  business, 
and  in  April,  1865,  Mr.  Chapman  made  an  over- 
land trip  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  carrying  with 
him  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  currency  to  ex- 
change for  bonds  in  order  that  he  might  establish 
a  national  bank  in  Pittsfield,  which  was  soon 
afterward  organized,  with  Mr.  Chapman  as 
cashier.  Later  he  became  one  of  the  stock  com- 
pany that  built  the  woolen  mills  in  Pittsfield  but 
this  venture  proved  unprofitable  and  Mr.  Chap- 
man sold  out,  after  which  he  and  Mr.  Shaw 
built  the  old  flour  mill,  where  the  new  milling 
plant  now  stands.  He  then  continued  in  the  mill- 
ing business  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He 


C.  P.  CHAPMAN 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


373 


was  a  very  successful  man  and  one  of  the  fore- 
most residents  of  Pittsfield.  He  was  likewise 
one  of  the  first  to  introduce  Jersey  cattle  into 
Pike  county  and  was  greatly  interested  in  stock- 
raising,  which  became  a  profitable  source  of  in- 
come to  him.  He  served  as  the  first  cashier  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Pittsfield,  acting  as 
one  of  its  directors  until  his  death  and  was  both 
vice-president  and  president  for  some  time.  Many 
local  enterprises  profited  by  his  wise  counsel  and 
able  co-operation,  and  he  figured  prominently  in 
business  and  public  life,  contributing  in  substan- 
tial measure  to  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of 
Pittsfield.  He  was  honored  and  respected  by  all 
and  most  of  all  where  best  known  and  his  name 
is  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  annals  of  Pike 
county.  He  died  August  20,  1898,  leaving  his 
family  not  only  a  splendid  competence  but  also 
the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 
His  wife  still  survives  and  is  living  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  King  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
four  years.  Mr.  Chapman  built  the  home  where 
they  now  reside  and  it  is  still  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  residences  of  Pittsfield. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  have  been  born  two 
sons :  L.  C.  King,  born  in  1879,  married  Bertha 
Hesley  and  lives  in  Pittsfield,  now  acting  as  book- 
keeper at  the  mill.  He  is  also  one  of  the  aldermen 
of  Pittsfield  and  is  an  enterprising  and  leading 
citizen.  Unto  him  and  his  wife  has  been  born 
one  son,  Clark  Chapman  King.  Vinton,  born  in 
December,  1885,  lives  at  home  and  is  his  father's 
assistant  at  the  mill. 

Mr.  King  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  repub- 
lican party  and  for  "one  term  served  as  alderman. 
He  has  likewise  been  school  director  and  township 
treasurer,  while  in  Massachusetts  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Mrs.  King 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
her  parents  were  very  active  in  church  work. 
Mr.  King  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life.  He 
realizes  fully  the  truth  of  the  adage  of  the  old 
Greek  philosopher  who  said  "Earn  thy  reward, 
the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  and  placing  his 
dependence  upon  the  sure  and  safe  qualities  of 
unremitting  diligence  and  perseverance  he  has 
steadily  advanced  until  to-day  he  is  in  control  of 


one  of  the  large  productive  industries  of  Pike 
count}',  which  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life 
of  well  directed  toil.  In  social  circles  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  King  occupy  a  very  enviable  position  and 
their  own  home  is  attractive  for  its  generous  hos- 
pitality and  a  cordial  welcome  is  extended  to 
their  many  friends. 


WILLIAM  SHINN. 

William  Shinn  is  the  oldest  native  born  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county,  also  the  founder  of  the  sheep 
industry  in  th'iS  'county,  and  is  one  of  the  self- 
made-  men  having  acquired  a  fortune  in  the  lo- 
cality where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed.  He 
is  justly  entitled  to  representation  in  this  volume 
as  a  prominent  and  leading  citizen,  and  indeed  no 
history  of  the  community  would  be  complete 
without  his  record.  His  birth  occurred  on  sec- 
tion 12,  Atlas  township,  January  7,  1827,  his  par- 
ents being  Daniel  and  Mary  (Hackett)  Shinn, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and 
were  married  there.  They  afterward  removed 
to  Ohio,  where  they  spent  seven  years,  and  in 
April,  1820,  came  to  Illinois,  bringing  with  them 
the  first  wagon  ever  seen  in  Pike  county.  Mr. 
Shinn  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
wild  land  on  section  12,  Atlas  township,  and  for 
three  years  resided  in  the  village  of  Atlas.  He 
had  seven  children  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and 
in  order  to  provide  for  his  family,  with  character- 
istic energy  he  began  farming  interests  here.  He 
built  a  log  house,  improved  his  farm,  transform- 
ing the  wild  tract  into  richly  productive  fields, 
and  spent  his  remaining  days  upon  that  place, 
gathering  rich  harvests  as  the  years  went  by. 
He  was  closely  associated  with  many  of  the  early 
events  which  have  shaped  the  history  of  the 
county.  He  assisted  in  building  the  first  court- 
house and  jail  in  Atlas,  both  being  constructed 
of  logs.  The  country  was  wild  and  unimproved 
and  he  assisted  in  laying  out  the  road  from  Pitts- 
field  to  Atlas.  He  had  to  keep  his  hogs  in  a  log 
stable  in  order  to  protect  them  from  the  wolves, 
so  numerous  were  the  latter  animals  in  this  dis- 
trict at  that  time,  so  that  flocks  were  never  safe 


374 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


from  their  depredations.  Mr.  Shinn  was  the 
owner  of  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Pike 
county  at  one  time  and  was  regarded  as  a  very 
prominent  and  influential  citizen,  aiding  in  lay- 
ing strong  and  deep  the  foundation  for  the  present 
prosperity  and  progress  of  this  section  of  the 
state.  He  reared  a  family  of  thirteen  children, 
of  whom  only  two  are  now  living.  His  death 
occurred  in  March,  1852,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  about  1846. 

William  Shinn  was  educated  in  the  primitive 
schools  of  Pike  county  and  his  youth  was  largely 
a  period  of  earnest  toil,  as  he  had  to  begin  work 
when  quite  young.  He  assisted  in  the  arduous 
task  of  developing  his  father's  farm  and  also 
in  the  improvement  of  other  farm  property  in 
this  county.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  was 
married  but  continued  to  reside  upon  the  farm 
with  his  father  until  1850,  when  he  crossed  the 
plains  to  California,  attracted  by  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  that  state.  For  a  year  he  remained 
there,  making  some  money  during  that  period, 
after  which  he  returned  home  by  way  of  the  isth- 
mus route.  On  again  reaching  Illinois  he  took  up 
farming,  which  he  followed  in  different  localities, 
buying  and  selling  different  tracts  of  land.  In 
1856  he  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  resides 
and  here  he  has  since  lived.  He  to-day  owns 
nine  hundred  and  eighty-six  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  Pike  county  and  four  hundred  acres  in 
Michigan  and  has  secured  all  of  this  property 
through  his  own  efforts,  save  a  tract  of  thirty- 
nine  acres  which  his  father  gave  him.  He  there- 
fore certainly  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he 
has  accomplished  and  his  life  record  proves  that 
success  is  not  a  matter  of  genius  but  is  rather  the 
outcome  of  clear  judgment,  experience  and  inde- 
fatigable energy.  He  has  been  a  representative  of 
the  sheep-raising  industry  since  1866  and  has 
owned  from  six  hundred  to  three  thousand  sheep 
since  then.  In  fact  he  is  not  only  the  pioneer 
of  this  business  in  Pike  county  but  is  also  one 
of  its  prominent  representatives,  being  to-day  the 
largest  sheep-raiser  within  its  borders,  having  at 
the  present  time  five  hundred  head  of  sheep  upon 
his  farm.  During  the  past  thirty-five  years  he 
has  also  been  extensively  engaged  in  raising  and 
dealing  in  cattle  and  at  one  time  had  from  two 


hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  head  but  now 
keeps  about  one  hundred  head  upon  his  place.  His 
extensive  property  holdings  and  live-stock  inter- 
ests make  him  one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  the 
county. 

In  1846  Mr.  Shinn  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  Jane  Lytle,  who  was  born  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  in  March,  1827,  and  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  in  1837,  with  her  father,  Andrew 
Lytle,  who  lived  in  this  county,  where  he  owned 
and  improved  eighty  acres  of  land.  Subsequently, 
however,  he  removed  to  Calhoun  county,  where 
his  death  occurred.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shinn 
were  born  four  children :  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gay, 
who  is  now  living  with  her  father ;  Albion  Shinn, 
living  near  here;  William  D.,  who  resides  near 
his  father;  and  Mame,  the  wife  of  William  Cun- 
ningham, also  living  in  the  same  locality.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  December  24,  1904,  and  her 
death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  among 
many  friends,  while  to  her  family  it  came  as  an 
irreparable  loss.  She  was  a  woman  of  beautiful 
character,  kindly,  generous  spirit  and  warm- 
hearted charity  and  by  her  many  good  qualities 
won  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  her. 
Mr.  Shinn  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  belonging  to  the  New  Hartford 
lodge,  No.  424,  of  which  he  is  a  charter  member. 
He  joined  the  order  at  Eldara,  Illinois.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  church  at  Summer  Hill, 
of  which  his  wife  was  also  a  member,  and  his 
life  is  actuated  by  high  and  honorable  motives 
and  lofty  principles.  Although  he  has  attained 
wealth  his  path  has  never  been  strewn  with  the 
wreck  of  other  men's  fortunes,  his  prosperity 
being  gained  by  persistent  effort,  capable  manage- 
ment and  careful  investment. 


GEORGE   W.    SEYBOLD. 

George  W.  Seybold,  whose  farming  interests  in 
Fail-mount  township  cover  three  hundred  and 
twertv  acres  of  arable  and  productive  land,  was 
born  in  Fairmount  towship.  this  countv.  May  8. 
1848,  his  parents  being  James  and  Olive  (Gr.s- 
kell)  Seybold.  the  former  a  native  of  Illinois  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY-. 


375 


the  latter  of  New  York.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated in  this  state;  and  both  have  now  passed 
away,  the  mother's  death  having  occurred  when 
she  was  eighty-three  years  of  age.  She  long  sur- 
vived her  husband,  who  died  April  15,  1869,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  three  months  and 
thirteen  days.  The  father  spent  his  boyhood  days 
with  his  parents  in  Carlinville,  Illinois,  and  dur- 
ing the  pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  Pike  coun- 
ty removed  to  this  section  of  the  state,  purchasing 
land  in  Fairmount  township.  He  found  here  an 
unbroken  wilderness ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  for- 
est built  a  log  cabin,  while  later  he  erected  what 
was  the  first  frame  house  in  this  locality.  Herds 
of  deer  were  frequently  seen ;  and  wild  turkeys, 
ducks,  prairie  chickens  and  other  game  could  be 
had  in  abundance.  The  Indians,  too,  were  fre- 
quent visitors  in  the  neighborhood,  having  not  yet 
left  the  state  for  their  reservations  farther  west- 
ward. The. nearest  neighbor  of  the  Seybold  fam- 
ily at  that  time  lived  six  miles  away.  The  family 
shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer 
life  and  assisted  materially  in  the  reclamation  of 
the  wild  land  and  the  improvement  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  The  old  frame  house  which  was 
built  by  the  father  is  still  standing  and  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  our  subject.  In  order  to  construct  his 
dwelling  James  Seybold  hewed  the  timber,  split 
the  clapboards  with  an  axe  and  shaved  them  by 
hand.  He  lived  for  some  time  on  the  American 
bottom  in  Madison  county  and  during  the  pion- 
eer days  sold  his  pork  in  St.  Louis  for  a  dollar 
and  a  quarter  per  hundred  and  his  wheat  for  twen- 
ty-five cents  per  bushel.  An  old  wooden  clock 
which  he  purchased  in  1829  and  for  which  he 
gave  forty  dollars,  is  now  in  possession  of  George 
W.  Seybold  and  is  keeping  good  time.  As  the  years 
passed  he  prospered  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise 
he  owned  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  acres  of 
valuable  land.  His  last  days  were  passed  in  Bev- 
erly, Adams  county.  He  had  served  his  country 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infan- 
try and  his  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
whig  party  until  its  dissolution,  when  he  became 
a  republican.  In  the  family  were  seventeen  chil- 
dren, twelve  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom 
five  sons  and  four  daughters  are  now  living, 
namely :  Jasper ;  Hannah ;  Gates,  a  resident  of 


Callaway ;  Lafayette,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry  in  the  Civil  war; 
Mary ;  Stephen,  who  wore  the  blue  uniform  as 
a  member  of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry ; 
George  W. ;  Ellen,  and  Emelina.  One  brother, 
Samuel,  gave  his  life  in  defense  of  his  country 
while  acting  as  a  Union  soldier.  Joseph  died  No- 
vember n,  1857,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years, 
seven  months  and  seven  days.  Martha  C.  died 
December  6,  1857,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
eleven  months  and  six  days.  Eli  departed  this 
life  January  18,  1850,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  Allen  died  August  17,  1841,  at  the  age  of 
nine  years,  six  months  and  four  days.  James 
passed  away  November  25,  1857,  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  two  months  and  eleven  days. 

George  W.  Seybold  was  reared  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  and  acquired  a  public-school  education 
which  he  pursued  in  the  district  schools  and  also 
at  Camp  Point.  His  training  at  farm  labor  was 
not  meagre,  so  that  he  early  acquired  a  thorough 
understanding  of  the  best  methods  of  carrying  on 
farm  work  on  his  own  account.  He  started  out 
in  life  for  himself  when  twenty-one  years  of  age 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  to  raising  stock. 
That  he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  is  in- 
dicated by  the  fact  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land 
and  he  also  raises  good  stock,  including  short- 
horn and  Durham  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs. 
This  branch  of  his  business  has  been  carried  on 
quite  extensively,  for  he  has  fed  and  shipped  many 
hogs,  annually  selling  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
head  of  cattle  and  as  many  hogs. 

On  the  22d  of  March,  1872,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Seybold  and  Mrs.  Mary  Elder,  a 
daughter  of  Levi  and  Matilda  (Neal)  Gardner, 
who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky 
respectively.  Her  father  came  to  Illinois  at  an 
early  day,  settling  in  Fairmount  township,  where 
he  built  a  log  house  and  broke  the  wild  prairie. 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of  this  part 
of  the  state  and  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  which  he  converted  into  a  tract  of 
rich  fertility.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  and  served  as 
a  fifer  in  Company  F,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  In- 


376 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


fantry.  In  politics  he  was  a  whig  and  he  held 
membership  in  the  United  Brethren  church.  In 
his  family  were  eight  children,  of  whom  five  are 
now  living,  namely:  Elizabeth,  Margaret,  Myra, 
Mary  and  William.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seybold 
have  been  born  eigrjt  children  and  the  family  cir- 
cle yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death. 
These  are :  James  L.,  Nellie,  Johanna,  George  C., 
Charles,  Hettie,  Margaret  and  Annie. 

Mr.  Seybold  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  republi- 
can party  and  his  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing 
his  worth  and  ability,  have  several  times  called 
him  to  public  office.  He  has  served  as 
supervisor,  as  tax  assessor,  as  tax  collec- 
tor, school  trustee  and  school  director,  oc- 
cupying the  last  named  position  for  twelve 
years.  He  favors  the  United  Brethren  church. 
Born  in  this  county  more  than  a  half  century  ago, 
he  is  familiar  with  its  history  from  the  era  of 
early  development  down  to  the  present  stage  of 
modern  prosperity  and  progress.  His  entire  life 
has  been  devoted  to  the  occupation  to  which  he 
was  reared  and  his  careful  management  and  keen 
business  discernment  are  manifest  in  the  excellent 
results  which  have  attended  his  efforts. 


HENRY  T.  DUFFIELD,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Henry  T.  Duffield,  who  for  twenty-two 
years  has  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  surgery  in  Pittsfield  and  is  a  representative 
of  a  pioneer  family  of  this  part  of  the  state,  was 
born  in  Martinsburg  township,  Pike  county,  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1853,  his  parents  being  James  M.  and 
Lucinda  (Petty)  Duffield.  The  mother  was  also 
a  native  of  Pike  county  and  a  daughter  of  Fisher 
Petty,  who  was  among  the  early  pioneers  of  Pike 
county  and  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  tan- 
nery four  miles  south  of  the  present  site  of  Pitts- 
field.  He  was  present  when  the  city  of  Pittsfield 
was  being  laid  out  and  witnessed  through  many 
years  the  progress  and  development  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  He  made  his  home  upon  the  farm 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  many  years  ago. 


James  D.  Duffield,  father  of  Dr.  Duffield,  ar- 
rived in  Pike  county  in  1845,  coming  to  Illinois 
from  Indiana.  Settling  in  Martinsburg  township, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
which  claimed  his  time  and  energies  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1896,  when  he  was  seven- 
ty-three years  of  age.  He  had  for  about  eight  years 
survived  his  wife,  who  died  in  1888.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  three  sons,  who  are  yet  living,  J.  J.  and 
W.  F.  Duffield  being  residents  of  Martinsburg 
township.  The  only  daughter  is  deceased. 

Dr.  Duffield,  spending  his  youth  in  his  parents' 
home,  began  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Pike 
county  and  mastered  a  high-school  course,  sub- 
sequent to  which  time  he  entered  the  old  Chi- 
cago University  and  was  graduated  from  the  lit- 
erary department  in  the  class  of  1878.  This 
proved  an  excellent  foundation  upon  which  to 
build  his  professional  knowledge,  and  having  de- 
termined upon  the  medical  profession  as  a  life 
work  he  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
where  he  spent  three  years  as  a  student,  grad- 
uating with  the  class  of  1882.  He  had  also  spent 
the  year  of  1879  as  a  student  in  the  office  and  un- 
der the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Ledlie,  of  Pitts- 
field.  Following  his  graduation  he  returned  to 
this  city  and  for  several  years,  or  until  1892;  was 
the  business  associate  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Ledlie,  who 
for  many  years  had  been  a  capable  and  leading 
physician  of  Pike  county.  He  was  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  having  been 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Dublin.  Com- 
ing to  America,  he  located  first  in  Chicago  in 
1854  and  removed  to  Pittsfield  in  1857,  where 
he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  During 
the  period  of  the  Civil  war  he  joined  the  Union 
army  as  surgeon  of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantry and  remained  at  the  front  until  1865,  when, 
hostilities  having  ceased,  he  returned  and  re- 
sumed practice  in  Pittsfield.  During  the  latter 
part  of  his  service  he  had  charge  of  a  military 
hospital  at  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  and  was  med- 
ical director  of  the  Thirteenth  Army  Corps. 

From  the  time  of  his  graduation  to  the  pres- 
ent Dr.  Duffield  has  engaged  in  general  practice 
in  Pittsfield,  meeting  with  gratifying  success.  He 
has  not  specialized  along  certain  lines,  but  has 
given  his  attention  to  the  general  practice  of  med- 


DR.  H.  T.  DUFFIELD 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


379 


icine  and  surgery  and  has  demonstrated  his  broad 
knowledge  and  skill  in  the  excellent  results  which 
have  attended  his  labors  when  viewed  from  a 
professional  standpoint.  He  has  made  it  his  aim 
to  keep  in  touch  with  the  progress  of  the  med- 
ical fraternity  as  investigation,  research  and  ex- 
periment have  broadened  the  knowledge  of  the 
practitioners. 

Dr.  Duffield  was  married,  in  1890,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Ledlie,  a  daughter  of  his  preceptor  and 
partner.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  Pike  county,  while  their  social 
qualities  have  gained  them  favor  with  a  large 
circle  of  friends.  Politically  an  earnest  republic- 
an, Dr.  Duffield  has  served  as  mayor  of  Pitts- 
field  for  one  term  and  has  been  alderman  three 
times.  He  prefers  to  concentrate  his  energies 
upon  his  professional  duties  and  is  a  member  of 
the  County  and  State  Medical  Societies  and  the 
American  Medical  Association. 


WILLIAM  H.  WILSON. 

The  name  of  William  H.  Wilson  figures  promi- 
nently in  connection  with  agricultural  interests 
and  also  in  financial  circles,  for  he  is  the  presi- 
dent and  assistant  cashier  of  the  Perry  State 
Rank.  Watchful  of  opportunities,  he  has  noted 
the  possibilities  for  successful  accomplishment 
and  by  the  utilization  of  these  has  advanced  far 
upon  the  pathway  which  is  terminated  by  the 
goal  of  success.  He  was  born  in  London,  Eng- 
land, September  16,  1845,  his  parents  being 
Henry  and  Catherine  (Stratton)  Wilson.  The 
father's  birth  occurred  in  London,  Eng- 
land, May  i,  1816,  and,  losing  his  mother  at  an 
early  age,  he  was  reared  by  an  aunt.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  two  private  schools  and 
when  he  had  put  aside  his  text-books  he  began 
earning  his  living  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store. 
He  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  in  commer- 
cial lines  and  when  twenty-two  years  of  age 
opened  a  store  in  lower  London,  continuing  in  the 
grocery  business  for  eleven  years.  Within  that 
period  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  S.  Strat- 
ton, a  native  of  Berkshire,  England.  Removing 


from  London,  Mr.  Wilson  established  a  grocery 
store  in  Swindon,  Wiltshire,  where  he  remained 
for  a  few  years  and  then  started  with  his  family 
for  America,  sailing  from  Liverpool  in  April, 
1855.  The  voyage  consumed  nearly  seven  weeks 
but  at  length  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  harbor  of 
New  York  city  and  the  journey  westward  by  land 
and  water  was  continued  until  Griggsville  was 
reached.  Some  two  years  later  the  family  located 
on  a  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  Perry  township 
and  in  1868  removed  to  the  home  property  of 
William  H.  Wilson  on  section  28  of  the  same 
township.  Upon  this  place  Henry  Wilson  spent 
his  remaining  days  and  in  the  evening  of  life  en- 
joyed many  comforts  and  luxuries  which  had 
been  secured  through  his  earnest  and  unremitting 
labor  in  former  years.  His  wife  passed  away 
February  27,  1879,  and  his  death  occurred  about 
1889.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Only  two  of  their 
eight  children  are  now  living:  William  H. ;  and 
Mary'  the  wife  of  Calvin  Harrington. 

William  H.  Wilson  .spent  the  first  ten  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  country  and  in  1855  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  new  world,  crossing  the 
Atlantic  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  city.  Dur- 
ing the  voyage  they  were  out  of  sight  of  land  for 
six  weeks  and  three  days.  After  reaching  the 
American  port  they  proceeded  to  Toledo,  Ohio, 
by  rail,  thence  to  Chicago  and  on  to  Griggsville. 
where  they  lived  for  two  and  a  half  years,  when 
they  removed  to  Perry  township.  Mr.  Wilson 
was  reared  to  farm  labor  and  as  his  father  was  in 
poor  health  he  took  charge  of  the  farm,  which 
he  operated  in  partnership  with  his  father  until 
the  latter's  death.  In  his  methods  he  was  saga- 
cious, practical  and  persistent  and  developed  a 
splendid  farm  property.  He  has  not,  however, 
confined  his  attention  wholly  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits but  has  been  a  promoter  of  various  inter- 
ests which  have  proven  of  direct  benefit  in  the 
locality.  In  1896  he  helped  to  organize  the  Perry 
State  Bank,  was  chosen  its  president  and  is  now 
also  acting  as  its  assistant  cashier.  This  bank  is 
capitalized  for  forty  thousand  dollars  and  is  a 
strong  and  reliable  financial  institution.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  also  the  secretary  of  the  Griggsville 
Farmers  Mutual  Insurance  Company,  which  is 


38o 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


capitalized  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  He  has  occupied  this  position  for  twenty 
years.  The  company  commenced  business  April 
8,  1876,  with  a  capital  of  a  little  more  than  fifty 
thousand  dollars  and  that  their  business  has  been 
prosperous  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  poli- 
1  cies  now  represent  over  four  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Wilson  put 
aside  business  and  personal  considerations  in  or- 
der to  aid  his  country,  enlisting  as  a  member  of 
Company  H,  Seventy-third  Illinois  Infantry  at 
Buckhorn  on  the  nth  of  October,  1864.  He  was 
transferred  to  the  Forty-fourth  Illinois  Regiment 
in  June,  1865,  and  was  honorably  discharged  on 
the  5th  of  September  of  the  latter  year.  He  is  a 
member  of  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  the  Grand  Army  post  and  he  and  his  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He 
has  always  been  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  has  labored  effectively  and  earn- 
estly for  the  advancement  of  the  county  along 
material,  intellectual  and  moral  lines. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  married  to  Miss  Cornelia  E. 
P>radbury,  who  was  born  December  12,  1847,  m 
Griggsville  township  and  is  the  eldest  child  of 
Jotham  and  Mahala  (Hobbs)  Bradbury,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  1824  and  the  latter 
born  in  Kentucky  in  1822.  They  became  resi- 
dents of  Illinois  in  early  life  and  after  their  mar- 
riage settled  on  a  farm  in  Pike  county,  where 
they  remained  for  many  years,  but  ultimately  Mr. 
Bradbury  put  aside  business  cares  and  removed 
to  a  pleasant  home  in  the  village  of  Griggsville. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and 
were  earnest  Christian  people,  whose  lives  were 
in  many  respects  worthy  of  emulation.  Both 
have  now  passed  away.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living: 
Mrs.  Wilson,  Ernest  C,  Nicholas,  Lillie  and 
Lula.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  married  May 
13,  1868,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
three  children.  Grace  I.  is  the  wife  of  Leslie 
Bird,  by  whom  she  has  two  daughters,  Elizabeth 
and  Catherine.  Mr.  Bird  is  now  cashier  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Belleville,  Wisconsin.  Bessie  E. 
and  Catherine  J.  are  at  home.  Mr.  Wilson  has 
spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  this  county  and  his 


interest  in  community  affairs  finds  proof  in  the 
active  and  helpful  part  which  he  has  taken  for  the 
public  good.  He  is  watchful  of  business  oppor- 
tunities and  in  utilizing  his  chances  has  steadily 
progressed  until  today  he  is  well  known  as  a  rep- 
resentative of  agricultural  and  financial  circles  in 
this  county. 


WILLIAM  H.  DINSMORE. 

William  H.  Dinsmore,  living  on  section  27, 
Hardin  township,  is  one  of  the  thrifty  farmers 
and  stock-raisers,  whose  farm  is  the  proof  of  his 
industry  and  capable  management.  He  owns 
forty  acres  of  land  and  is  cultivating  a  tract  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  including  the  old 
family  homestead.  His  birth  occurred  July  29, 
1858,  in  this  county.  His  father,  Marshall  Dins- 
more,  was  a  native  of  Scott  county,  Illinois,  born 
in  March,  1826.  He  married  Miss  Martha  Jan- 
uary, whose  birth  occurred  in  Greene  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  her  father,  John  January,  had  settled 
at  a  very  early  day.  Following  their  marriage 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  Dinsmore  located  in  Har- 
din township,  where  he  improved  a  farm  and 
owned  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land.  He 
afterward  bought  and  improved  three  other  farms 
and  spent  his  life  in  this  county,  his  death  oc- 
curring here  March  2,  1890.  His  wife  survives 
him  and  resides  upon  the  old  homestead  with  her 
son,  William  H.,  who  was  one  of  a  family  of  four 
children.  The  eldest,  Susan,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Hayes  Calvin.  The  others  are :  Mrs.  Emily  Couch 
and  Mrs.  Nora  Harshman,  of  Pike  county. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary 
the  routine  of  farm  life  for  William  H.  Dinsmore 
in  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  assisted  his  father 
in  the  care  and  improvement  of  the  home  farm 
and  remained  in  Pike  county  until  1890,  when  he 
spent  one  year  in  California,  being  employed  as  a 
farm  hand  there.  He  then  returned  in  1891  and 
took  charge  of  the  farm  and  business,  developing 
the  fields  and  also  raising  good  horses  and  hogs 
for  the  market.  He  has  displayed  excellent  busi- 
ness ability  and  keen  discernment  in  his  work  and 
in  estimating  the  value  of  stock  his  judgment  is 
seldom,  if  ever,  at  fault. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


On  the  nth  of  October,  1884,  Mr.  Dinsmore 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  Collier,  a 
native  of  Pike  county  and  a  daughter  of  John 
Collier,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  but  later  took 
up  his  abode  in  Pike  county.  There  is  only  one 
son  by  this  marriage,  R.  T.  Dinsmore,  who  is  now 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Nebo  Banner. 

Politically  Mr.  Dinsmore  is  a  stanch  and  stal- 
wart democrat,  keeping  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  but  without  seek- 
ing office.  Mrs.  Dinsmore,  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, and  Mrs.  R.  T.  Dinsmore  are  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church.  Although  his  life 
has  been  quietly  passed  William  H.  Dinsmore 
has  always  been  recognized  as  a  citizen  of  worth 
in  the  community  because  of  his  fidelity  to  the 
duties  that  devolve  upon  him  and  his  active  co- 
operation in  many  measures  which  have  contrib- 
uted to  the  general  good. 


LEONARD  L.  WALKER. 

Leonard  L.  Walker,  whose  high  moral  stand- 
ing and  progressive  citizenship  have  caused  his 
memory  to  be  cherished  by  those  who  were  active- 
ly associated  with  him  through  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  Pike  county,  departed  this  life  on  the 
2Oth  of  February,  1889.  He  was  born  in  Berlin, 
Rensselaer  county,  New  York,  on  the  27th  of 
September,  1813,  and  was  a  son  of  Nathan  and 
Sybil  (Rix)  Walker,  the  former  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut. Leonard  L.  Walker  was  reared  and  ed- 
ucated in  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  after  ar- 
riving at  years  of  maturity  was  married,  on  the 
I4th  of  November,  1840,  to  Miss  Clarinda  Rhodes, 
whose  birth  occurred  November  15,  1820.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Taylor) 
Rhodes,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Berlin, 
Rensselaer  county,  New  York.  Her  father  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Shannahon,  Illinois,  and 
soon  afterward  was  drowned.  In  his  family  were 
seven  children,  but  Mrs.  Walker  is  the  only  one 
now  surviving. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wal- 
ker remained  in  their  native  state  until  1845,  when 
they  started  westward,  going  to  Troy,  New  York  ; 
thence  to  Buffalo  ;  by  Lake  Erie  to  Toledo,  Ohio  ; 


on  by  the  Miami  canal  to  the  Ohio  river  and  down 
that  stream  to  the  Mississippi.  They  left  the 
Father  of  Waters  at  the  Cincinnati  landing  and 
came  across  the  country  to  Barry,  locating  on  a 
farm  of  eighty  acres  adjacent  to  that  city.  Here 
Mr.  Walker  built  a  log  house  in  which  they  lived 
until  1849.  With  eleven  other  men  he  made  the 
trip  overland  to  California,  while  his  wife  and 
children  returned  to  New  York,  where  they  re- 
mained during  the  period  of  four  years  which 
Mr.  Walker  spent  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  then 
returned  to  Pike  county  in  1853  and  the  family 
also  returned  from  New  York  the  same  year.  He 
then  resumed  farming  and  later  built  a  fine  home 
which  now  stands  within  the  city  limits  of  Barry 
on  the  original  eighty  acres  which  he  purchased 
on  coming  to  Illinois.  He  spent  his  life  as  a 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  on  that  land  and  trans- 
formed his  property  into  a  good  farm.  He  laid 
out  on  a  part  of  this  land  what  is  known  as  Wal- 
ker's addition  to  the  city  of  Barry  and  subdivided 
it  into  town  lots,  which  he  sold  at  a  good  figure 
and  thereby  materially 'increased  his  capital. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  have  been  born  two 
children:  Horatio  married  Josephine  Onetto  and 
they  live  in  Edmond,  Kansas.  Helen  has  acted 
as  state  corresponding  secretary  for  the  Wom- 
an's Christian  Temperance  Union  of  Illinois  for 
six  years  and  was  state  superintendent  of  litera- 
ture for  the  same  society  for  a  period  of 
ten  years. 

Mr.  Walker  was  a  man  of  high  and  honorable 
principles,  faithful  in  friendship,  loyal  in  citizen- 
ship and  devoted  to  his  family.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church  and  all  who  know  him 
respected  him.  His  early  political  support  was 
given  the  whig  party  and  when  the  question  of 
slavery  began  to  be  agitated  he  supported  the 
abolition  party  until  the  republican  party  was 
formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of  slav- 
ery when  he  joined  its  ranks.  Later  when  he 
felt  that  the  temperance  question  had  become  a 
dominant  issue  he  voted  with  the  prohibition 
party.  At  all  times  he  stood  for  progress,  re- 
form, improvement  and  for  uplifting  influences 
for  humanity.  Mrs.  Walker,  still  surviving  her 
husband,  makes  her  home  in  Barry,  and  on  the 
I5th  of  November,  1905,  celebrated  the  eighty- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


fifth  anniversary  of  her  birth,  on  which  occasion 
eighteen  ladies,  all  over  seventy  years  of  age, 
gathered  at  her  home,  and  the  occasion  was  a 
most  enjoyable  one  to  all. 


JAMES   SYKES. 

Barry  numbers  James  Sykes  among  her  rep- 
resentative and  valuable  citizens  and  as  he  has  a 
very  wide  acquaintance  throughout  Pike  county 
the  history  of  his  life  can  not  fail  to  prove  of  inter- 
est to  many  of  our  readers.  In  1888  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  this  city  where  he  now  resides  and  where 
he  has  continuously  made  his  home  for  the  past 
seventeen  years.  He  is  of  English  birth,  the  place 
of  his  nativity  being  Huddersfield,  England,  and 
the  date  March  9,  1819.  That  was  the  ancestral 
home  of  the  family  through  several  generations, 
his  parents  and  grandparents  both  being  born 
there. 

His  father,  James  Sykes,  Sr.,  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  county  and  when, 
quite  young  began  working  in  the  woolen  mills, 
where  he  advanced  steadily  as  his  fidelity  and 
capability  were  recognized  until  he  became  fore- 
man of  the  finishing  department,  but  the  reports 
that  he  heard  concerning  business  opportunities 
in  America  lead  him  to  believe  that  he  might  pro- 
gress more  rapidly  in  the  new  world  than  in  his 
native  country  and  accordingly  in  1821  he  bade 
adieu  to  friends  and  native  land  and  sailed  for 
America,  establishing  his  home  in  Manhattan- 
ville,  which  is  now  included  in  New  York  city. 
There  he  secured  a  position  and  when  he  found 
he  could  make  a  good  living  there  he  sent  for  his 
wife  and  three  children.  Some  years  before  em- 
barking for  the  United  States  he  had  married 
Hannah  Hirst,  who  was  also  born  in  Hudders- 
field, England,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Hirst,  also  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England.  On 
receiving  word  that  her  husband  wished  her 
to  join  him  in  America  she  started  with  her  three 
children  from  Liverpool,  but  after  the  vessel  was 
out  a  few  weeks  it  sprang  a  leak  and  after  sailing 
for  thirteen  weeks  finally  managed  to  reach  the 
port  of  Cork,  Ireland.  Mrs.  Sykes  then  returned 


to  her  old  home  in  England  and  on  again  complet- 
ing her  preparations  started  once  more  for  the 
new  world,  arriving  eventually  in  New  York, 
after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks.  She  thus  spent 
twenty  weeks  of  that  year  upon  the  ocean.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sykes  made  their  home  in  New  York 
city,  in  Glenham,  Dutchess  county,  and  at  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  at  different  times  until  1834. 

In  June  of  that  year  James  Sykes,  Sr.,  visited 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  and  being  pleased  with 
the  country  and  its  splendid  prospects  he  made 
investment  in  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
government  land,  located  in  Beverly  township. 
He  then  rejoined  his  family  in  Brooklyn,  and  on 
the  2d  of  October  of  the  same  year,  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  children,  he  started  once  more  for 
the  Prairie  state,  traveling  on  a  tow  boat  on  the 
Hudson  river  to  Albany,  thence  by  way  of  the 
Erie  canal  to  Buffalo,  by  lake  to  Cleveland,  on  the 
Ohio  canal  to  Portsmouth,  and  there  embarked 
again  on  a  steamer  in  order  to  make  the  journey 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  to  Quincy. 
•On  .reaching  their  destination  they  found  a  little 
jown  containing  only  a  few  hundred  inhabitants 
and  its'  purjlic  buildings  were  of  the  most  prim- 
itive kind,  the  courthouse  being  made  of  logs. 
There  was  but  one  brick  structure  in  the  city  and 
that  was  an  addition  to  another  building.  Leaving 
his  family  in  the  town,  Mr.  Sykes  made  his  way 
to  his  claim,  whereon  he  erected  a  log  cabin, 
which  was  the.  second  building  in  Beverly  town- 
ship, Adams  county,  and  between  his  home  and 
Quincy  there  were  only  five  houses.  Soon  the  fam- 
ily were  installed  in  the  little  cabin  and  he  ener- 
getically took  up  the  task  of  converting  his  claim 
into  a  productive  and  valuable  farm,  residing 
thereon  until  his  death,  in  1852.  He  lived  in 
Adams  county  during  the  period  of  its  pioneer 
development,  when  large  herds  of  deer  were  to 
be  seen  and  there  was  much  other  wild  game. 
Only  here  and  there  had  a  claim  been  entered 
and  the  work  of  improvement  begun,  but  he  had 
faith  in  the  future  of  the  state  and  he  bore  an 
energetic  and  helpful  part  in  reclaiming  the  wild 
land  and  in  planting  the  seeds  of  improvement 
and  civilization.  Mrs.  Sykes  passed  away  about 
a  year  prior  to  her  husband's  death  and  Adams 
county  thus  lost  two  of  its  valuable  and  repre- 


,,VE«S.?Y^.""t(S- 


JAMES     SYKES 


MRS.  JAMES  SYKES 


^N 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


387 


sentative  citizens.  In  their  family  were  four  chil- 
dren :  Mary,  who  married  Jacob  Funk  and  died 
in  Beverly  township ;  William,  whose  death  also 
occurred  in  that  township;  James,  of  this  review; 
and  John,  who  was  born  in  New  York  city  and 
is  now  living  in  Adams  county.  The  father  left 
a  large  estate  in  land  that  has  become  very  val- 
uable and  some  of  this  is  still  in  possession  of  the 
family. 

James  Sykes,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  only  two  years  old  when  brought  by 
his  parents  to  America  and  was  a  youth  of  fifteen 
at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Illi- 
nois. The  remainder  of  his  youth  was  therefore 
passed  amid  the  wild  scenes  and  environments 
of  pioneer  life.  He  shared  with  the  family  in  the 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  the  establishment 
of  a  home  on  the  frontier  and  his  memory  forms 
a  connecting  link  between  the  primitive  past  and 
progressive  present.  His  reminiscences  of  pioneer 
days  are  most  interesting  for  he  relates  clearly 
events  of  much  importance  in  that  early  period, 
as  well  as  the  manner  in  which  the  people  lived 
when  they  had  to  depend  upon  their  own 
labors  and  resources  for  almost  everything 
in  their  homes  or  in  use  upon  their 
farms  and  also  for  their  clothing.  About 
1852,  as  the  people  of  Quincy  did  not  wish  to 
have  the  county  seat  removed  to  the  center  of 
what  was  then  Adams  county  the  county  was 
divided,  the  eastern  half  being  called  Marquette. 
The  people  of  that  section,  however,  refused  to 
organize  into  a  county  and  for  five  years  the 
singular  and  unheard-of  condition  existed  of 
a  tract  of  land  twelve  by  thirty  miles,  well  settled, 
and  in  the  midst  of  a  thriving  country  being  with- 
out law  or  taxes  and  yet  remaining  perfectly 
peaceable  with  no  officers  to  execute  laws.  The 
residents,  however,  lived  quietly,  settling  their 
differences  by  arbitration,  keeping  up  their  roads, 
schools,  etc.,  and  thus  the  condition  of  affairs  con- 
tinued for  five  years.  In  1858  a  convention  was 
called  to  revise  the  constitution  of  the  state  and 
the  clause  inserted  declaring  any  territory  set 
apart  from  a  county  that 'did  not  organize  within 
five  years  should  revert  to  the  county  to  which  it 
formerly  belonged  and  thus  Marquette  county 
became  a  part  of  Adams  county. 


Mr.  Sykes  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
work  of  progress  and  improvement  as  it  was  car- 
ried on  in  those  pioneer  days.  The  nearest  mill 
from  his  parents'  home  was  about  seven  miles 
distant  and  was  operated  by  ox  or  horse  power, 
while  the  second  mill  in  their  vicinity  was  built 
close  to  the  present  site  of  Beverly.  This  mill 
was  worked  by  oxen  and  the  flour  wos  bolted  by 
hand  machinery.  The  old-fashioned  wooden  mold 
board  plow  was  used  in  the  fields  and  the  grain 
was  harvested  with  a  cradle  and  then  placed 
upon  the  ground  and  then  tramped  out  by  horses 
and  oxen.  There  were  no  fanning  mills,  so  that 
the  farmers  placed  their  grain  in  a  measure  which 
th.ey.  raised  as -high  as  they  could  and  then  turned 
it  out  slowly,  .on  to  the  ground  that  the  wind 
might  blow 'the- chaff  away.  Much  of  the  farm 
work  was  done  by'Oxie-n  including  the  breaking 
of  the  prairie  and  the  tilling  of  the  fields,  and  the 
farmers  traveled  to  market  behind  ox-teams.  Mr. 
Sykes,  possessing  considerable  mechanical  skill 
and  ingenuity,  was  called  upon  to  do  much  of  the 
carpenter  work  at  the  old  homestead  and  made 
the  mold  boards  for  the  plow,  the  points  being 
manufactured  by  blacksmiths.  He  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  assisting  in  the  various  departments  of 
farm  labor,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  re- 
ceived from  his  father  a  gift  of  eighty  acres  of 
wild  land,  half  prairie  and  half  brush.  Upon 
this  he  erected  a  frame  residence  which  was  the 
third  of-  the  kind  built  in  Beverly  township 
and  it  was  used  as  a  shop  meeting  house  and 
public  hall  for  two  years.  His  natural  mechan- 
ical skill  enabled  him  to  follow  carpentering  and 
he  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to  that  pursuit 
for  nearly  thirty  years,  at  the  same  time  superin- 
tending the  improvement  of  his  farm,  which  he 
brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In 
1850  he  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  in  Bever- 
ly township,  for  which  he  paid  four  dollars  per 
acre.  The  following  year  he  sowed  about  forty 
acres  of  this  land  to  wheat  and  he  has  gradually 
become  a  large  landowner,  adding  from  time  to 
time  to  his  real  estate  until  his  possessions  are 
extensive,  embracing  very  valuable  farm  land 
in  Adams  county.  There  he  continued  to  engage 
in  general  agricultural  pursuits  until  1888,  when 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


he  removed  fo  Barry  and  purchased  his  home, 
which  is  beautifully  located  on  Diamond  Hill 
and  is  one  of  the  fine  residences  of  the  town.  He 
is  now  enjoying  a  rest,  which  is  well  earned  and 
richly  merited. 

On  September  23,  1849,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  James  Sykes  and  Miss  Mary  Ayres,  who  was 
born  in  Woodridge,  New  Jersey,  and  died  in 
Beverly  township,  April  i,  1873.  They  had  be- 
come the  parents  of  eleven  children,  five  of  whom 
have  passed  away,  while  six  are  yet  living,  name- 
ly :  Hannah  is  now  the  wife  of  Aaron  House  and 
lives  in  Nebraska,  has  four  children  and  six 
grandchildren.  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  James 
O.  McLain  and  has  five  children.  Her  home  is 
at  Weeping  Water,  Nebraska.  Joseph  married 
Martha  E.  Holt,  resides  at  Colorado  Springs,  and 
has  one  son,  George.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Mark 
Huffman  and  resides  at  Beverly,  Adams  county, 
and  they  have  four  children.  Frank  married 
Eliza  Hill,  lives  at  Hadley  station  in  Pike  county 
and  has  three  children.  Hattieisthewifeof  Frank 
Lawson  and  is  living  near  Barry,  and  they  have 
three  children.  After  losing  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Sykes  was  again  married  on  the  25th  of 
November,  1875,  his  second  wife  being  Miss 
Martha  J.  Cunningham,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Mary  (Humphrey)  Cunningham,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter 
of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Cunningham  spent  her  entire  life 
in  her  native  state  and  after  her  death,  in  1867, 
Mr.  Cunningham  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Hadley  township,  whereon 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  demise 
in  the  spring  of  1882.  He  then  sold  his  farm 
and  took  up  his  abode .  in  Barry,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  residence  which  he  occupied  until  his 
death  in  May  of  the  same  year. 

Mr.  Sykes  is  indeed  one  of  the  typical  pio- 
neers of  this  section  of  the  state  and  is  a  man 
whose  force  of  character  and  genuine  worth  have 
made  him  a  valued  factor  in  public  life.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy 
in  his  early  manhood  and  his  first  presidential 
vote  was  cast  for  Martin  Van  Buren.  When  the 
republican  party  was  organized  he  joined  its  ranks 
and  has  never  failed  to  advocate  its  principles. 


He  has  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day,  politically  and  otherwise, 
and  has  been  a  broad  reader  and  a  frequent  con- 
tributor to  various  papers.  The  cause  of  edu- 
cation has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm  and  help- 
ful friend  and  for  nearly  thirty  years  he  served 
as  a  school  director  in  Adams  county  and  after- 
ward became  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
of  Barry  and  has  acted  as  chairman  of  the  board 
of  health.  He  has  in  his  possession  what  proves 
to  be  a  most  interesting  volume.  Since  1834 
he  lias  been  writing  a  diary,  which  continues  to 
the  present  time.  An  indication  of  his  experience 
in  early  life  may  be  given  in  the  following  ex- 
tracts :  "September  2,  1840,  helped  father  tramp 
and  clean  up  twelve  and  a  half  bushels  of  wheat." 
"September  3,  1840,  went  to  Payson  to  muster." 
"September  8,  ground  two  axes  and  went  to  the 
woods  and  cut  four  trees,"  September  10  and  n. 
Bill  and  me  tramped  out  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat." 
"September  15,  rainy — made  a  pair  of  pants." 
The  same  volume  also  contains  reminiscences  of 
his  early  life  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  also 
a  splendid  account  of  his  trip  on  a  pony  up  Pikes 
Peak  on  the  23d  of  October,  1890,  when  he  was 
in  his  seventy-second  year.  He  is  now  eighty- 
seven  years  of  age  and  is  yet  a  well  preserved 
man  of  great  mental  vigor  whom  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  meet  and  know. 


FRANKLIN  CADWELL. 

In  the  death  of  Franklin  Cadwell  at  his  home 
in  Grigg'sville  on  the  28th  of  Januarv,  1906,  the 
county  lost  one  of  its  pioneer  settlers,  who  assist- 
ed in  laying  the  foundation  for  the  upbuilding 
of  western  Illinois.  His  last  years  were  spent  in 
retirement  from  labor  in  his  Griggsville  home, 
but  at  one  time  he  was  successfully  and  exten- 
sively engaged  in  fruit-growing  and  his  business 
interests  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  capital 
that  now  enables  him  to  rest  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  October  4,  1828,  and  came  to  Illinois 
in  1835  with  his  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth 
CMcFarlancH  Cadwell.  In  the  father's  family 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


389 


were  seven  children,  of  whom  two  are  living- : 
Addison,  who  resides  in  Pittsfield  and  has  served 
as  assessor  and  collector  of  the  county ;  and  Lu- 
cinda,  the  wife  of  George  Crumb,  a  resident  of 
Los  Angeles,  California.  The  father  became  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Pike  county,  arriving 
in  Illinois  in  1835.  He  secured  a  tract  of  land 
and  began  farming,  following  that  occupation 
'  until  his  death  in  his  sixty-fifth  year.  His  wife 
survived  him  and  died  in  her  seventieth  year.  Mr. 
Cadwell  was  a  Jeffersonian  democrat  and  was 
one  of  the  esteemed  and  worthy  early  settlers  of 
this  portion  of  the  state.  He  aided  in  reclaiming 
the  wild  land  for  the  purposes  of  civilization  and 
took  a  helpful  part  in  every  movement  calculated 
to  benefit  the  county  and  produce  modern 
progress. 

Franklin  Cadwell  was  but  seven  years  of  age 
when  brought  to  Pike  county  by  his  parents  and 
was  here  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes,  conditions 
and  environments  of  pioneer  life,  sharing  with 
the  family  in  all  the  hardships  and  trials  incident 
to  the  establishment  of  a  home  upon  the  frontier. 
He  attended  the  primitive  schools  of  that  period 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  young  manhood,  when 
he  learned  the  carpenter's,  trade  under  Alfred 
Bissell,  of  Pittsfield,  and  was  identified  with  that 
pursuit  for  several  years,  during  which  time  he 
built  a  number  of  houses  now  standing  in  Griggs- 
ville.  In  1850,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California,  he  went  to  the  far  west,  where  he 
remained  until  1855,  when  he  returned  to  Illinois. 
The  same  year  he  was  married  and  removed  to 
Greene  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  with 
success,  accumulating  a  large  tract  of  land.  On 
returning  to  Griggsville  he  turned  his  attention  to 
merchandising  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Cad- 
well &  Bonnell,  the  junior  partner  being  Albert 
Bonnell.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Cadwell 
was  not  able  to  give  to  the  business  his  entire 
personal  attention  this  venture  was  not  entirely 
successful  and  the  business  was  closed  out,  Mr. 
Cadwell  concentrating  his  entire  energies  upon 
his  farming  interests  in  Greene  county.  In  this 
line  he  prospered  and  not  only  recovered  the 
losses  he  had  sustained  by  his  previous  venture 
but  accumulated  a  competency.  In  a  few  years  he 
returned  with  his  familv  to  Pike  countv  and  built 


the  fine  brick  residence  east  of  Griggsville,  now 
owned  by  his  son  George.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  he  added  to  his  property  hold- 
ings until  at  one  time  he  owned  eight  hundred 
acres,  a  part  of  which  was  covered  with  timber. 
He  had  an  orchard  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  and  for  forty  years  he  devoted  his  time  and 
attention  largely  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  being 
the  most  extensive  fruit-grower  in  the  county. 
He  made  a  specialty  of  apples,  becoming  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  successful  orchardists  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  Together  with  his  sons, 
William  and  George,  he  owned  at  one  time  over 
one  thousand  acres  of  apple  orchards.  He  made 
large  shipments  and  as  he  produced  fruit  only  of 
the  best  varieties  all  of  the  products  of  his  place 
found  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  He  had  an 
orchard  of  sixteen  acres  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Griggsville  township,  while  the  remainder  of  his 
property  he  had  divided  among  his  children.  In 
1862  he  and  his  wife  removed  to  the  city  of 
Griggsville,  where  he  remained  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  led  a  very  active  and  busy  life  up 
to  within  five  years  of  his  demise,  after  which  he 
largely  lived  retired. 

Mr.  Cadwell  was  married  to  Miss  Jemima  C. 
Pond,  who  was  born  April  27,  1836,  the  mar- 
riage being  celebrated  October  25,  1855.  Her 
parents  were  Edward  and  Charlotte  (Stearns) 
Pond,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts, born  near  Boston.  A  great-grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Cadwell  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
British  troops  during  the  period  of  hostilities. 
Her  father  was  a  school  teacher  for  thirty  years 
or  more.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  early  life  but  after- 
ward became  identified  with  the  Congregational 
church.  Mr.  Pond  gave  his  political  allegiance 
to  the  whig  party  and  was  a  man  of  broad  in- 
tellectuality, whose  influence  was  a  potent  element 
for  good  in  every  community  where  he  lived  and 
labored.  He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years. 

Unto  "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cadwell  were  born  seven 
children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living:  William 
E.,  born  June  26,  1858,  is  a  fruit-grower  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY 


business  man  of  Griggsville.  George  F.,  born 
August  27,  1862,  is  engaged  in  the  fruit  business 
in  Griggsville.  Carrie  Belle,  born  April  14,  1865, 
is  the  wife  of  A.  L.  McClay,  a  resident  of  Hill- 
ville,  Illinois.  Ollie  J.,  born  September  28,  1874, 
is  also  living  in  Griggsville.  Alfred  Addison, 
born  December  28,  1876,  makes  his  home  in  the 
same  city.  All  of  the  sons  are  fruit-growers  and 
shippers  and  the  family  have  made  an  excellent 
reputation  in  connection  with  this  line  of  business. 
Mr.  Cadwell  led  too  busy  a  life  to  hold  public 
office  but  was  a  supporter  of  many  progressive 
movements  for  the  general  welfare.  He  was 
made  a  member  of  Griggsville  lodge,  No.  45,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  in  1867,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  for  many  years, 
while  his  wife  is  a  Congregationalist.  He  took 
a  very  active  and  helpful  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  church  of  which  he  was  an  honored  member 
for  many  years  and  his  activities  therein  ceased 
only  with  his  increasing  illness.  He  voted  with 
the  democratic  party  and  was  interested  in  the 
material,  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  the 
community.  He  and  his  wife  spent  many  winters 
in  the  south,  both  in  Florida  and  Texas,  and  also 
in  California,  traveling  extensively  in  many  por- 
tions of  the  country  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Cad- 
well's  health.  He  passed  the  seventy-seventh 
milestone  on  life's  journey  and  in  a  review  of  this 
long  record  many  sterling  traits  of  character 
stand  strongly  forth,  his  energy  and  enterprise 
being  salient  features  in  his  success.  He  was  al- 
ways honorable  in  his  methods,  considerate  in 
his  dealings  with  his  fellowmen  and  commanded 
respect  and  confidence  by  reason  of  a  life  rec- 
ord that  will  bear  the  closest  investigation  and 
scrutiny. 


JOHN  S.  LOCKWOOD,  M.  D. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Dr.  John  S.  Lock- 
wood,  was  bom  on  a  farm  near  Dover,  in  Kent 
county,  Delaware,  January  10,  1838.  His  par- 
ents and  grandparents  were  all  natives  of  Kent 
county  and  were  practical  farmers.  In  early  life 
his  father,  John  Lockwood,  who  was  a  school 
teacher  and  surveyor,  rode  to  Ohio  on  horseback 


and  taught  school  near  where  the  city  of  Chilli- 
cothe  now  stands.  He  afterward  returned  to  Del- 
aware and  married  Miss  Ann  Slay.  He  then 
bought  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  acres  of 
land  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  farming,  in 
which  he  continued  as  long  as  he  lived.  As  a  re- 
sult of  his  marriage  three  children  were  born: 
William  H.,  John  S.  and  Mary  E.  William  is 
now  living  in  Cass  county,  Illinois,  and  has  one 
grown  son  and  one  daughter.  Mary  is  deceased, 
while  her  only  child,  Mrs.  Amelia  Crider,  is  now 
living  in  Atlantic  City,  New  Jersey. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  which  occurred 
when  John  Lockwood  was  about  eight  years  of 
age,  their  father  having  died  about  three  years 
previously,  John  Lockwood  was  taken  into  the 
home  of  a  maternal  uncle,  John  Slay,  and  when 
not  attending  school  he  was  employed  in  the 
store  and  on  the  farm,  of  which  his  uncle  was 
owner  and  proprietor.  After  reaching  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self, continuing  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  the 
store  for  a  few  years.  He  then-  attended  school 
and  taught  alternately  until  he  had  completed  a 
three  years'  course  in  Fairfield  Seminary,  of  New 
York.  He  next  returned  to  Delaware  and  en- 
gaged in  business,  conducting  a  general  store 
and  at  the  same  time  registered  as  a  student  of 
law  with  Eli  Saulsbury,  of  Dover,  but  at  the  end 
of  two  years  he  gave  up  the  study  of  law,  sold 
out  his  store  at  auction  and  went  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  pursued  a  course  in  a  commercial  school. 
On  the  completion  of  that  course  Dr.  Lockwood 
obtained  a  position  as  a  clerk  and  traveling  sales- 
man for  a  wholesale  house  in  Philadelphia,  but 
after  a  short  business  experience  in  that  line  he 
gave  up  his  position  and  soon  matriculated  in  the 
Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  attend- 
ing one  course  of  lectures,  when,  owing  to  feeble 
health  he  went  on  a  cruise  in  a  sailing  vessel  on 
the  Delaware  and  Chesapeake  bays  off  the  At- 
lantic coast  of  New  Jersey  on  Long  Island  Sound 
and  up  the  Thames  river  as  far  as  Norwich,  Con- 
necticut. He  then  returned  to  Delaware  greatly 
improved  in  health  and  early  in  the  following 
September  he  started  to  Burlington,  Vermont,  to 
complete  his  college  course  in  medicine  and  sur- 
gery, but  stopped  on  the  way  at  Pittsfield,  Massa- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


chusetts,  and  after  inspecting  the  college  there  he 
changed  his  plans  about  going  to  Burlington  and 
went  instead  directly  to  Ann  Arbor,  where  he 
spent  a  few  weeks.  He  afterward  proceeded  to 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  there  matriculated  in  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  He  subsequent- 
ly became  a  dresser  of  wounds  and  assistant  in 
post-mortem  examinations  in  the  Estes  House 
Military  Hospital,  where  he  remained  until  he 
had  attended  two  courses  of  lectures  and  was 
graduated  in  the  summer  of  1865. 

Dr.  Lockwood  then  crossed  the  river  to  Adams 
county,  Illinois,  and  visited  with  his  Delaware 
friends  and  relatives  through  the  remainder  of 
the  summer.  He  taught  school  in  the  fall  and 
winter  and  in  the  spring  opened  an  office  for  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Quincy,  where 
he  remained  until  the  fall,  when  he  removed  to 
New  Canton  in  Pike  county,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for  about  seven 
years.  He  then  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in 
the  Missouri  Medical  College  at  St.  Louis  and  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia  and 
was  graduated  from  both  schools  in  the  spring 
of  1874.  He  then  returned  to  New  Canton  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  as  before. 

On  the  3  ist  of  December,  1874,  Dr.  Lockwood 
and  Miss  Ella  Clauson  were  married.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Eben  and  Malinda  Clauson,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of 
Kentucky.  They  were  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Pike  county,  were  married  here  and  lived  most 
of  their  married  life  in  New  Canton  and  vicinity. 
Eight  children  were  born  unto  them,  all  of  whom 
died  in  infancy  except  three :  Ella,  Allie  and  Min- 
nie. Ella  died  January  23,  1895,  Allie  died  in 
February  and  their  father  died  in  the  following 
April.  The  widowed  mother  survived  her  hus- 
band and  two  daughters  for  more  than  ten  years 
and  passed  away  May  7,  1905,  leaving  but  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  Fred  Brown,  of  Hull,  Illinois. 

Owing  to  failing  health  Dr.  Lockwood  was 
compelled  to  give  up  the  general  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  New  Canton  in  the  summer  of  1888  and 
then  went  to  Hamilton,  Illinois,  where  he  and 
his  wife  became  connected  with  a  sanitarium,  re- 
maining there  for  several  years.  Since  then,  with 
the  exception  of  his  connection  with  the  Baldwin 


Park  Sanitarium  in  the  summer  of  1895,  he  has 
not  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
nor  has  he  had  any  permanent  residence,  but  has 
spent  his  time  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Florida,  Arkansas, 
Colorado  and  California.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  active  promoters  of  the  incorporation  of 
the  town  of  New  Canton,  was  its  first  treasurer 
and  was  subsequently  elected  as  one  of  its  trus- 
tees and  lastly  as  president  of  the  board.  While 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  New  Canton 
he  also  served  for  two  terms  as  supervisor,  one 
term  as  school  trustee  and  one  term  as  director. 
He  was  never  an  aspirant  for  any  political  office 
of  the  county  or  state,  but  was  sufficiently  in- 
terested and  identified  with  local  politics  as  to 
be  frequently  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  county,  dis- 
trict and  state  conventions  of  the  party  to  which 
he  belonged.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any  church, 
but  is  favorable  to  all  churches  and  public  organ- 
izations for  the  good  of  the  community.  He  was 
formerly  a  member  of  a  literary  society  of  some 
note  and  also  of  a  beneficiary  society,  but  is  not 
now  a  member  of  any  society  except  the  Masonic 
lodge,  No.  821,  of  New  Canton,  Illinois. 


GEORGE  W.  PARKER. 

George  W.  Parker,  following  the  occupation 
of  farming  in  Fairmount  township,  was  born 
January  6,  1850,  in  the  township  which  is  now  his 
home  and  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  Pike 
county.  His  father,  John  J.  Parker,  was  born 
in  Canada,  January  13,,  1812,  and  having  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity  was  married  in  Cayuga 
county,  New  York,  on  the  i2th  of  October,  1831, 
to  Miss  Lydia  Phillips,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Scotland,  March  18,  1813.  Mr.  Parker  was  only 
six  months  old  when  taken  by  his  parents  from 
his  native  place  in  the  province  of  Lower  Canada 
to  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  where  he  remained 
until  early  manhood.  He  was  married  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years  and  continued  a  resident  of  New 
York  for  seven  years  thereafter,  when  in  1838 
he  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  arriving  at  his  destination  on  the  28th 
of  May.  He  took  up  his  abode  near  the  central 


392 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


part  of  the  county.  He  had  at  that  time  a  wife 
and  three  children  and  his  cash  capital  consisted 
of  only  twenty  dollars.  He  at  once  began  farming 
and  he  met  the  usual  vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life, 
for  this  district  was  cut  off  from  the  older  settled 
portions  of  the  country  by  long  stretches  of  wild 
land,  unbroken  forests  and  by  streams  that  were 
unbridged.  In  fact  the  work  of  improvement  and 
progress  had  scarcely  been  begun  in  this  section 
of  the  state.  After  various  removals  Mr.  Parker 
settled  in  Fairmount  township  in  1845  and  pur- 
chased land  on  section  26,  afterward  buying  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  27,  but  he 
continued  to  live  on  section  26  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  February  22,  1871,  his  remains 
being  interred  in  the  Woodland  churchyard. 
When  about  fifteen  years  of  age  he  united  with 
the  Freewill  Baptist  church  and  following  his 
removal  to  Illinois  joined  Hinman  Chapel  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  on  probation.  He 
continued  his  connection  with  that  denomination 
until  1861,  when  he  and  his  wife  joined  the 
United  Brethren  church,  of  which  he  continued 
an  active  member  until  his  death.  His  wife's 
father  had  died  previous  to  her  birth  and  when 
yet  an  infant  she  was  left  an  orphan,  being  reared 
by  an  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Terry,  who 
took  her  to  Stephentown,  Rensselaer  county,  New 
York,  when  she  was  six  years  of  age.  Ten  years 
later  Mr.  Terry  died  and  she  was  taken  by  her 
uncle,  E.  Brown,  to  Berkshire  county,  Massachu- 
setts. After  this  she  was  compelled  to  make 
her  own  living.  She  was  converted  under  the 
teaching  of  the  Christian  church  when  seventeen 
years  of  age  but  did  not  unite  with  any  church 
until  after  she  came  to  Illinois,  when  she  joined 
Hinman  Chapel  and,  as  stated,  she  and  her  hus- 
band transferred  their  membership  to  the  United 
Brethren  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  became  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters.  Tacy 
Ann,  born  in  New  York,  October  u,  1832,  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  was  buried 
in  Woodlawn  cemetery.  Sena  A.,  born  Decem- 
ber 2,  1834,  died  May  28,  1902,  at  Moweaqua, 
Shelby  county,  Illinois,  in  the  faith  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  Miles  M.,  born  in  New 


York  in  1836,  is  now  living  in  Iowa.  Mary  E., 
born  July  25,  1839,  died  in  Iowa,  in  March, 
1904,  in  the  faith  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
John  M.,  born  February  24,  1846,  is  a  resident  of 
Iowa.  Twins  died  in  infancy.  George  W.  is 
the  next  of  the  family.  Louis  D.,  born  January 
I,  1852,  is  a  resident  of  Iowa.  Alive  F.,  born 
January  15,  1854,  was  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church.  She  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  and  was  buried  in  Woodland  cemetery. 

In  his  boyhood  George  W.  Parker  lived  at  home 
with  his  parents,  assisting  his  father  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  and  pursuing  his  early  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  after 
which  he  attended  schools  at  Moweaqua,  Shelby 
county,  Illinois.  He  remained  under  the  paren- 
tal roof  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage,  which  was 
celebrated  on  the  2gth  of  July,  1880,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Sarah  J.  Comer,  who  was  born 
November  5,  1855,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Mary  (Dehart)  Comer.  The  father,  who  was 
born  in  Scotland,  August  10,  1822,  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  in  his  childhood,  the 
family  being  established  in  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  until  twenty-three  years  of  age.  He 
then  removed  to  Mount  Sterling,  Brown  county, 
Illinois,  and  in  1847  became  a  resident  of  Adams 
county,  buying  a  farm  of  about  eighty  acres  in 
McKee  township.  There  in  connection  with  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  he  also  followed  car- 
pentering and  coopering.  Subsequently  he  added 
forty  acres  to  his  place  and  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  general  farm  work.  His  religious 
views  accorded  with  the  teachings  of  the  United 
Brethren  church  and  in  politics  he  was  a  Jack- 
sonian  democrat.  He  died  October  17,  1897,  at 
his  home  in  Adams  county,  and  his  widow,  who 
was  born  in'that  county,  March  23,  1834,  is  now 
living  in  Nebraska.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  those  still 
living  being  Sarah  J.,  now  Mrs.  Parker;  George 
W. ;  Nancy  E. ;  James  M. ;  Mary  A. ;  Martha  E. ; 
Joseph  M. ;  Annie  M. ;  and  Robert  D. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  began  their  domestic  life  on  a  farm  and 
later  he  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs 
in  the  old  homestead  property.  He  is  now  culti- 
vating two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


393 


and  resides  upon  the  old  Parker  homestead,  where 
his  labors  have  resulted .  in  bringing  the  fields 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  so  that  he  annu- 
ally harvests  good  crops.  As  the  years  passed 
by  five  children  were  added  to  the  family,  but 
only  two  are  now  living:  Minnie  I.,  who  was 
the  third  in  order  of  birth,  and  Mamie  A.  Minnie 
was  born  April  16,  1885,  and  is  now  the  wife 
of  Harry  Manton,  a  resident  of  Griggsville  town- 
ship, while  Mamie  A.  was  born  August  30,  1895. 
The  others  were :  Gertie  M.,  who  was  born  June 
14,  1881,  and  died  June  17,  1888,  at  the  age  of 
seven  years ;  Myrtie  B.,  who  was  born  April  2, 
1883,  and  died  November  19,  1885;  and  Mary 
Bessie,  who  was  born  August  24,  1892,  and  died 
February  19,  1893.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manton  have 
one  daughter,  Mary  L.,  born  October  3,  1904. 

Mr.  Parker  votes  with  the  republican  party 
but  has  never  had  any  aspiration  for  office.  He 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Perry,  in  which 
he  has  served  as  steward  and  senior  warden  and 
he  also  holds  membership  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  lodge  of  Perry.  He  belongs  to  the  Anti- 
Horse  Thief  Association  and  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  He  still  has  in  his  possession 
the  first  half  dollar  which  he  ever  earned,  it  being 
given  him  in  1860  by  Rev.  James  Dimmitt,  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  preacher,  for  picking  apples, 
and  the  coin  bears  the  date  1850.  It  was  the 
nucleus  of  his  present  possessions  and  is  cherished 
by  him  as  the  beginning  of  a  competence  which 
is  now  large  and  gratifying  and  which  indicates 
a  life  of  well-directed  thrift  and  activity. 


JOSEPH  C.  TONER. 

Joseph  C.  Toner,  postmaster  at  Kinderhook  and 
also  a  hardware  merchant,  was  born  in  Pike 
county  on  the  3d  of  July,  1845,  a  son  of  William 
G.  and  Mary  (Gose)  Toner.  The  father  was 
born  in  Jefferson  county,  Missouri,  September  14, 
1817,  and  passed  his  early  clays  in  his  native  state 
and  obtained  his  education  in  a  pioneer  log  school- 
house.  When  but  seven  years  of  age  he  left 
home,  stopping  at  any  place  where  he  could  ob- 


tain food  and  shelter,  thus  working  for  the  neces- 
sities of  life.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  hatter  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  but  gave  it  up  on  account  of  the  evil 
influences  to  which  he  was  subjected  among 
his  associates  in  the  business.  He  finally  came  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1840,  and  on  the  I4th  of 
September,  1844,  was  married  here  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Long,  nee  Gose,  the  widow  of  W.  W.  Long. 
Her  father,  George  Gose,  was  born  in  Grayson 
county,  Virginia,  whence  he  went  to  Russell 
county,  that  state,  when  a  small  boy,  there  spend- 
ing his  remaining  days.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Jessey,  who  was  born,  reared  and  died  in  Russell 
county.  It  was  in  that  county -that  Mrs.  Toner 
was  born  on  the  2Oth  of  July,  1814,  and  she  lived 
in  her  native  state  until  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
She  then  married  W.  W.  Long  and  came  to  this 
county  in  1836.  They  cast  in  their  lot  with  the 
pioneer  settlers  and  Mr.  Long  was  connected  with 
the  early  development  of  the  county  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  August  6,  1843,  his  re- 
mains being  interred  near  his  farm  in  Kinderhook 
township. 

William  G.  Toner  resided  in  Adams  county  for 
a  few  years  before  coming  to  Pike  county.  He 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  here  settled 
on  sections  16  and  24,  Kinderhook  township, 
where  he  owned  and  operated  three  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  rich  land,  being  considered  an  en- 
terprising farmer  of  the  community.  In  his 
family  were  four  children :  Joseph  C. ;  Louise  J., 
the  wife  of  C.  H.  Kennedy,  who  resides  near 
Kinderhook ;  Elizabeth  J.,  who  married  Ed 
Ferguson  and  after  his  death  became  the  wife 
of  George  H.  Leggett,  their  home  being  in  Barry  ; 
and  Frances  E.,  who  married  G.  C.  Lock,  and 
lives  in  Kinderhook.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  a  stalwart  republican  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  taking  a  deep 
and  active  interest  in  the  church  and  Sunday- 
school  work.  He  devoted  the  last  years  of  his 
life  entirely  to  the  various  activities  of  the  church 
and  his  life  was  an  honorable  one,  character- 
ized by  many  sterling  qualities.  He  was  well 
known  as  Uncle  Billy  and  he  was  loved  and  es- 
teemed by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  June  13, 
1903,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years  and  his 


394 


PAST   AND   PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


memory  remains  as  a  blessed  benediction  to  his 
friends,  his  neighbors  and  his  family.  His  wife 
had  passed  away  in  1893. 

Joseph  C.  Toner  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Kinderhook  township  and  acquired  a 
limited  education  in  the  old  stone  schoolhouse 
near  his  father's  place.  He  remained  at  home 
until  twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  then  took  up 
his  abode  in  the  village  of  Kinderhook,  where 
he  began  life  for  himself  as  a  partner  of  David 
Devole  in  a  general  store,  which  they  conducted 
for  four  months,  when  Mr.  Devole  sold  out  to 
John  Clutch,  who  thus  became  a  partner  of  Mr. 
Toner.  This  relation  was  continued  for  four 
and  a  half  years,  since  which  time  Mr.  Toner 
has  been  alone  in  the  business.  For  twenty-five 
years  he  engaged  in  dealing  in  farm  implements, 
but  has  now  retired  from  that  branch  of  trade. 
He  has  been  in  the  hardware  business  since  1885 
and  keeps  a  large  line  of  shelf  and  heavy  hard- 
ware, pumps,  etc.  For  ten  years  he  has  acted  as 
postmaster  of  Kinderhook  and  he  gives  his  po- 
litical allegiance  to  the  republican  party.  For 
three  terms  he  served  on  the  school  board,  has 
also  been  village  trustee  and  collector  and  for 
several  terms  has  served  as  alderman. 

In  1872  Mr.  Toner  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
Gertrude  Leggett,  who  was  born  in  Barry  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  on  the  I5th  of  May,  1851,  her 
parents  being  Alexander  Blair  and  Margaret 
(Philips)  Leggett,  who  came  from  Kentucky 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  settling  in  Griggsville 
when  there  was  only  one  house  there,  while  later 
they  removed  to  Barry  township.  The  father  was 
a  contractor  and  subsequently  conducted  a  saw- 
mill. In  later  years  he  removed  to  Kinderhook, 
where  he  conducted  a  drug  store.  In  the  family 
were  thirteen  children,  eight  of  whom  reached 
adult  age.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Toner  have  been 
born  eight  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  liv- 
ing: William  Gray,  Walter  F.  and  Mary  Mar- 
garet. Those  deceased  are :  Ethel,  Sydney,  Erma, 
Cecil  and  Joseph. 

Mr.  Toner  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge,  No.  757,  of  Kinderhook,  which  he  joined 
on  its  organization,  having  formerly  belonged  to 
Barry  lodge,  No.  336,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  he  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  Encampment  at  Barry. 


He  is  likewise  identified  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  at  Kinderhoqk  and  his  wife  is  con- 
nected with  the  Rebekahs,  the  Eastern  Star  and 
with  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Toner  is  one  of  the 
most  energetic  and  wide-awake  business  men  of 
Kinderhook,  his  labors  being  a  potent  element 
in  the  commercial  activity  of  the  village  and  to 
his  own  labors  may  be  attributed  his  success.  In 
public  office  as  in  private  life  he  has  justly  merited 
the  confidence  and  regard  of  his  fellowmen  and 
his  life  work  shows  forth  many  sterling  traits. 


HON.  B.  T.  BRADBURN. 

Hon.  B.  T.  Bradburn,  who  is  serving  for  the 
second  term  as  county  judge  of  Pike  county  and 
makes  his  home  in  Pittsfield,  was  born  on  a  farm 
near  Huntsville,  Missouri,  when  the  late  Rebel- 
lion was  at  its  highest.  His  parents  were  Alex- 
ander M.  and  Emily  E.  (Jameson)  Bradburn, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky  respectively,  his 
grandfather  on  his  father's  side  being  one  of  the 
first  sheriffs  of  Scioto  county,  Ohio.  They  re- 
moved to  Missouri  and  after  the  Civil  war  came 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  they  lived  on 
various  farms  but  for  twenty-five  years  re- 
sided in  Martinsburg  township,  where  their 
children  were  reared.  The  father  died  Septem- 
ber 10,  1890,  when  sixty-three  years  of  age. 
He  had  served  in  various  township  offices  and  was 
a  most  highly  respected  citizen,  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community  at  large  and  of  his 
family,  giving  to  his  children  good  educational 
privileges  and  thus  equipping  them  for  the  prac- 
tical and  responsible  duties  of  life.  His  widow, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years,  is  now  living 
in  Pittsfield.  In  their  family  were  six  sons  and 
two  daughters.  David  N.  Bradburn,  the  eldest, 
is  married  and  follows  farming  and  school  teach- 
ing in  this  county;  Mark  S.,  the  present  state's 
attorney  of  Pike  county,  is  living  in  Pittsfield 
with  his  mother;  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  J.  G. 
Waggoner, of  Martinsburg;  BarnaT.isthe  nextof 
the  family;  Dr.  Benjamin  P.  Bradburn,  of  Lin- 
coln. Illinois,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Keokuk  Med- 


B.  T.   BRADBURN 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


397 


ical  College  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  also  pursued 
a  post-graduate  course  in  the  Bellevue  College 
and  Hospital  of  New  York  city,  and  for  fifteen 
years  he  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  prac- 
tice, also  conducting  a  drug  store  in  Lincoln.  John 
L.  Bradburn,  of  Whitehall,  Illinois,  is  married  and 
formerly  followed  farming  but  is  now  acting  as 
fireman  at  the  Whitehall  Tile  Works.  Cammie  B. 
is  the  wife  of  R.  E.  Rush,  a  prominent  and 
wealthy  farmer,  of  Detroit,  Illinois.  Charles  T. 
owns  and  operates  a  fine  farm  in  Newburg  town- 
ship. 

Judge  Bradburn,  reared  in  this  county,  after  at- 
tending the  high  school  of  Pittsfield,  continued  his 
studies  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  in  the  Central 
Normal  College,  at  Danville,  Indiana,  and  Well's 
School  for  Principals  and  Superintendents  at  Ore- 
gon, Illinois.  For  several  years  he  engaged  in 
teaching,  being  connected  with  educational  work 
in  Helena,  Montana,  in  1891,  and  his  last  work  of 
that  character  covered  three  years  spent  as  prin- 
cipal of  the  schools  of  Vermont,  Illinois.  He  had 
read  law  at  different  times  under  the  direction  of 
Hon.  W..E.  Williams  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
November  22,  1889,  before  the  supreme  court  of 
Illinois.  Returning  to  Pittsfield  in  1894  he  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  connection  with  Averill  Bea- 
vers, then  states  attorney.  In  1897  he  was  elected 
city  attorney  of  Pittsfield  on  a  temperance  ticket 
and  before  his  term  expired  was  nominated  for 
the  office  of  county  judge  on  the  democratic 
ticket.  His  election  followed,  with  a  re-election 
four  years  later,  so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the 
second  term.  Since  coming  to  Pittsfield  he  has 
so  directed  his  labors  as  to  gain  recognition  as  one 
of  the  representative  citizens  and  lawyers  of  Pike 
county,  being  actively  connected  with  a  profession 
which  has  important  bearing  upon  the  progress  or 
stable  prosperity  of  any  section  or  community, 
and  one  which  has  long  been  considered  as  con- 
serving the  public  welfare  by  furthering  the  ends 
of  justice  and  maintaining  individual  rights.  He 
has  great  respect  for  the  dignity  of  judicial  place 
and  power  and  as  a  result  of  that  personal  char- 
acteristic the  proceedings  of  his  court  are  always 
orderly  upon  the  part  of  every  one — audience, 
bar  and  the  officers  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest. 
His  opinions  are  fine  specimens  of  judicial 


thought,  always  clear,  logical  and  as  brief  as  the 
character  of  the  case  will  permit. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1890,  Judge  Bradburn 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Belle  Moyer,  a  native 
of  this  county  and  a  daughter  of  the  late  Solomon 
Moyer,  of  Barry,  a  pioneer  of  Pike  county  and  a 
prominent  citizen.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Bradburn 
have  two  children :  Mamie  Lenore,  born  January 
3,  1894;  and  Terrill  Moyer,  born  November  27, 
1896.  Both  are  attending  the  Pittsfield  schools. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Christian  church 
and  socially  Judge  Bradburn  is  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  the  lodge  and  chapter  at  Pittsfield. 


JOSHUA  -KING-  SITTON. 

Joshua  King  Sitton  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  early  families  of  Pike  county  and  has  not 
only  witnessed  its  entire  growth  but  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  developing  its  agricultural  in- 
terests. •  His  pioneer  labors  were  well  rewarded 
and  his  activity  continued  in  later  years  with 
gratifying  success  until  he  is  now  living  in  hon- 
orable retirement  from  further  business  cares  in 
a  comfortable  home  in  Pittsfield.  Moreover  he  is 
a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  in  which  he  fought 
bravely  for  the  defense  of  the  Union. 

A  native  of  Missouri,  Mr.  Sitton  was  born  in 
Lincoln  county  on  the  25th  of  November,  1824. 
His  father,  Jesse  Sitton,  was  for  a  number  of 
years  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Virginia,  on  the  nth  of  March,  1783, 
and  he  died  in  Detroit  township,  Pike  county,  on 
the  ist  of  November,  1832.  The  history  of  the 
family,  however,  can  be  traced  still  further  back, 
for  Joseph  Sitton,  the  grandfather,  was  a  native 
of  Scotland.  He  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and  for  a  short  time  was  held  as  a 
prisoner.  Following  the  close  of  hostilities  he 
continued  to  live  in  the  new  world  and  died  at  an 
advanced  age  in  Missouri.  Rev.  Sitton  was  also 
a  soldier,  rendering  active  service  to  his  country 
in  the  war  of  1812.  He  had  removed  from  his  old 
home  in  Virginia  to  Tennessee  and  in  the  latter 
state  enlisted.  He  won  promotion  to  the  rank  of 
orderly  sergeant  and  continued  with  the  army  un- 


398 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


til  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  In  1816  he 
removed  from  Tennessee  to  Lincoln,  Missouri,  be- 
ing one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  locality,  where 
he  lived  for  twelve  years  upon  a  farm.  He  then 
came  to  Pike  county  in  1828  and  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Detroit  township,  but  his  career  of 
activity  and  usefulness  was  cut  short  by  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  a  comparatively 
young  man.  In  early  life  he  had  married  Miss 
Sallie  Haney,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  October 
24,  1788,  and  died  in  1851,  in  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois. She  was  a  daughter  of  James  Haney,  a 
native  of  Scotland.  Twelve  children  were  born 
unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sitton,  namely:  Terrell  P.. 
Eliza  P.,  William  H.,  Jehu,  Anna  M.,  Jeffrey  B., 
Caroline,  Joshua  K.,  Lydia  K.  and  Linnie  A., 
twins,  Felix  G.  and  Jesse  B.  Only  one  brother 
of  our  subject  is  now  living — Jeffrey  B.  Sitton, 
who  resides  in  Detroit  township. 

Joshua  Sitton  was  but  four  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  parents  from  his  birthplace  in  Mis- 
souri to  Pike  county.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  early  schools  of  Detroit  township, 
which  he  attended  through  the  winter  months, 
while  in  the  summer  seasons  he  worked  upon  the 
farm,  aiding  in  reclaiming  the  tract  of  wild  land 
for  cultivation.  He  was  married  on  the  6th  of 
October,  1847,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Heavener,  a  na- 
tive of  Sangamon  county,  this  state,  born  in  1831, 
and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Heavener,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Illinois.  Her  father  was  a  close 
friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  his  captain 
during  his  services  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Mrs. 
Sitton  had  four  brothers  who  were  soldiers  of  the 
Civil  war :  John,  who  also  served  in  the  Mexican 
war ;  William,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  ;  James 
D.,  and  Thomas.  All  are  now  deceased.  She  has 
three  living  sisters :  Mrs.  Emily  Hanley,  who  re- 
sides with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sitton ;  Mrs.  Nancy 
Goble,  of  Detroit  township,  this  county ;  and  Mrs. 
Irene  Owenby,  of  San  Francisco,  California. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Sitton  took  his 
bride  to  the  old  homestead  farm,  which  had  come 
into  possession  of  his  father  when  the  country  was 
new  and  unsettled.  The  tract  comprised  eighty 
acres  of  rich  land  and  through  years  of  hard  toil, 
guided  by  sound  judgment,  he  added  annually  to 
his  capital  and  thereby  was  enabled  to  increase 


his  landed  possessions  until  at  one  time  he  owned 
three  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  choice  land.  He 
still  owns  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  constitut- 
ing a  valuble  and  well  improved  farm,  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  is  equipped 
with  an  excellent  set  of  farm  buildings.  While 
living  on  this  place  Mr.  Sitton  gave  much  atten- 
tion to  stock-raising  and  his  labors  were  well  re- 
warded, so  that  he  became  one  of  the  moneyed 
men  of  his  township.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sitton  was  blessed  with  six  children,  of 
whom  two  are  yet  living:  Lizzie,  born  in  1855, 
was  married,  January  20,  1872,  to  Daniel  Hayes 
and  had  two  children :  Maud,  now  the  wife  of 
Ross  Shaw,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield ;  and  Harry, 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Detroit,  Oregon.  Aft- 
er losing  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Hayes  was  mar- 
ried, in  [une,  1880,  to  Frank  Sanderson,  and  they 
have  five  children :  Lottie,  the  wife  of  Roy  Ful- 
liner,  of  Detroit  township;  Jesse,  at  home;  Leta, 
the  wife  of  Lee  Heavener,  of  East  St.  Louis,  Illi- 
nois; Mary  and  Joshua,  who  are  also  at  home. 
Nettie,  the  second  living  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sitton,  is  the  wife  of  R.  T.  Smith,  of  De- 
troit township,  and  they  have  four  children,  all 
at  home:  J.  Wesley,  Sallie,  Leland  and  Russell. 

Jesse  F.  Sitton,  a  son  of  our  subject,  died  in 
San  Jose,  California,  October  3,  1887.  He  mar- 
ried Eva  G.  Benedict  and  they  had  one  son,  Louis 
T.,  who  was  born  July  15,  1876,  and  married 
Pearl  Young,  of  Newton,  Kansas,  by  whom  he 
has  had  two  children,  Jesse  J.  and  Myrtle  E.  This 
family  make  their  home  near  San  Jose,  California. 

In  the  year  1849  Mr.  Sitton,  attracted  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  crossed  the  plains 
to  the  Pacific  coast  with  an  ox-team,  being  about 
five  and  a  half  months  on  the  way.  He  worked 
in  the  mines  for  a  year  and  then  returned  home 
by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  New  Or- 
leans. His  attention  was  then  given  uninterrupt- 
edly to  farm  work  until  1862,  when  he  volun- 
teered for  service  in  defense  of  the  Union,  dis- 
playing the  same  patriotic  spirit  that  was  mani- 
fest by  his  father  and  grandfather.  He  became 
a  member  of  Company  C,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois 
Infantry,  under  command  of  Colonel  G.  W.  K. 
Bailey.  The  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  and  took  part  in  many  important 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


399 


battles,  Mr.  Sitton  being  under  fire  at  the  en- 
gagements of  Magnolia  Hill,  Black  River  and 
Raymond.  He  was  also  present  at  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  and  while  in  an  engagement  at  that 
place  was  wounded  in  the  hip,  which  disabled 
him  for  further  field  service  and  he  was  then 
discharged  on  the  6th  of  February,  1864.  During 
his  service  he  was  promoted  from  the  rank  of 
first  lieutenant  to  that  of  quartermaster,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  about  six  months.  This 
came  to  him  after  he  was  wounded  and  no  longer 
able  to  do  active  work  on  the  field,  but  at  length 
his  wound  caused  his  resignation. 

Mr.  Sitton  has  held  many  important  offices  of 
trust  in  Pike  county,  serving  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  township  enumerator  and  as  school  director. 
In  politics  he  was  originally  a  whig  and  cast  his 
first  ballot  for  Zachary  Taylor,  but  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  republican  party  he  has  given  to 
it  strong  and  unfaltering  allegiance.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sitton  are  earnest  Christian  people  and  since  1871 
have  been  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  August,  1887,  they  re- 
moved to  Pittsfield  and  he  purchased  a  comfort- 
able residence  which  they  are  now  occupying. 

His  rest  is  well  merited  because  his.  life  has 
been  well  spent  and  in  his  business  affairs  he  dis- 
played both  industry  and  integrity.  He  com- 
mands the  unqualified  regard  and  trust  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  and  his  cir- 
cle of  friends  is  an  extensive  one. 


GEORGE  P.  PRIESTLEY. 

George  P.  Priestley,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Pike  county  and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  has 
for  years  been  a  prosperous  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  in  this  portion  of  the  state,  his  labors  being 
carefully  directed  by  sound  judgment.  He  dates 
his  residence  here  from  1859  and  he  claims  Eng- 
land as  the  land  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Lincolnshire  on  the  7th  of  October, 
1841.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Frederick  Priestley, 
was  also  a  native  of  England,  descended  from  a 
long  line  of  English  and  Irish  ancestry.  He  was 
reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth  and  became  a  local 


minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  By 
trade  he  was  a  bricklayer  and  plasterer.  Think- 
ing to  enjoy  better  business  opportunities  in  the 
new  world  and  thus  provide  a  more  comfortable 
living  for  his  family,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  United  States  in  1851,  settling  first  in  Arkan- 
sas. A  few  years  later,  in  1858,  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Pleasant 
Hill,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  He  became 
widely  known  by  reason  of  his  industrial  interests 
and  also  through  his  work  as  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he  was  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  and  regard  by  all.  He  spent 
his  last  years  in  this  county  and  died  about  1895. 
His  wife  still  survives  him  and  is  now  a  well 
preserved  old  lady  of  eighty-three  years. 

George  P.  Priestley  spent  the  first  seventeen 
years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and 
was  connected  with  the  poultry  business.  He  is 
largely  a  self-educated  man,  and  his  advance- 
ment in  business  circles  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
labor  and  thrift.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1859, 
joining  his  father  at  Pleasant  Hill  and  soon  after- 
ward he  entered  the  employ  of  Perry  Wells.  For 
several  years  he  was  employed  by  the  month  as 
a  farm  hand  and  on  the  7th  of  August,  1861,  in 
response  to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country  for  aid, 
he  joined  the  army,  enlisting  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  Tenth  Missouri  Infantry.  The  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  Missouri  and  afterward  to  the 
south  and  Mr.  Priestley  participated  in  the  siege 
of  Corinth  and  the  battle  of  luka.  About  that 
time  he  was  taken  ill  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which  he  was  discharged 
on  account  of  disability  in  1863. 

When  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  Mr.  Priest- 
ley returned  home  and  continued  to  work  for  a 
year  or  two  by  the  month.  He  was  married  in 
Pike  county  on  the  ist  of  January,  1865,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  J.  Wells,  a  widow,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated in  Pleasant  Hill  township.  They  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  this  township  and  for  two  years 
Mr.  Priestley  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  that 
tract  of  land,  comprising  seventy-five  acres.  Dur- 
ing that  time  he  lost  his  first  wife  and  on  the  igth 
of  November,  1866,  he  was  again  married  in 
Pleasant  Hill  township,  his  second  union  being 
with  Sarah  J.  Mills,  who  was  born  at  Clarksville, 


400 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Missouri,  but  was  reared  in  this  county.  After 
renting  land  for  a  time  Mr.  Priestley  invested  his 
savings  in  a  farm  in  Martinsburg  township  about 
five  miles  south  of  Pittsfield,  this  place  compris- 
ing one  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  located 
thereon  and  carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  thirty-two  years.  His  land  was  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  the  fields 
returned  good  harvests.  In  connection  with  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  he  carried  on  stock- 
raising,  having  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  which  he 
fattened  for  the  market.  At  length  he  sold  his 
farm  and  in  190x3  removed  to  Pleasant  Hill,  where 
he  yet  resides.  He  was  a  practical  fruit-grower 
and  upon  his  farm  had  a  thrifty  orchard.  In  all 
of  his  work  he  was  energetic  and  persevering, 
realizing  that  persistent  labor  is  the  basis  of  all 
desirable  success. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Priestley  have  been  born 
three  children,  of  whom  two  are  living :  Mrs. 
William  Edmonds,  who  resides  at  Pleasant  Hill ; 
and  Frederick,  who  is  married  and  operates  his 
father's  farm  in  Ross  township,  a  place  compris- 
ing nearly  two  hundred  acres  of  land  with  about 
one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  under  the  plow. 
They  also  lost  one  son,  Charles  P.  Priestley,  who 
was  married  and  died  May  3,  1904,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years. 

Mr.  Priestly  proudly  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864  and  has 
usually  voted  with  the  republican  party  since  that 
time.  He  has  served  as  road  overseer  and  has 
done  effective  service  in  improving  the  condition 
of  the  roads.  A  believer  in  good  schools,  he  has 
labored  earnestly  to  advance  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion during  his  nine  years'  service  as  a  school  di- 
rector. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Priestley  having 
been  connected  therewith  for  over  forty  years. 
In  church  work  he  takes  an  active  and  helpful 
part  and  has  served  as  trustee  and  steward.  He 
likewise  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  post  at  Sum- 
mer Hill.  For  nearly  half  a  century  he  has  made 
his  home  in  Pike  county  and  has  helped  to  im- 
prove it  and  make  it  what  it  is  today.  Although 
he  commenced  life  a  poor  man  at  the  lowest 
round  of  the  ladder  he  steadily  climbed  upward 
until  he  reached  the  plane  of  affluence.  He  has 


accumulated  valuable  property,  comprising  a 
large  and  well  improved  farm  and  a  good  home 
in  Pleasant  Hill.  He  fought  for  the  old  flag  of 
the  Union  and  his  is  an  honored  name  in  the  land 
of  his  adoption. 


CAPTAIN  BENJAMIN  B.  HOPKINS. 

Captain  Benjamin  B.  Hopkins,  who  has  de- 
voted his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  with  the  re- 
sult that  his  labors  have  been  crowned  with  a 
well  earned  and  gratifying  measure  of  success, 
now  makes  his  home  on  section  29,  Griggsville 
township,  where  he  has  excellent  farming  inter- 
ests. He  is  a  native  of  London,  England,  born 
on  the  2d  of  January,  1838,  and  represents  one 
of  the  old  families  of  that  country.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Robert  H.  Hopkins,  was  born  not 
far  from  the  city  of  London  and  spent  his  active 
life  in  County  Kent,  where  he  was  accidentally 
killed  by  a  falling  tree.  His  wife  survived  him 
for  some  years,  reaching  the  age  of  seventy. 
Their  son,  Robert  Hopkins,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  County  Kent,  England,  but  made  his 
home  through  most  of  his  life  in  the  city  of 
London.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
silk  weaver,  which  he  followed  for  some  years 
and  then  became  a  confectioner,  continuing  in 
that  line  of  business  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise. 
He  married  Miss  Matilda  Bazim,  who  was  a 
native  of  London  but  was  of  French  parentage 
and  was  descended  from  Huguenot  ancestry.  Mr. 
Hopkins  died  when  sixty-five  years  of  age  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1888,  when  about  seven- 
ty-six'years  of  age.  They  were  devoted  members 
of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  church.  They  had  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom 
five  are  living. 

Captain  Benjamin  B.  Hopkins,  who  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth  and  is  the  only  repre- 
sentative of  the  family  in  Americ'a,  spent  the  first 
fourteen  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  country 
and  then  crossed  the  ocean  as  a  passenger  on  the 
ship  Petersburg,  which  weighed  anchor  on  the 
22d  of  September,  1852.  He  landed  at  New  Or- 
leans and  then  came  up  the  Mississippi  and  I1H- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY 


nois  rivers  to  Griggsville  Landing,  Illinois.  His 
capital  was  extremely  limited  and  the  necessity  of 
providing  for  his  own  support  caused  him  at  once 
to  seek  employment  as  a  farm  hand.  Later  he 
was  employed  as  a  government  teamster  on  the 
plains  and  his  experiences  included  all  the  priva- 
tions and  dangers  incident  to  such  a  life.  He 
frequently  met  Indians  on  his  trips  but  usually 
found  them  friendly  and  he  was  careful  not  to 
arouse  their  hostility.  Following  his  return  to 
Illinois  Captain  Hopkins  responded  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  aid,  enlisting  on  the  5th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Fifth  Illi- 
nois Cavalry  under  command  of  Colonel  Upde- 
graff,  who  was  afterward  succeeded  by  Hall  Wil- 
son, while  Colonel  John  L.  McConnell  was  the 
third  in  charge  of  the  regiment.  In  December, 
1862,  Captain  John  A.  Harvey,  who  up  to  that 
time  had  commanded  Company  D,  was  succeeded 
by  Captain  Hopkins,  who  held  the  position  until 
ill  health  compelled  his  resignation  in  August, 
1864.  He  led  his  troops  in  many  a  hotly  con- 
tested engagement,  inspiring  his  men  by  his  own 
yalor  and  loyalty.  He  served  at  Vicksburg  and 
other  places,  acting  as  a  scout  and  on  outpost 
duty  for  some  time.  Although  he  was  often  'in 
the  thickest'  of  the  fight  he  was  never  wounded 
but  on  one  occasion  was  injured  by  falling 
through  a  bridge.  However,  the  hardships  and 
rigors  of  war  undermined  his  health  and  eventu- 
ally compelled  his  resignation. 

Again  taking  up  his. abode  in  Pike  county, 
Captain  Hopkins  began  farming  and  stock-raising 
and  has  since  given  his  energies  to  this  business. 
He  has  been  the  owner  of  valuable  land  and  still 
has  a  fine  farm  on  sections  29  and  32,  Griggs- 
ville township.  Upon  the  place  are  good  build- 
ings, well  tilled  fields  and  modern  equipments, 
and  orchards  and  groves  add  to  the  value  and 
attractive  appearance  of  the  place. 

In  1864  Captain  Hopkins  was  married  to  Miss 
Ann  Simpkin,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Ann 
(Wharton)  Simpkin,  who  were  natives  of  York- 
shire, England.  They  were  married,  however,  in 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  to  which  place  the  mother 
had  gone  in  her  girlhood  days  with  her  parents. 
When  a  young  man  Thomas  Simpkin  sought  a 
home  in  the  new  world,  settling  first  in  Morgan 


county,  west  of  Jacksonville.  After  some  years 
he  came  to  Pike  county,  taking  up  his  abode  on  a 
slightly  improved  tract  of  land  in  Griggsville 
township  and  to  the  further  development  of  the 
farm  he  gave  his  attention.  At  length  he  sold 
that  place  and  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  28,  Griggsville  township.  In 
1859  he  returned  to  his  native  country,  where  he 
died  a  year  later  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Douglas  democrat  and  a 
friend  of  the  renowned  statesman  whose  princi- 
ples he  advocated,  Mr.  Douglas  often  being  en- 
tertained in  Mr.  Simpkin's  home.  Following  her 
husband's  death  Mrs.  Simpkin  spent  most  of  her 
time  with  her  children  and  passed  away  at  the 
home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs'.  John  Lasberry,  in 
1886.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
In  the  family  were  five  children:  Vincent,  who 
died  in  childhood;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  John  Las- 
berry; Mrs.  Hopkins;  Mary,  the  widow  of  Ed- 
win Hitch;  and  Lovina,  the  deceased  wife  of 
Monroe  Yates.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hopkins 
have  been  born  eight  children,  of  whom  two  died 
in  infancy.  The  others  are:  Margaret  L.,  Sarah 
L.,  Matilda,  Benjamin  B.,  Robert  A.  and  Ann  S. 
Captain  Hopkins  i's  a  member  of  Griggsville 
lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  been  made 
a  Mason  on  the  I5th  of  July,  1873.  He  belongs 
to  Union  chapter,  No.  10,  R.  A.  M.;  of  Pittsfield, 
and  Ascalon  commandery,  No.  49,  K.  T.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Episcopal 
church  and  Captain  Hopkins  votes  with  the  de- 
mocracy. Pie  has  served  as  vice  president  and  a 
director  of  the  Pike  County  Fair  Association 
and  has  done  much  for  this 'institution,  which  has 
been  a  factor  in  stimulating  ambition  and  effort 
in  behalf  of  agricultural  development  in  this  part 
of  the  state. 


GEORGE  W.  WITHAM. 

George  W.  Witham,  who  for  many  years  was  a 
representative  of  mercantile  interests  in  Perry  but 
is  now  living  a  retired  life,  found  in  an  active 
business  career  that  energy  and  determination 
constitute  the  basis  of  success  rather  than  genius 
or  any  fortunate  combination  of  circumstances. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


His  life  record  began  at  Withamville,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1834,  his  parents  being  Nathaniel  and 
Jemima  (Lane)  Witham,  who  were  married  on 
the  22d  of  November,  1805.  The  father  was  born 
at  Freiburg,  Maine,  in  May,  1785,  while  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  North  Carolina,  De- 
cember 12,  1789.  They  became  the  parents  of 
twelve  children,  of  whom  George  W.  is  the 
youngest,  and  eleven  of  the  number  reached  years 
of  maturity.  The  father  removed  to  Ohio  with 
his  parents  in  1800  and  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing there  and  also  owned  two  farms  from  which 
he  derived  a  good  income.  He  died  July  25, 
1847,  at  tne  age  °f  sixty-two  years,  while  his'wife 
passed  away  on  the  28th  of  January,  1842. 

George  W.  Witham  was  fifteen  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  demise.  His  youth 
was  passed  upon  the  home  farm  and  he  supple- 
mented his  early  education  by  study  in  Clermont 
Academy  in  Ohio.  He  was  married  when  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  and,  having  acquired  a  liberal 
education,  he  afterward  devoted  twelve  or  thir- 
teen years  to  school-teaching,  which  he  followed 
through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  summer 
seasons  he  gave  his  attention  to  farming.  He 
was  a  capable  educator  and  taught  for  nine  years 
in  one  district,  his  services  giving  entire  satisfac- 
tion throughout  the  community.  In  1864,  how- 
ever, he  sold  his  farm  and  entered  the  employ  of 
A.  S.  Whittaker  &  Company  at  Barry.  Illinois, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  ten  years.  He  then 
formed  a  partnership  with  D.  S.  Rickett  and  later 
bought  his  partner's  interest.  He  was  then  alone 
in  business  until  1898,  when  he  turned  his  store 
over  to  his  son  and  daughter  and  is  now  living  a 
retired  life.  He  made  a  creditable  record  in  busi- 
ness as  a  thoroughly  reliable  merchant  who  was 
honorable  in  his  dealings  and  put  forth  every  le- 
gitimate effort  to  increase  his  trade,  thereby  win- 
ning a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1855,  Mr.  Witham 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Downer,  of  New 
Salem.  Her  parents.  George  W.  and  Sarah 
(Mills)  Downer,  were  married  December  16, 
1838.  Both  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
former  died  in  1857,  while  the  latter  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  five  children,  all  of  whom  have  passed 


away  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Witham.  Her 
father,  devoted  his  attention  to  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Ohio  until  1851,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  in  New 
Salem.  He  afterward  purchased  a  farm  in  Fair- 
mount  township,  but  his  death  occurred  in  New 
Salem.  Mrs.  Witham  was  born  February  19, 
1841,  and  with  her  parents  same  to  Illinois  in  a 
prairie  schooner,  being  sixteen  days  upon  the 
road.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Witham  have  become  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now 
living:  Charles  J.,  who  was  born  January  II, 
1857,  died  August  28,  1865.  Collins  M.,  born 
November  20,  1859,  and  now  living  at  Perry, 
wedded  Mary  Lee  and  has  three  children.  Effie 
E.,  born  September  3,  1862,  is  the  wife  of  "Wil- 
liam Hardy,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  has  one 
child.  Ellen  S.,  born  September  16,  1864,  mar- 
ried Russell  Dunston,  of  Baylis,  and  they  have 
two  children.  Sarah,  born  May  16,  1867,  's  the 
wife  of  James  Akins.  Joseph  M.,  born  June  22, 
1871,  married  Alice  Smith,  who  died  after  two 
years  and  he  later  wedded  Mary  E.  Winter- 
botham.  Harvey  D.,  born  February  i,  1874, 
married  Myrtle  Walker,  who  died  leaving  three 
children  and  later  he  wedded  Minnie  Randall. 

Mr.  Witham  was  appointed  township  treasurer 
and  filled  that  position  for  more  than  thirty 
years,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  also  township 
collector  and  treasurer  for  one  term  and  in  the 
discharge  of  his  official  duties  was  ever  prompt 
and  faithful,  recognizing  his  obligations  to  citi- 
zenship. He  belongs  to  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp 
of  Pittsfield.  His  political  allegiance  has  always 
been  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  is  ever 
fearless  in  defense  of  whatever  he  believes  to  be 
right. 


CHARLES  P.  ROBB. 

Charles  P.  Robb,  a  prominent  representative  of 
real-estate  interests  living  in  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship, was  born  on  the  3ist  of  August,  1855,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Pleasant  Hill  in  Pike 
county.  He  was  the  eldest  of  the  five  sons  of 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


403 


Randolph  and  Elizabeth  Robb  and  is  the  only  one 
now  living.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  Indiana  respectively  and  they  moved  from 
their  Pleasant  Hill  farm  to  Kinderhook  township 
in  January,  1867.  The  mother  died  in  September 
of  the  same  year  and  the  father  was  afterward 
again  married  in  1872.  At  that  time  he  decided 
to  sell  out  and  remove  to  Kansas  and  Charles  P. 
Robb,  not  desiring  to  go  to  the  west,  watched  his 
chance  and  ran  away  from  home.  He  afterward 
went  to  live  with  an  uncle,  James  Demoin,  who 
took  a  great  interest  in  him  and  sent  him  to 
school,  so  that  he  acquired  a  good  English  edu- 
cation, displaying  a  special  aptitude  in  his  studies. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  the 
winter  and  farmed  in  the  summer  up  to  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  on  the  26th 
of  March,  1879.  Miss  Sarah  Mygatt,  the  young- 
est daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Mygatt  became 
his  wife. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm  in  Kinderhook  township,  where  Mr. 
Robb  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  un- 
til March  i,  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  where  he  purchased  the  farm 
which  had  been  the  childhood  home  of  his  wife. 
Through  his  excellent  management  and  keen 
judgment  as  a  farmer  and  dealer  in  stock  he  was 
soon  able  to  pay  for  his  farm  and  also  have  some 
surplus  capital.  In  1889  he  was  appointed  agent 
for  Colonel  Price,  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  to  have 
charge  of  and  look  after  all  of  his  lands  in  Pike 
and  Adams  counties.  To  this  work  he  assiduous- 
ly applied  himself  and  gained  much  of  the  expe- 
rience which  has  contributed  so  largely  to  his 
success  as  a  land  dealer  in  later  life. 

In  1890  he  remove  to  New  Canton  and  there 
entered  on  a  somewhat  different  mode  of  living. 
He  was  chosen  justice  of  the  peace,  which  posi- 
tion he  filled  for  eleven  years.  He  also  read  law 
to  some  extent  and  his  practice  in  the  justice 
courts  was  attended  with  a  gratifying  measure 
of  success.  This  line  of  experience  was  also  of 
much  benefit  to  him  later  in  life,  as  he  was  always 
able  to  write  all  documents  necessary  to  trading 
in  land,  doing  it  without  assistance  and  so  per- 
fectly that  he  never  became  involved  in  law  suits. 
He  had  always  been  interested  in  the  lands  of  the 


Mississippi  bottoms  and,  possessing  keen  saga- 
city and  an  optimistic  mind,  he  believed  that  some 
day  this  land  would  become  very  valuable,  al- 
though at  that  time  it  was  regarded  as  compara- 
tively worthless  by  most  people  because  of  its  liti- 
gation in  the  Bond  suit  and  also  by  reason  of  the 
lack  of  drainage  and  improvements.  Mr.  Robb 
however,  was  not  afraid  to  risk  his  chances,  hav- 
ing firm  faith  in  the  future  value  of  the  property. 
In  1901  he  admitted  Charles  Card  to  a  partner1 
ship  in  the  land  business  and  together  they  in- 
vested in  much  of  this  bottom  land.  In  1902  the 
Bond  suit  was  forever  settled  and  then  it  was  that 
the  people  began  to  realize  the  worth  of  the  bot- 
tom lands.  An  excellent  business  sprang  up  and 
Mr.  Robb  and  Mr.  Card  bought  and  sold  about 
ten  thousand  acres  in  that  year,  their  business  op- 
erations amounting  to  a  quarter  of  a  million  dol- 
lars. Lands  in  that  locality  have  advanced  from 
fifteen  and  twenty  dollars  to  one  hundred  dollars 
per  acre— a  fact  which  indicates  the  keen  fore- 
sight and  business  discrimination  of  Mr.  Robb. 
He  and  his  partner  have  certainly  done  much  to 
build  up  their  community  and  county.  Through 
their  earnest  efforts,  zeal  and  energy  even  in  the 
face  of  many  discouragements  they  have  endeav- 
ored to  make  this  district  as  attractive  and  val- 
uable as  any  to  be  found  and  their  labors  have 
been  attended  with  success  when  viewed  from  a 
material  as  well  as  financial  standpoint.  The  firm 
is  now  recognized  as  among  the  most  prominent 
representatives  of  land  interests  in  this  part  of 
the  state  and  the  position  to  which  Mr.  Robb  has 
attained  in  business  circles  is  indeed  an  enviable 
one. 


GEORGE  W.  CAPPS. 

George  W.  Capps,  living  on  section  12,  Mar- 
tinsburg  township,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
up-to-date  farmers  of  Pike  county,  his  landed 
possessions  comprising  two  hundred  acres  of  rich 
and  valuable  land.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons 
of  the  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  April  27 
1849,  'n  the  township  which  is  yet  his  home.  His 
father,  Daniel  Capps,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
where  he  was  reared,  coming  thence  to 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE  'COUNTY. 


Illinois  in  early  manhood.  He  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  mak- 
ing permanent  location  in  Martinsburg  town- 
ship about  1830.  He  there  opened  up  a 
new  farm,  performing  all  the  arduous  labor 
incident  to  the  cultivation  of  new  land,  his  time 
and  energies  being  given  to  the  improvement  of 
the  fields  until  1850,  when  he  went  to  California, 
where  his  death  occurred.  His  wife  long  sur- 
'vived  him  and  reared  their  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren as  follows:  Nancy,  who  is  the  widow  of 
W.  S.  Morrison,  and  resides  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri;  W.  R.,  who  died  about  1897;  Rachel,  the 
wife  of  James  O.  Lewis,  of  Martinsburg ;  Maria, 
the  deceased  wife  of  D.  P.  Lynch;  Mrs.  Bethena 
Lewis,  a  widow,  residing  in  Nebo,  Pike  county, 
Illinois ;  Fannie,  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Gooden,  of 
Pike  county,  Missouri ;  Lucinda,  the  wife  of 
Francis  Fowler,  of  White  Hall,  Illinois;  and 
George  W. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  George  W. 
Capps  we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record 
of  one  who  has  a  very  wide  and  favo'rable  ac- 
quaintance in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  was 
reared  in  his  native  township  and  acquired  a 
common-school  education.  When  fourteen  years 
of  age  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account, 
working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  and  in  this 
way  he  was  employed  for  ten  years,  gradually 
making  progress  in  the  business  world  as  his  la- 
bor proved  of  greater  value  to  his  employers.  In 
May,  1874,  he  was  married  in  this  county  to 
Miss  Julia  A.  Brittain,  a  native  daughter  of  this 
section  of  the  state.  He  then  rented  a  farm  and 
continued  to  operate  leased  land  for  several  years, 
when,  with  the  capital  he  had  saved  from  his 
earnings,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  9,  Martinsburg  township.  There 
he  carried  on  general  farming  for  twelve  years, 
when  he  sold  that  property  and  in  1892  bought 
two  hundred  acres  on  section  12,  Martinsburg 
township.  He  has  a  good  farm,  on  which  he  has 
erected  a  basement  barn  and  he  has  also  built  to . 
and  remodeled  the  house.  His  labors  have  made 
this  a  well  improved  property  and  in  addition  to 
tilling  the  soil  he  is  raising  good  grades  of  stock. 

Politically  Mr.  Capps  is  a  stanch  democrat  but 
has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  His  wife  is 


a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  he  belongs 
to  New  Hartford  lodge  of  Masons,  in  which  he 
has  filled  all  of  the  chairs  save  that  of  master. 
His  entire  life  having  been  passed  in  this  county, 
he  has  become  widely  known  and  has  witnessed 
the  greater  part  of  the  development  that  has 
brought  the  county  up  to  its  present  state  of 
progress  and  improvement. 


HON.  WILLIAM  ELZA  WILLIAMS. 

Hon.  William  Elza  Williams,  at  one  time  con- 
gressman from  the  sixteenth  district,  which  in- 
cluded Pike  county,  and  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Illinois  bar,  was  born  in  Detroit  township, 
this  county,  on  the  5th  day  of  May,  1857.  His 
father,  David  A.  Williams,  is  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  born  July  22,  1832.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, John  A.  Williams,  was  also  a  native  of 
North  Carolina  and  was  of  English  descent,  the 
original  family  having  come  from  England  to 
Virginia  prior  to  the  Revolution.  Emigrating 
westward,  he  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Pike  county,  settling  in  Detroit  township  in 
1834.  His  father,  Dory  Williams,  was  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grandfather,  William 
Williams  (the  great-great-grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch),  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
the  Revolution. 

David  A.  Williams  was  only  two  years  old  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Pike  county,  and  they 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Detroit  town- 
ship, sharing  in  the  hardships  and  privations  in- 
cident to  the  establishment  of  a  home  upon  the 
frontier.  Educational  privileges  were  limited, 
farm  machinery  was  crude  and  much  arduous  la- 
bor was  required  in  order  to  bring  the  soil  to  its 
present  high  state  of  cultivation.  Assisting  in 
the  task  of  developing  a  new  farm,  David  A.  Wil- 
liams thus  grew  to  manhood,  and  having  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married  to  Miss  Em- 
ily A.  Hayden,  a  daughter  of  Louis  E.  Hayden, 
a  native  of  Virginia  and  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Newburg  township,  coming  to  Pike  county 
from  Kentucky  in  1835.  The  young  couple  began 
their  married  life  upon  a  farm  in  Detroit  town- 


W.  E.  WILLIAMS 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


409 


ship  and  for  many  years  Mr.  Williams  devoted 
his  energy  to  agricultural  pursuits,  but  now  re- 
sides in  Pittsfield.  In  the  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren. 

William  Elza  Williams,  the  second  in  order  of 
birth,  attended  the  district  schools  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  entered  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville,  there  remaining  for  three  years.  In 
the  midst  of  his  literary  course  he  determined  upon 
the  practice  of  law  as  a  life  work,  and  entered 
upon  preparation  for  the  profession  as  a  student 
in  the  office  of  Irwin  &  Johnson,  one  of  the  strong 
law  firms  of  Pittsfield.  He  pursued  his  reading 
until  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1880  before  the  ap- 
pellate court  of  the  first  district  in  Chicago.  He 
thus  entered  upon  his  professional  career  well 
equipped  for  the  work. 

Mr.  Williams  located  for  practice  in  Pittsfield, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  his  success  was 
so  marked  that  he  became  favorably  known  as  a 
leading  representative  of  the  legal  profession  in 
the  county  and  in  April,  1887,  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  state's  attorney,  which  became  vacant 
through  the  resignation  of  H.  C.  Johnston.  He 
was  a  fearless  and  forceful  prosecutor,  and  his 
capability  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  won  for 
him  re-election  in  1888  for  the  full  term  of  four 
years,  and  he  thus  served  until  1892.  His  brother, 
A.  Clay  Williams,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1893,  and  they  formed  a  partnership  under  the 
firm  style  of  Williams  &  Williams,  which  rela- 
tion was  maintained  until  1896,  when  the  brother 
was  elected  state's  attorney,  and  served  two  terms, 
or  until  1904,  after  which  the  firm  of  Williams 
&  Williams  was  again  organized  and  so  continues 
to  the  present  time.  In  1898  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  W.  L.  Coley,  as  Williams  &  Coley, 
which  firm  continued  during  the  time  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams' service  in  congress.  In  1902  Mr.  Coley 
removed  to  East  St.  Louis  and  Mr.  Williams  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Paul  F.  Grote  under  - 
the  firm  name  of  Williams  &  Grote,  with  whom 
he  was  associated  until  1905.  In  1904  Mr.  Wil- 
liams was  employed  as  trial  lawyer  by  the  Chi- 
cago City  Railway  Company,  and  remained  with 
that  company  for  one  year,  when  he  resigned  his 
position  and  resumed  the  practice  at  Pittsfield, 
which  had  been  conducted  by  the  firm  of  Williams 
&  Grote  during  his  absence. 


At  the  bar  he  is  a  strong  advocate  and  wise 
counselor.  He  prepares  his  cases  with  great 
thoroughness  and  precision,  and  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  his  cause  is  strong  and  logical,  winning 
many  notable  victories  through  his  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  the  law  and  his  correct  applica- 
tion of  its  principles  to  the  points  at  issue.  He 
ranks  among  the  foremost  advocates  at  the  Pike 
county  bar,  famous  for  its  great  lawyers. 

In  August,  1879,  Mr.  Williams  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Margaret  Gallaher,  and  they 
have  a  daughter,  Mabel  E.,  now  the  wife  of  Ir- 
ving W.  Wheeler,  of  Lockport,  New  York.  Mrs. 
Williams  was  born  in  New  York  city  and  is  a 
daughter  of  the  well  remembered  James  Gallaher, 
of  Quincy,  who- -was.  city  librarian  of  that  city 
and  for  ./nanj  years  was  editor  of  the  Quincy 
Whig  and  the  6id  Flag:  of»Pittsfield.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Williams  hold  membership  in  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  are  highly  esteemed  cit- 
izens with  a  circle  of  friends  that  indicates  their 
personal  popularity  and  the  sociability  of  their 
natures.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  con- 
sistent supporter  of  democratic  principles  and  five 
times  has  been  endorsed  by  his  county  for  con- 
gress, receiving  the  support  of  the  citizens  of  Pike 
county  for  that  office  since  1894.  In  1898  he  was 
elected  and  served  for  one  term,  or  until  1901, 
and  while  a  member  of  the  house  he  served  on 
the  important  committees  of  territories  and  re- 
vision of  laws.  He  was  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent members  of  the  fifty-sixth  congress,  and  that 
he  fully  satisfied  his  constituents,  particularly  in 
his  home  county,  is  evidenced  by  the  repeated  en- 
dorsement of  the  voters.  He  was  the  sitting  mem- 
ber and  also  a  candidate  for  renomination  before 
the  famous  deadlock  convention  of  1900  at  Jack- 
sonville, when  two  thousand  four  hundred  fifty- 
three  ballots  were  taken  in  selecting  a  congres- 
sional candidate.  Mr.  Williams  was  the  leading 
candidate  before  the  convention,  and  his  defeat 
was  brought  about  by  a  combination  of  opposing 
candidates,  who  determined  by  .lot  the  successful 
candidate. 

Socially  Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  and  chapter,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  His  entire  life 
has  been  passed  in  Pike  county,  so  that  his  record 


4io 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


is  well  known  to  its  citizens,  who  have  found 
much  in  his  life  history  worthy  of  emulation  and 
admiration.  He  is  ever  fearless  in  defense  of  po- 
litical or  other  principles  that  he  believes  to  be 
right,  and  even  those  opposed  to  him  acknowledge 
his  loyalty  and  his  integrity  in  matters  of  public 
concern.  He  is  always  progressive  and  affirma- 
tive in  all  that  he  undertakes.  He  never  fights 
under  cover,  but  always  in  the  open,  and  has  a 
large  personal  following  who  admire  him  for  his 
loyalty  to  his  friends  and  devotion  to  any  cause 
espoused  by  him. 


JOSEPH  McFARLAND. 

Joseph  McFarland,  interested  in  farming  op- 
erations and  also  manager  of  the  large  elevator 
of  Shaw,  Garner  &  Company  at  New  Canton, 
was  born  in  this  town  on  the  I2th  of  November, 
1866,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Irene  McFar- 
land. The  grandfather,  the  late  Joseph  McFar- 
land, was  an  early  settler  and  prominent  and  use- 
ful citizen  of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  February  11,  1810,  and  his 
father,  Joseph  McFarland,  Sr.,  was  born  in  the 
same  house.  In  1812  the  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject  raised  a  company  of  eleven  men  in 
his  own  county  and  came  with  them  to  America, 
offering  their  services  to  General  Jackson  in  the 
war  against  England.  They  were  equipped,  en- 
tered the  army  and  Mr.  McFarland  and  four 
comrades  were  killed  in  the  first  battle  of  New 
Orleans. 

Joseph  McFarland,  the  grandfather,  was  reared 
in  the  parish  schools  of  his  native  county  and 
when  fifteen  years  of  age  he  entered  business 
life  as  a  cattle  dealer,  being  interested  with  his 
uncle  in  that  enterprise  until  1841,  when  he  came 
to  America  to  attend  to  the  matter  of  securing 
a  pension  for  his  mother,  who  was  a  soldier's 
widow.  From  Philadelphia,  where  he  landed,  he 
went  to  Boston,  where  he  became  ill  with  ship 
fever  and  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  five  weeks. 
This  illness  completely  exhausted  his  capital  of 
one  hundred  dollars,  so  that  when  he  had  re- 
covered he  had  but  fifty  cents  remaining.  His 


clothes,  too,  and  his  watch  had  gone  to  meet  the 
expenses  of  his  illness,  but  he  found  a  friend  in 
Joseph  Allen,  who  provided  him  with  a  good  suit 
of  clothes.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  Levi 
Farwell  with  the  intention  of  earning  money  to 
bring  his  mother  to  America,  but  her  death  oc- 
curred before  the  fulfillment  of  his  plans.  He 
continued  in  Mr.  Farwell's  employ  until  the  lat- 
ter's  death,  covering  a  period  of  ten  years  and  two 
months,  and  with  the  capital  which  he  had  saved 
from  his  earnings,  amounting  to  twenty-five  hun- 
dred dollars,  he  then  started  for  Illinois,  eventu- 
ally reaching  Barry,  Pike  county.  He  found  this 
largely  an  unimproved  frontier  district  with  only 
here  and  there  a  settlement  to  show  that  the  work 
of  cultivation  had  been  begun.  He  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship, where  he  lived  in  true  pioneer  style  until 
he  was  able  to  secure  the  comforts  and  conveni- 
ences known  to  the  older  civilization  of  the  east. 
His  little  cabin  house  was  furnished  in  primitive 
manner  and  the  first  chair  he  ever  owned  remained 
in  his  possession  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
It  contained  a  calf  skin  seat  and  was  supposed 
to  be  over  one  hundred  years  old.  As  the  years 
passed  by  he  prospered,  becoming  the  owner  of 
one  thousand  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  of  which  four  hundred  acres  was 
fine  pasture  land.  He  was  for  many  years  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  raising  and  shipping  stock 
as  well  as  in  the  cultivation  of  his  fields.  He 
erected  a  fine  home  upon  his  farm,  occupying  a 
commanding  site  upon  the  bluff  and  from  the 
front  door  he  could  overlook  seven  hundred  acres 
of  his  estate.  The  land  adjoins  the  village  of  New 
Canton  and  although  he  paid  for  it  but  eleven 
dollars  per  acre  it  now  constitutes  one  of  the  most 
valuable  tracts  in  the  county.  He  erected  a  large 
number  of  dwellings  upon  his  place  and  did  much 
for  the  substantial  improvement  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  In  politics  he  was  a  democrat  and  his  re- 
ligious views  were  in  harmony  with  the  doctrines 
of  the  Protestant  church.  His  life  was  actuated 
by  a  laudable  ambition  and  indefatigable  energy 
in  business  affairs,  leading  to. successful  accom- 
plishment and  in  his  social  relations  he  was 
prompted  by  a  spirit  of  helpfulness  and  of  gen- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


411 


uine  friendship  and  kindliness.  He  was  married 
in  Ireland  in  1835  to  Miss  Isabelle  Brown,  who 
was  also  born  in  County  Tyrone  and  who  died 
in  1865.  Of  their  family  of  two  children  John 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  while  George  be- 
came a  prominent  farmer  of  Pike  county.  In 
1870  Joseph  McFarland  wedded  Maria  Kindrick, 
also  a  native  of  Ireland.  His  death  occurred  in 
1893. 

George  McFarland,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Ireland  but  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  Pike  county,  where  he  was  long  closely 
connected  with  agricultural  interests.  The  work 
of  substantial  improvement  and  development 
which  was  begun  by  his  father  he  continued  and 
for  many  years  he  was  a  prosperous  and  pro- 
gressive agriculturist  of  Plecsant  Vale  town- 
ship, having  extensive  landed  interests  near  New 
Canton.  He  married  Miss  Irene  Gage,  a  native 
of  Maine,  and  continued  to  make  his  home  near 
New  Canton  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1894. 

In  the  public  schools  Joseph  McFarland  ac- 
quired his  education  and,  entering  business  life, 
he  has  so  directed  his  efforts  along  well-estab- 
lished lines  of  activity  and  enterprise  that  he  is 
today  reaping  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 
He  is  justly  regarded  as  a  successful  and  enter- 
prising farmer  and  useful  citizen.  His  farm 
lies  just  outside  the  corporation  limits  of  New 
Canton  and  is  a  most  productive  tract  of  land, 
upon  which  he  has  a  beautiful  country  home  and 
all  modern  equipments  and  accessories.  In  fact 
he  is  one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  agri- 
cultural interests  in  Pike  county  as  were  his 
father  and  grandfather  before  him.  He  is  also 
manager  of  the  large  elevator  of  Shaw,  Garner 
&  Company  and  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
grain  trade  and  in  this  connection  makes  exten- 
sive shipments. 

On  the  21  st  of  May,  1890,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Joseph  McFarland  and  Miss  Cora 
Willis.  Two  children,  a  bright  and  interesting 
boy  and  girl,  have  been  born  unto  them.  The 
parents  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social 
circles  in  which  they  move  and  Mr.  McFarland 
is  an  exemplary  Mason.  He  has  held  several 
township  offices  and  at  the  present  time  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board.  His  aid  and  co-operation 


may  always  be  counted  upon  to  further  any  pro- 
gressive public  movement  and  he  is  classed  with 
the  representative  men  whose  life  record,  well 
known  to  his  fellow  citizens  has  won  for  him  their 
regard  and  friendship. 


GEORGE  W.  SHRIGLEY. 

George  W.  Shrigley,  living  in  New  Salem 
township,  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  productive  and  valuable  land,  on  which 
he  is  now  carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  making  each  year  quite  extensive  ship- 
ments of  stock,  whereby  his  annual  income  is 
materially  increased.  He  was  born  on  Christmas 
day  of  1847,  m  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  and  is  a 
son  of  Andrew,  and  Sarah  (Shiveley)  Shrigley, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Loudoun  county, 
Virginia,  being  born  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge. 
The  father's  birth  occurred  July  29,  1812,  and 
in  Ohio  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Shiveley, 
who  was  born  August  16,  1815.  They  removed 
from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Edgar  county,  Illinois, 
where  they  resided  for  eleven  years  and  then  went 
to  Iowa,  where  they  remained  for  two  years, 
returning  thence  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where 
the  father's  death  occurred  December  21,  1888, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  November  22,  1893. 
They  were  respected  by  all  who  knew  them  as 
devoted  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  people  of  genuine  worth  who  in  all 
life's  relations  manifested  the  traits  of  character 
that  ever  command  good  will  and  trust.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  •  republican 
party.  In  their  family  were  seven  children,  of 
•  whom  six  are  yet  living  namely  :  Harriet  J.,  now 
the  wife  of  John  Peckham ;  Ann  E.,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Bickerdike ;  George  W.,  of  this  review ; 
James  M.;  Caroline,  the  wife  of  Riley  Griffith; 
and  Emily,  the  wife  of  Henry  Shinn. 

George  W.  Shrigley  spent  the  first  nine  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  county  and  in  1856  went 
with  his  parents  to  Iowa,  whence  they  returned 
to  Pike  county  in  1858.  Later,  in  connection 
with  his  father,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  which  together  they  improved 


412 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  cultivated.  All  of  the  modern  equipments 
upon  his  present  farm  have  been  placed  here 
through  his  efforts  for  when  the  land  came  into 
his  possession  it  was  wild  and  uncultivated.  He 
now  has  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  which  has 
been  placed  under  the  plow,  and  from  the  fields 
he  annually  harvests  good  crops  of  the  grain  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate.  In  addition  to  gen- 
eral farming  he  carries  on  stock-raising,  shipping 
each  year  from  two  to  four  carloads  of  stock, 
At  the  present  time  he  has  one  carload  of  fine 
fat  cattle  ready  for  the  market  and  also  a  carload 
of  hogs.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  so 
that  he  never  makes  a  mistake  in  his  purchases 
and  is  able  to  sell  at  a  good  profit. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1878,  Mr.  Shrigley 
was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Lynch,  who  was  born 
October  4,  1848,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Castleton 
W.  and  Miriam  (Epperson)  Lynch,  the  former 
a  native  of  Knox  county,  Kentucky,  and  the  latter 
of  Knox  county,  Tennessee.  When  Mr.  Lynch 
first  came  to  Illinois  he  invested  in  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  Pike  county,  but  afterward  sold  that 
property  and  bought  another  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres.  Subsequent  to  his  wife's  death  he 
disposed  of  the  two  places  and  removed  to  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  where  he  was  married  to  Sarah 
Linsley.  Following  her  demise  he  returned  to 
Pike  county,  where  his  remaining  days  were 
passed.  He  departed  this  life  September  u,  1905, 
at  the  very  venerable  age  of  eighty-seven  years, 
while  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Shrigley  died  in  1872. 
In  their  family  were  eleven  children,  of  whom 
eight  are  now  living,  as  follows :  John  W.,  Mrs. 
Lydia  Walls,  Castleton  W.,  Hiram  T.,  Carlton 
C.,  Aaron  P.,  Tarltan  C.  and  Jefferson  D. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shrigley  have  one  daughter, 
Georgia,  who  was  born  September  4,  1884,  and 
was  married  October  6,  1903,  to  Howard  C. 
Savage,  by  whom  she  has  a  daughter,  Fay  Helen. 
Mr.  Shrigley  has  never  cared  for  public  office, 
preferring  to  concentrate  his  attention  upon  his 
business  affairs,  and  in  his  capable  management 
and  through  his  painstaking  efforts  he  has  found 
that  success  may  be  thus  acquired.  He  belongs 
to  New  Salem  lodge,  No.  218,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  also  to  the  United  Brethren  church.  The 
greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed  in  Pike 


county  and  in  his  farm  work  he  has  found  ample 
opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  his  talents,  win- 
ning for  himself  a  place  among  the  representative 
agriculturists  of  his  community. 


A.  CLAY  WILLIAMS. 

A.  Clay  Williams,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Pitts- 
field  and  former  state's  attorney,  is  a  native  of 
Pike  county,  having  been  born  upon  his  father's 
farm  in  Detroit  township  on  the  22d  of  Septem- 
ber, 1868.  He  is  a  son  of  David  A.  Williams,  a 
sketch  of  whom  is  given  in  connection  with  the 
history  of  Hon.  William  E.  Williams  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  In  the  country  schools  of  his 
native  township  A.  Clay  Williams  began  his  edu- 
cation, and  when  he  had  mastered  the  elementary 
branches  of  learning  he  continued  his  studies  in 
the  Pittsfield  high  school,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1887.  His  collegiate 
course  covered  four  years'  study  in  Illinois  Col- 
lege at  Jacksonville,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1891.  He  afterward  took  up  the  study  of 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1893.  He 
then  entered  upon  practice  in  Pittsfield,  and  soon 
afterward  was  chosen  city  attorney.  In  1896 
he  was  elected  state's  attorney  and  held  that  office 
for  two  terms,  discharging  his  duties  without  fear 
or  favor,  and  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the 
people  of  the  county.  He  was  regarded  an  able 
and  forceful  prosecutor.  Upon  his  retirement 
from  office  Mr.  Williams  joined  his  brother,  Hon. 
William  E.  Williams,  in  the  organization  of  the 
present  well  known  and  leading  law  firm  in  Pitts- 
field  of  Williams  &  Williams.  This  firm  has  a 
large  clientage,  being  thus  connected  with  much 
of  the  important  litigation  tried  in  the  courts  of 
the  district.  Mr.  Williams  has  been  an  earnest 
and  discriminating  student  of  the  principles  of 
law  and  of  precedent,  and  prepares  his  cases  with 
great  thoroughness  and  care. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1901,  was  celebrated  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  the  marriage  of  A.  Clay  Wil- 
liams and  Miss  Blanche  I.  Proctor,  who  was  born 
in  Illinois  and  is  a  daughter  of  Thaddeus  H.  Proc- 
tor. They  have  two  children,  David  Clay  and 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


Wayne  Proctor.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  democrat 
in  his  political  views  and  is  chairman  of  the  demo- 
cratic county  central  committee.  His  opinions 
carry  weight  and  influence  in  the  councils  of  his 
party,  and  he  is  reognized  as  one  of  its  leading 
local  representatives.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he 
is  a  Mason,  serving  at  the  present  time  as  emi- 
nent commander  of  Ascalon  commandery,  No.  49, 
K.  T.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp. 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  strong  advocate  of  the  edu- 
cation of  the  young,  and  believes  it  is  the  solu- 
tion of  many  existing  social  and  political  evils. 
In  public  addresses,  he  frequently  takes  occasion 
to  promote  these  ideas  and  to  praise  our  public- 
school  system.  The  people  of  his  home  recognize 
these  facts,  and  have  kept  him  at  the  head  of  its 
public  schools  for  a  number  of  years  as  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  education. 


LEANDER   HADSELL. 

Leander  Hadsell,  living  in  Barry,  farms  two 
hundred  acres  in  Hadley  township,  and  his  prac- 
tical, enterprising  methods  have  resulted  in  bring- 
ing him  a  comfortable  competence.  He  was  born 
in  Allegany  county.  New  York,  April  9,  1832, 
and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
while  spending  his  boyhood  days  in  the  home  of 
his  parents,  Jesse  P.  and  Lydia  (Berry)  Hadsell. 
The  father,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  died  in 
1857,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  passing  away 
in  Hadley,  Pike  county.  The  mother's  death  oc- 
curred in  the  Empire  state.  Mr.  Hadsell  had 
come  to  Pike  county  in  1844,  settling  first  in 
Barry  but  afterward  locating  in  Hadley  township, 
four  miles  east  of  the  city.  He  there  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  wild  land  on  which  he  built  a 
frame  house,  splitting  the  lumber  himself,  as  there 
were  no  sawmills  in  his  vicinity  in  those  early 
days.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  the  farm 
until  1853,  when  he  sold  the  property  to  his  son 
Jesse  P.,  and  spent  his  declining  years  with  his 
children.  While  in  New  York  he  engaged  in 
teaching  school  but  following  his  removal  to  the 
west  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  general  agricul- 


tural pursuits.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Free- 
will Baptist  church  and  in  politics  was  a  whig. 
In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hadsell  were  eight 
children  but  only  two  are  now  living:  Leander 
and  Stephen  B.,  the  latter  a  resident  of  Nebraska. 
Spending  his  boyhood  days  under  the  parental 
roof,  Leander  Hadsell  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  when  about  twenty  years  of  age,  go- 
ing first  to  New  Philadelphia  in  Hadley  town- 
ship. In  1857  he  began  farming  for  himself  in 
Hadley  township  and  in  1861  removed  to  Han- 
cock county,  Illinois,  but  on  the  15th  of  August, 
1862,  he  put  aside  all  business  and  personal  con- 
siderations and  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company 
A,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry  for  three  years'  service  or  during 
the  war.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler, 
Springfield,  Illinois,  and  proceeded  southward  to 
Alton.  Illinois,  and  by  boat  to  Memphis,  Tennes- 
see. On  New  Year's  day  of  1863  he  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Arkansas  Post  under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Churchill.  The  Union  troops  cap- 
tured that  post  and  later  returned  to  Youngs- 
point  outside  of  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Hadsell  was 
also  in  the  battle  of  Champion  Hill,  in  which  his 
company  lost  all  of  its  officers.  He  and  the  other 
members  of  the  company  were  detailed  to  bury 
the  dead  at  that  place.  The  regiment  went  on  to 
Black  River  Bridge  and  on  the  22d  of  May,  1863, 
Mr.  Hadsell  joined  his  regiment  in  the  charge  on 
Vicksburg.  The  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth 
Illinois  was  afterward  ordered  back  to  Black 
River  Bridge  and  the  troops  were  mounted  there 
on  horses  to  do  skirmish  duty  and  watch  the 
movements  of  General  Johnston.  They  partici- 
pated in  the  Jackson  campaign  and  later  were  or- 
dered back  to  Vicksburg.  In  August,  1863,  the 
order  was  received  to  proceed  south  to  Port  Hud- 
son and  then  to  New  Orleans  and  later  they  par- 
ticipated in  General  Banks'  two  expeditions,  after 
which  they  returned  to  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana, 
and  subsequently  proceeded  northward  to  Vicks- 
burg. There  they  were  dismounted  but  later  were 
again  mounted  and  did  skirmish  duty,  being  sta- 
tioned in  that  locality  up  to  the  close  of  the  war. 
Mr.  TTadsell  was  mustered  out  in  October,  1865, 
after  more  than  three  years  of  active  service.  He 


4i6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty  whether 
on  the  firing  line  or  the  picket  line  and  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  number  of  important  battles  and 
skirmishes. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  serv- 
ices Mr.  Hadsell  returned  at  once  to  Pike  county 
but  on  the  2oth  of  February,  1868,  left  Illinois  for 
Nebraska  and  took  up  a  homestead  claim  in  the 
county.  He  then  improved  and  cultivated  his 
wild  land,  residing  thereon  until  1874,  when  he 
gave  the  property  to  his  son  Samuel,  who  has  in 
later  years  sold  the  farm  and  is  now  living  in 
Wyoming.  Mr.  Hadsell  of  this  review  is  now 
engaged  in  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Hadley 
township  but  makes  his  home  in  Barry. 

He  has  been  married  twice,  his  first  union,  in 
1856,  being  with  Miss  Harriet  Jefferson,  a  native 
of  Delaware.  They  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living,  Samuel  C. 
and  Ina.  In  1874  Mr.  Hadsell  was  again  mar- 
ried, Mrs.  Mary  Card  becoming  his  wife.  There 
are  no  children  by  the  second  union  but  he  has 
reared  two  adopted  children,  Barbara  Gregory 
and  Cornelius  Hinman. 

Mr.  Hadsell  has  never  cared  for  public  office, 
preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies  upon  his 
business  affairs,  yet  has  been  an  earnest  and  stal- 
wart advocate  of  the  republican  party,  believing 
that  its  platform  contains  the  best  elements  of 
good  government.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  post,  No.  144,  at  Barry,  and  is  as  true  and 
loyal  to  his  country  and  her  welfare  as  when  he 
wore  the  blue  uniform  of  the  nation  and  fol- 
lowed the  old  flag  upon  southern  battle-fields. 


SAMUEL  F.  FURNISS. 

Samuel  F.  Furniss,  a  former  mayor  of  Barry 
and  one  of  the  oldest  contractors  and  builders  of 
Pike  county,  is  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
in  which  city  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
of  day  on  the  I4th  of  February,  1832.  His 
father,  Thomas  Furniss,  was  born  in  Chester 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1806,  but  was  married 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  to  Elizabeth  Thompson, 


He  was  a  contractor  and  builder  and  a  well  edu- 
cated man.  After  a  number  of  years'  connection 
with  building  operations  he  was  engaged  as  a 
teacher  in  a  high  school  for  several  years.  Sub- 
sequently he  turned  his  attention  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  afterward  engaged  in  the 
pork-packing  business.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith 
of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  his  home  was  often 
used  for  meetings  of  that  church.  Fraternally  he 
was  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows  society  in 
his  early  manhood.  His  political  faith  was  that 
of  the  whig  party  and  for  many  years  he  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  An  earnest  Christian 
man,  he  was  strictly  honest  in  all  of  his  dealings 
and  manifested  those  sterling  traits  of  character 
which  are  usually  found  among  the  follftwers  of 
the  religious  sect  with  which  he  was  identified. 
He  passed  away  in  1893,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-seven  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  the  same 
year,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years 
and  nine  months.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren, four  daughters  and  two  sons. 

When  only  three  years  of  age  Samuel  F.  Fur- 
niss of  this  review  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Ohio  and  his  early  education  was  obtained  in  the 
district  schools  of  that  state,  pursuing  his  studies 
in  one  of  the  primitive  log  schoolhouses  of  that 
period.  He  afterward  finished  his  education  at 
Oxford  University,  in  Butler  county,  Ohio. 
After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  mar- 
ried on  the  I3th  of  December,  1855,  to  Miss  E. 
Adeline  Pence,  who  was  born  in  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  where  their  marriage  was  celebrated.  Her 
parents  were  John  and  Hannah  (Ahart)  Pence, 
the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of 
Butler  county,  Ohio.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely : 
Mrs.  Furniss  ;  Mrs.  O.  R.  Emerson ;  Mrs.  Mahala 
Brown,  the  wife  of  Mac  Brown,  who  is  living 
near  Barry ;  and  Joseph,  who  is  residing  in  Kan- 
sas City.  Mr.  Pence  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  on  his  removal  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  in  1857, 
located  near  Barry,  where  he  owned  a  large  tract 
of  land  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  upon 
which  he  carried  on  general  farming,  placing  his 
fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  adding 
many  modern  improvements  to  his  farm.  He 
was  strictly  honorable  and  upright  in  all  his  deal- 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


ings,  never  owed  a  man  a  cent,  meeting  every 
obligation  that  devolved  upon  him.  Politically 
he  was  a  stanch  republican,  believing  firmly  in 
the  principles  of  the  party  and  in  their  ultimate 
triumph.  His  church  relationship  was  with  the 
Methodist  denomination. 

Mr.  Furniss  of  this  review  began  contracting 
and  building  when  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
having  previously  learned  the  trade.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1856,  he  arrived  in  Barry  and  has  been  a  con- 
tractor here  for  fifty-three  years.  He  had  for- 
merly conducted  a  shop  in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  but 
his  health  became  impaired  there  and  caused  his 
removal  to  the  middle  west.  Since  locating  here 
he  has  led  a  very  busy  and  useful  life  and  has 
erected  buildings  in  Adams  and  Pike  counties, 
having  been  awarded  the  contract  for  the  con- 
struction of  some  of  the  finest  buildings  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  He  is  today  the  oldest  con- 
tractor in  this  part  of  Pike  county  and  has  done 
a  greater  volume  of  business  than  any  other  man 
in  his  line.  In  the  fall  of  1905  he  built  the  new 
Barry  Hotel  and  he  built  the  waterworks  of  the 
town  in  1895.  Many  evidences  of  his  handiwork 
are  seen  in  the  fine  residences  and  other  structures 
of  this  city  and  the  surrounding  district,  includ- 
ing his  own  beautiful  home  in  Barry.  His  skill 
and  ability  have  long  been  widely  acknowledged 
and  he  has  kept  in  touch  with  the  onward  march 
of  progress  which  is  as  evident  in  the  builder's 
art  as  in  any  other  line  of  activity.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Furniss  have  been  born  four  daughters  and 
one  son,  namely:  Mrs.  Ada  F.  Booth,  who  is  now 
living  at  home  and  has  two  children,  Russell  and 
Enola;  Lizzie,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Moring;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Dan  Chiningsmith,  a  resident  of  New- 
ton, Kansas,  and  has  two  children,  Nina  and 
Lyle;  Mrs.  Mary  Turner,  a  resident  of  Newton, 
Kansas,  who  has  two  sons,  Floyd,  who  is  work- 
ing on  the  railroad,  and  Lewis^  who  is  telegraph 
operator  at  Hamilton,  Missouri ;  and  Elmer  Fur- 
niss, a  farmer  of  Adams  county.  He  married 
Katie  Peck  and  after  her  death  wedded  Mrs. 
Kinncy.  He  has  five  children  by  his  first  wife, 
Earl,  Helen,  Maud.  Jessie  and  Harold. 

Mr.  Furniss  is  a  member  of  Barry  lodge,  No. 
34.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  of  Barry  lodge,  No. 
336,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  con- 


sistent and  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  which  she  joined  when  only 
thirteen  years  of  age.  Politically  Mr.  Furniss  is 
a  stalwart  republican  and  for  two  years  was 
mayor  of  Barry,  giving  to  the  city  a  public- 
spirited  and  beneficial  administration  character- 
ized by  reform,  improvement  and  practical  meth- 
ods. During  that  time  the  city  building  was 
erected  and  curbing  and  park  improvements 
made.  In  his  business  career  Mr.  Furniss  has 
prospered  and  his  life  is  another  indication  of 
the  truth  as  pronounced  by  Goethe  that  "Success 
and  merit  go  linked  together." 


WILLIAM  E.  TURNBAUGH. 

William  E.  Turnbaugh,  teacher,  is  the  son  of 
Jacob  Turnbaugh,  who  was  an  early  settler  of 
Pike  county,  having  settled  in  Pleasant  Hill  town- 
ship in  1827.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born 
in  Pleasant  Hill  township  near  the  town  of 
Pleasant  Hill,  this  county,  January  6,  1874.  He 
entered  the  public  schools  of  Pleasant  Hill  when 
he  was  nine  years  of  age  and  on  the  first  day 
was  filled  with  an  earnest  desire  of  becoming  a 
teacher,  and  with  his  purpose  in  life  thus  early 
established,  he  applied  himself  to  his  studies  with 
untiring  zeal.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  on 
his  father's  farm  one  mile  south  of  Pleasant  Hill, 
and  the  time  not  spent  in  carrying  on  the  work  of 
the  farm  was  diligently  given  to  his  books.  He 
applied  himself  to  close  study  until  February  11, 
1894,  when  he  passed  a  very  successful  exam- 
ination before  the  county  superintendent  of  schools 
of  Pike  county  for  a  first  grade  teacher's  certifi- 
cate, and  in  the  spring  following  he  graduated 
from  his  home  school,  receiving  his  diploma  May 
4,  1894. 

He  began  his  work  of  teaching  in  September, 
1894,  his  first  school  being  taught  at  Oakland  in 
Pleasant  Hill  township.  He  then  taught  a  spring 
term  at  Cottonwood  Grove  and  the  next  fall  took 
charge  of  the  Rock  Hill  school  in  Spring  Creek 
township.  That  he  might  better  prepare  himself 
for  his  chosen  work,  he  entered  the  Illinois  State 
Normal  University  at  Normal,  Illinois,  in  1896, 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


where  he  remained  for  a  year.  Returning  to  his 
native  county  he  took  up  his  work  at  Cottonwood 
Grove,  teaching  there  from  1897  to  1900,  when 
he  was  employed  as  principal  of  the  Pearl  schools 
in  Pike  county,  which  position  he  held  for  one 
year,  when  he  again  took  charge  of  the  Cotton- 
wood  Grove  school  in  the  fall  of  1901,  remaining 
there  until  the  spring  of  1905,  when  he  was  em- 
ployed as  grammar  teacher  in  the  Pleasant  Hill 
schools,  which  position  he  now  fills. 

He  has  always  taken  an  interest  and  an  active 
part  in  local,  county  and  Four  County  Teachers' 
Institutes,  being  local  manager  of  the  South  Pike 
Teachers'  Association  in  1901  and  at  the  present 
time  is  president  of  the  Pleasant  Hill  Teachers' 
Reading  Circle  and  their  permanent  instructor 
in  botany  and  zoology.  He  has  written  a  number 
of  strong  papers  along  educational  lines  and  de- 
livered to  the  various  teachers'  meetings  that  have 
been  held  in  Pleasant  Hill,  Nebo,  Pearl  and  Pitts- 
field,  and  has  proven  himself  a  very  fluent  talker 
and  close  thinker  in  discussing  matters  concerning 
education. 

Mr.  Turnbaugh  is  an  active  Sunday-school 
worker  and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  church  clerk  and  finan- 
ial  secretary.  He  resides  on  the  farm  with  his 
mother  and  is  known  as  a  man  who  loves  the 
associations  of  books. 


A.  L.  McDANNOLD. 

A.  L.  McDannold,  who  is  now  serving  as  the 
county  treasurer  of  Pike  county,  was  born  near 
Clarksville,  Pike  county,  Missouri,  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1846,  his  parents  being  Newton  and  Louisa 
(Gaines)  McDannold.  The  father  was  born  in 
Mount  Sterling,  Kentucky,  in  1807  and  the  moth- 
er's birth  also  occurred  in  that  state.  They  went 
to  Missouri  in  1835.  Mrs.  McDannold  died  when 
her  son  A.  L.  was  a  year  old.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  purchased  land  in  Mis- 
souri and  eventually  became  the  owner  of  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  became  an  extensive 
breeder  of  cattle,  hogs,  horses  and  mules,  and  was 
very  successful  in  his  business  undertakings.  In 


community  affairs  he  was  deeply  interested  and 
became  superintendent  of  turnpike  roads,  was 
also  county  judge  for  one  term,  and  at  an  early 
date  acted  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number 
of  years.  His  death  occurred  May  17,  1881,  when 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 
He  served  as  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church  for 
forty-five  years,  and  was  a  faithful  Christian 
man.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  six  children,  and 
by  the  second  marriage  there  were  three  chil- 
dren. Those  still  living  are:  A.  L.,  of  this  re- 
view ;  William  R.,  a  resident  of  Missouri ;  and 
Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Nelson,  who  is  now  residing  in 
Canton,  Missouri.  These  three  were  born  of  the 
first  marriage,  while  A.  H.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Giv- 
ens,  of  Louisiana,  were  of  the  second  marriage. 

A.  L.  McDannold  began  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Missouri,  afterward  attended 
school  at  Ashley,  Missouri,  for  a  year,  and  later 
became  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Clarks- 
ville, Missouri.  In  1883  he  came  to  Illinois,  locat- 
in  in  Pittsfield  township,  where  he  lived  until 
1895.  In  that  year  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Pittsfield,  sold  his  property  in  Pittsfield  town- 
ship and  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Martinsburg  township.  He  since  made 
his  home  in  the  county  seat,  giving  his  super- 
vision to  his  farming  interests  and  dealing  in  live 
stock. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1876,  Mr.  McDan- 
nold was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Stone,  a 
daughter  of  Llewellyn  H.  and  Mary  (Jewell) 
Stone,  the  former  born  in  Virginia  in  1817,  and 
the  latter  in  Kentucky.  The  father  went  to  Mis- 
souri in  1832  and  there  lived  for  four  years.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Pleasant  Hill  township,  Pike  county, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  raw  land,  which  he  cleared  and  improved. 
There  he  lived  until  1868,  when  he  purchased 
what  is  known  as  the  Edwards  farm  of  Pittsfield, 
the  property  now  being  owned  by  N.  B.  Stone. 
At  that  place  the  father  resided  until  the  death 
of  his  wife,  after  which  he  spent  his  remaining 
days  in  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDannold. 
He  owned  a  good  farm  and  was  in  comfortable 
financial  circumstances.  When  a  young  man  he  be- 
came identified  with  the  Christian  church,  serving 


A.  L.  MjPANNOLD 


«vn 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


421 


as  deacon  and  later  as  elder,  which  office  he  filled 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  wife  passed  away 
May  12,  1891,  while  his  death  occurred  April  10, 
1895- 

Air.  and  Airs.  McDannold  have  a  daughter, 
Maud,  who  attended  the  high  school  of  Pittsfield, 
was  a  student  in  music  in  the  Pittsfield  Conserva- 
tory under  Professor  Shastid,  being  graduated 
in  1898,  and  for  one  year  has  been  a  student  in 
the  Jacksonville  Conservatory  of  Music.  She  is 
now  acting  as  deputy  in  her  father's  office. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  McDannold  is  a 
stalwart  democrat  and  in  1900  he  was  elected 
supervisor  of  Pittsfield,  filling  the  office  for  two 
years.  He  also  served  as  alderman  of  Pittsfield 
from  1900  until  1902,  and  on  the  1st  of  December 
of  the  latter  year  was  elected  county  treasurer 
for  a  term  of  four  years.  He  has  never  been  de- 
feated at  any  time  when  a  candidate  for  office,'1 
a  fact  which  indicates  his  personal  popularity 
and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
townsmen.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
Camp  of  Pittsfield  _and  is  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community  and  the  hospitality  of  many  of 
the  best  homes  is  freely  accorded  them.  In  his 
business  and  political  career  Mr.  McDannold  has 
made  a  record  alike  above  reproach,  and  he  is 
respected  as  one  of  the  worthy  and  valued  res- 
idents of  Pittsfield. 


HALBERT  NELSON  GRAY. 

No  history  of  Griggsville  would  be  complete 
without  mention  of  this  gentleman,  who  was  long 
connected  with  its  commercial  interests  and  who 
is  now  the  owner  of  valuable  farm  property  in 
Pike  county.  He  was  born  in  Barry,  Illinois, 
January  16,  1849,  and  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  while  spending  his  youth  in 
his  parents'  home.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  T.  and 
Mary  F.  (Crandall)  Gray.  The  father  was  born 
in  Rensselaer  county,  New  York,  in  1812,  and 
the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  the  same  county. 
In  the  public  schools  of  the  Empire  state  Thomas 
T.  Gray  acquired  his  education  and  afterward  en- 


gaged in  clerking.  He  was  married  in  New  York 
and  subsequently  came  to  Illinois  in  1837,  settling 
at  Atlas,  whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Barry. 
In  the  latter  town  he  engaged  in  merchandising, 
pork  packing  and  in  buying  and  shipping  grain. 
He  was  also  a  railroad  contractor  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  old  Pike  county  railroad,  now  part  of 
the  Wabash  system.  In  order  to  conduct  his  store 
it  was  necessary  that  he  haul  all  his  goods  from 
the  Mississippi  river,  having  been  brought  to  the 
nearest  wharf  from  Cincinnati.  He  continued  in 
merchandising  until  1860,  after  which  he  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  in  Barry  township  and 
he  was  the  first  agent  for  the  Wabash  Railroad 
Company  at  13arrv.  His  life  was  a  busy 
arid  useful  one  and  in  his  old  age  he 
received  the  veneration  and  respect  which 
should-1  'Offer  be  accorded  to  those  who  ad- 
vance 'fa'r  on  life's  journey  and  whose  record 
is  character ized  ,-b^y  all  that  is  honorable  and 
straightforward  in  man's  relations  with  his  fel- 
lowmen.  He  died  in  his  eighty-ninth  year,  while 
his  wife  is  now  living  in  Barry  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  This  worthy  couple  were  the 
parents  of  four  sons  and  seven  daughters :  Eu- 
gene, who  was  drowned  March  13,  1903  ;  Melissa, 
the  widow  of  Joseph  Haines  ;  Henry  T.,  deceased ; 
Charlotte,  the  deceased  wife  of  B.  H.  Rowand ; 
Halbert  N.,  of  this  review  ;  Josephine,  the  wife 
of  James  P.  Cassidy,  who  is  manager  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  residing  in 
Minneapolis;  Fannie  G.,  the  wife  of  William 
Stitts,  a  commission  merchant  in  Chicago ;  Hattie, 
who  married  Frederick  Ottawa,  who  is  engaged 
in  merchandising  at  Fort  Madison,  Iowa;  Flor- 
ence, who  was  married  to  Harry  Breeden,  man- 
ager of  one  of  the  Carnegie  plants  in  the  town  of 
Carnegie,  Pennsylvania ;  Gertrude,  who  married 
Ed  Clements,  now  living  in  Alabama ;  and  Eddie, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Halbert  Nelson  Gray  acquired  a  public-school 
education  and  in  early  manhood  was  married  to 
Miss  Emily  R.  Scribner,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated June  6,  1876.  Mrs.  Gray  was  born  in 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  in  1872  came  with  her 
widowed  mother  to  Pike  county,  Illinois.  She 
was  the  only  child  of  Joseph  and  Juliette  (Blanch- 
ard)  Scribner,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 


-422 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Westchester  county,  New  York.  Her  father  was 
a  newspaper  man,  who  put  aside  a  profitable  busi- 
ness at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  in  order  to  de- 
fend the  Union  cause. 

Mr.  Gray  started  in  business  for  himself  when 
only  fourteen  years  of  age,  chopping  and  haul- 
ing wood  for  two  families.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  making  ice-cream  and  for  two  seasons 
conducted  the  business.  In  1865  or  1866  he  went 
to  work  for  Captain  M.  D.  Massie  at  New  Can- 
ton and  remained  in  his  employ  for  two  years  and 
three  months.  He  next  took  a  trip  through  the 
west,  visiting  Kansas  and  Arizona,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Barry,  at  which  time  his  father 
was  station  agent  at  that  place.  Mr.  Gray  then 
took  charge  of  the  railroad  and  express  business 
and  was  offered  a  position  by  both  the  president  of 
the  railroad  and  of  the  express  company.  Later 
he  entered  the  employ  of  Louis  Angle,  his  uncle, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  September,  1872, 
when  he  took  charge  of  the  supply  stores  of  Pike 
and  Hollister.  While  with  his  uncle  he  saved  his 
earnings  and  built  a  home  for  his  father  and 
mother.  He  continued  to  save  his  wages  and 
while  working  on  the  levee  he  took  time  checks 
for  his  work  and  thus  lost  some  six  hundred  dol- 
lars, for  the  firm  failed.  Then  borrowing  one 
dollar  from  his  uncle,  Mr.  Gray  came  to  Griggs- 
ville  on  the  nth  of  March,  1873,  and  entered  the 
employ  of  C.  M.  Simmons,  a  grocer,  for  whom 
he  worked  for  ten  months  at  seventy-five  dollars 
per  month.  On  the  expiration  of -that  period  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Bryant  and  Baxter, 
the  relation  being  maintained  until  1876,  when 
Mr.  Gray  purchased., his  pirtners'  interest.  The 
following  year,  however,  he  sold  out  to  E.  W. 
Baxter,  and  gave  his  attention  to  the  live-stock 
and  grain  business,  in  which  he  continued  until 

1879.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  Jacksonville 
packing   house   at   Jacksonville,    Illinois,   and    in 

1880,  in  connection  with  J.    B.    Morrison    and 
Charles  T.    Kenney,    he    built    the    elevator    at 
Griggsville.     He  then  had  charge  of  the  grain 
business,  which  he  conducted  until    1887,  when 
he  went  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  purchased 
an  interest  in  a  grocery  store,  but  the  following 
year  sold  out  there  and  returned  to  Griggsville. 
Here  he  took  charge  of  the  dry-goods  business 


owned  by  W.  W.  Kenney  and  conducted  the  store 
until  1898,  when  the  firm  became  H.  N.  Gray  & 
Company,  Mr.  Gray  remaining  at  the  head  of  the 
institution  and  becoming  sole  proprietor  in  1903. 
He  conducted  the  store  with  good  success  until 
January,  1905,  when  he  closed  out  the  business 
and  is  now  practically  living  retired.  He  owns, 
however,  seven  hundred  acres  of  fine  land  and 
gives  personal  supervision  to  his  property.  He 
also  has  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Minnesota 
and  likewise  property  in  Missouri  and  California. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  have  been  born  two 
children.  Shirley  E.,  who  was  born  April  4,  1877, 
and  served  in  the  Spanish-American  war  as  a 
member  of  Battery  A  under  Captain  Rumboldt, 
was  graduated  from  Griggsville  high  school  when 
seventeen  years  of  age  and  afterward  attended  the 
State  University.  He  also  attended  the  Colum- 
bia University  at  New  York  city  for  two  years 
and  at  one  time  taught  in  Fairport  College  at 
Wichita,  Kansas,  having  charge  of  the  classes  in 
chemistry  and  physics,  and  is  now  filling  a  gov- 
ernment position  in  the  Philippine  Islands.  The 
daughter,  Molly  B.,  born  April  30,  1880,  is  the 
wife  of  Walter  D.  Humiston,  assistant  auditor  of 
the  Twin  City  Rapid  Transit  Company  of  St. 
Paul  and  Minneapolis.  The  children  have  both 
been  afforded  excellent  educational  privileges  and 
Mrs.  Humiston  is  likewise  a  graduate  of  the 
Griggsville  high  school. 

Mr.  Gray  is  a  member  of  Pike  lodge,  No.  73, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he  favors  the  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  his  wife  is  a  member.  In  politics  he  is 
an  earnest  advocate  of  republican  principles  and 
served  as  mayor  of  the  city  for  two  terms.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  sev- 
eral terms  and  alderman  for  fifteen  years  and  he 
gave  tangible  evidence  of  his  devotion  to  the  gen- 
eral good  in  his  active  co-operation  in  many  meas- 
ures that  have  been  of  permanent  and  lasting  ben- 
efit to  Griggsville.  Each  step  in  his  business  ca- 
reer has  been  carefully  and  thoughtfully  made 
and  as  the  years  advanced  he  has  prospered 
through  his  unfaltering  diligence,  economy  and 
capable  management.  To  those  familiar  with  his 
history  it  will  seem  trite  to  say  that  he  has  risen 
unaided  from  a  place  of  comparative  obscurity  to 
rank  with  the  leading  business  men  of  Griggsville, 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


423 


but  it  is  only  just  to  say  in  a  history  that  will  de- 
scend to  future  generations  that  his  business  ca- 
reer has  been  such  as  any  man  might  be  proud 
to  possess  and  it  has  excited  the  admiration  and 
won  the  respect  of  his  contemporaries. 


CHARLES  H.  DOSS,  M.  D. 

The  consensus  of  opinion  on  the  part  of  the 
public  and  the  profession  concerning  Dr.  Charles 
H.  Doss,  of  Pittsfield,  has  been  most  favorable 
during  the  forty-five  years  of  his  connection  with 
the  medical  fraternity,  and  he  is  the  honored  fam- 
ily physician  in  many  a  household,  where  his  pro- 
fessional services  have  been  retained  through  long 
years.  He  was  born  in  Simpson  county,  Ken- 
tucky, February  19,  1834,  a  son  of  Joel  Burgess 
Doss,  who  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  of  Saxon 
ancestry.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  also  a  physician  of  the  allopathic 
school.  He  married  Miss  Mildred  Hurt,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  Hurt,  who  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky and  of  Welsh  lineage.  Judge  Hurt,  of 
Texas,  and  Captain  Hurt,  of  Barry,  Illinois,  are 
relatives  of  Dr.  Doss,  and  many  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  family  are  found  in  various  sec- 
tions of  the  southern  states. 

Dr.  Doss  was  one  of  twelve  children  and  his 
school  privileges  were  limited,  he  educating  him- 
self from  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  was  reared 
in  and  near  Hopkinsville,  Kentucky,  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  in  the  meantime  serving  an  appren- 
ticeship to  the  milling  business.  He  then  came 
to  Illinois,  arriving  in  Jacksonville  with  only 
twenty-five  cents  in  his  pocket.  For  five  years  he 
continued  to  make  his  home  in  Morgan  county, 
acting  as  superintendent  of  the  Waverley  Mills  at 
Waverley.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he  went  to  Car- 
rollton,  Greene  county,  this  state,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Bowman,  an  eclectic  physi- 
cian, under  whose  direction  he  read  medicine  dur- 
ing 1860  and  1861.  In  the  fall  of  the  latter  year 
he  matriculated  in  the  Eclectic  Medical  College, 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  which  he  attended  for  a  year, 
after  which  he  began  to  practice  in  Fayette. 
Greene  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  from 
May,  1862,  until  November,  1867.  He  then  took 


up  his  abode  in  Manchester,  Scott  county,  where 
he  practiced  until  the  spring  of  1876.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  attended  lectures  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  at  Cin- 
cinnati. In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Pittsfield, 
where  he  has  since  resided  and  for  almost  thirty 
years  has  been  engaged  in  active  practice  here. 
A  liberal  patronage  has  always  been  accorded  him 
and  though  the  old  school  of  physicians  were 
strongly  opposed  to  his  methods  he  has  ever  en- 
joyed their  personal  regard  and  good  will  and  has 
steadily  gained  in  public  favor.  His  professional 
business  has  been  gratifying  and  his  efforts  have 
been  attended  with  a  large  measure  of  success, 
but  in  sixteen  years  he  lost  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  by  breeding  trotting  horses,  five  stallions 
dying,  which  cost  him  twelve  thousand  dollars. 
Throughout  the  years,  however,  he  has  followed 
his  profession  with  untiring  zeal  and  unfaltering 
devotion,  and  in  1870  he  joined  the  National  Ec- 
lectic Medical  Society  of  Chicago,  of  which  he 
has  since  been  a  member.  In  1868  he  became  a 
charter  member  of  the  Illinois  State  Eclectic  So- 
ciety, in  which  he  has  at  various  times  held  all 
the  different  offices,  being  its  president  in  1878. 
He  has  prepared  many  papers  for  the  state  and 
national  associations  and  for  different  medical 
journals  and  through  his  relationship  with  the 
medical  societies  has  kept  abreast  with  the  most 
modern  thought  of  the  age,  concerning  the  scien- 
tific practice  of  medicine. 

Dr.  Doss  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Thresher,  a  daughter  of  J.  M.  Thresher,  of 
Morgan  county,  Illinois.  Eleven  children  have 
been  born  unto  them,  of  whom  nine  reached  years 
of  maturity.  Two  are  now  graduates  of  medical 
colleges,  two  of  dental  colleges  and  one  of  the 
veterinary  college  at  Toronto,  Canada,  while  one 
of  the  daughters  married  a  dentist,  another  a 
physician,  a  third  a  tobacco  jobber,  while  a  fourth 
is  the  wife  of  O.  W.  Fullman,  of  St.  Louis.  Since 
1856  Dr.  Doss  has  been  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Christian  church  and  his  first  wife  was  also  one 
of  its  members.  Her  death  occurred  in  January. 
1895,  and  in  1896  he  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Mrs.  Ellen  Wilson,  of  Chi- 
cago, the  widow  of  the  late  R.  W.  Wilson,  for- 
mer circuit  clerk  of  Pittsfield. 


424 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Fraternally  Dr.  Doss  has  been  connected  with 
the  Masons  for  forty  years  and  has  taken  the 
Royal  Arch  degree.  Since  attaining  his  majority 
he  has  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  cast  his  first  vote 
in  1855  for  Richard  Yates,  the  candidate  of  the 
American  party  for  congress,  and  in  1864  he 
voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  did  not  vote 
again  until  1876,  when  he  cast  his  ballot  for  Peter 
Cooper,  the  candidate  of  the  greenback  party,  and 
twenty  years  later  he  voted  for  William  Jennings 
Bryan.  He  has  always  been  very  independent  in 
politics,  however,  supporting  principle  rather 
than  party,  nor  has  he  desired  office  for  himself. 
The  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him  a  strong 
and  stalwart  friend  and  he  has  given  excellent 
educational  opportunities  to  his  children,  all  of 
whom  are  graduates  of  good  schools.  Fifteen 
young  men  have  studied  under  Dr.  Doss  in  prep- 
aration for  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  has  been 
medical  examiner  for  various  life  insurance  com- 
panies for  several  years  and  is  now  the  president 
of  the  United  States  pension  board.  His  genuine 
personal  worth  and  kindly  spirit  have  gained  him 
warm  friends,  while  his  laudable  ambition,  his 
close  study  and  his  unremitting  diligence  have 
made  him  a  prominent  representative  of  the  pro- 
fession which  stands  as  the  safeguard  of  health. 


OSCAR  F.  JOHNS. 

Oscar  F.  Johns,  deceased,  who  was  identified 
with  farming  interests  in  Pike  county,  was  born 
in  Chambersburg,  this  county,  December  14,  1842. 
His  parents  were  James  and  Theodosia  (William- 
son) Johns.  The  father  was  born  in  Philadelphia. 
Pennsylvania,  February  12,  1812,  and  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 29,  1814.  They  were  married  in  Cincin- 
nati and  on  leaving  Ohio  removed  to  Chambers- 
burg,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1837.  The  father 
was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit 
in  Chambersburg  until  1846,  when  he  purchased 


one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  timber  land 
in  Perry  township,  the  first  transfer  being  made 
to  him  for  sixteen  hundred  acres.  Later  he 
bought  an  adjoining  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  at  his  death  left  a  valuable  estate 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  was  a  pio- 
neer cooper  of  the  county  and  in  his  farm  work 
was  enterprising  and  capable,  his  labors  proving 
resultant  factors  in  the  acquirement  of  success. 
He  acted  as  supervisor  of  Perry  township  for 
many  years  and  was  prominent  and  influential 
in  community  affairs.  He  voted  with  the  demo- 
cratic party,  supporting  the  principles  advocated 
by  Jackson  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  at  Chambersburg.  His  last  years  were 
spent  upon  his  farm,  where  he  died  March  24, 
1875,  his  wife  surviving  until  November  5,  1889. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children  but  only  one  is 
now  living,  Winfield  S.,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
real-estate  business  in  Hannibal,  Missouri. 

Oscar  F.  Johns  supplemented  his  public-school 
education  by  study  in  the  Gem  City  Business 
College  at  Quincy.  He  was  married  January  7, 
1869,  in  Pittsfield,  and  in  the. same  year  removed 
to  Montgomery  county,  Kansas.  He  filed  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  believed 
to  be  in  Kansas,  but  when  the  survey  was  made  it 
was  found  that  one-half  of  it  was  in  the  Indian 
Territory.  He  built  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived 
for  five  years,  or  until  1874,  when  he  returned 
to  Pike  county,  settling  in  Perry  township  four 
and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  the  village  of  Perry. 
There  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  as 
his  financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his 
property  from  time  to  time  until  he  was  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  which  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  widow  and  which 
she  rents,  and  there  he  carried  on  farming  and 
stock-raising.  In  his  business  he  was  active,  en- 
ergetic and  determined  and  his  well  directed 
labors  enabled  him  to  acquire  a  handsome 
property. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Johns  re- 
sponded to  his  country's  call  for  aid,  enlisting  on 
the  1 5th  of  August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  for  three  years,  or  during  the 
war.  Ik-  was  under  command  of  Captain  M.  D. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


425 


Massie  and  was  discharged  July  31,  1865,  at 
Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  while  acting  with  the 
department  of  the  gulf. 

In  1869  Mr.  Johns  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Norris,  who  was  bom  in  Brown  county,  Ohio, 
February  16,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James 
P.  and  Louisa  (Morgan)  Norris,  both  of  whom 
are  natives  of  Ohio,  the  former  born  March  24, 
1818,  and  the  latter  February  2,  1820.  They  were 
married  in  Ohio  August  17,  1840,  and  Mr.  Norris 
died  June  20,  1864,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
January  12,  1879.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living:  Elizabeth, 
who  was  born  July  20,  1841,  is  the  widow  of 
Osmond  Cutting  and  resides  in  Metropolis,  Illi- 
nois. Mrs.  Johns  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Harden 
H.,  born  January  31,  1849,  m  Ohio,  is  married 
and  resides  in  Perry.  Charles  H.,  living  in 
Mount  Sterling,  Illinois,  married  Angela  Hick- 
man.  Hiram  E.,  born  in  1856  in  Perry,  resides 
in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  married  Anna  Reed- 
er.  The  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norris.  came  to 
Illinois  in  1849,  settling  in  Perry,  where  the 
father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  building  many 
houses  not  only  in  the  village  but  also  in  the  sur- 
rounding country.  He  was  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  whose  labors  were  a  factor  in  the 
public  progress  and  for  eighteen  years  he  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  He  held  membership 
in  the  Christian  church  of  Perry  and  also  be- 
longed to  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  took  his  first  degree  in  a  brick  house  near  the 
town  for  there  was  no  lodge  room  at  the  time. 
His  death  occurred  June  20,  1864,  and  his  wife 
died  January  12,  1879. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johns  became  the  parents  of 
six  children :  Maud  M.,  born  in  -Kansas,  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1871,  was  married  March  20,  1897,  to 
Charles  Whitaker,  and  died  March  i,  1898; 
James  J.,  born  July  17,  1873,  is  a  civil  engineer  of 
Washington  now  engaged  in  laying  the  Idaho 
Railroad;  Oscar  M.,  born  September  20,  1875, 
died  August  30,  1876;  Inez  J.,  born  July  20,  1877, 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  Buchanan  of  the  state  of 
Washington;  Alice  Rowena,  born  June  2,  1880, 
is  at  home;  Roy  W.,  born  August  10,  1883,  is 
a  civil  engineer  and  railroad  man  also  living  in 
the  state  of  Washington. 


Mr.  Johns  was  a  member  of  Crippen  post, 
G.  A.  R.  at  Perry  and  became  its  first  commander. 
He  took  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the 
old  soldiers  and  thoroughly  enjoyed  meeting 
with  his  army  comrades  and  in  recalling  the  ex- 
periences of  the  tented  fields.  His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he 
was  unfaltering  in  support  of  its  principles.  He 
served  as  supervisor  of  Perry  township  for  five 
years  and  did  all  in  his  power  for  the  general 
good  along  modern  lines  of  improvement  and 
advancement.  He  was  likewise  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church  in  Chambersburg, 
to  which  his  widow  yet  belongs.  He  died  De- 
cember 18,  1893,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him 
by  reason  of  his  honorable  business  methods,  his 
enterprise  and  what  he  accomplished.  He  was 
faithful  in  friendship,  loyal  in  citizenship  and 
devoted  to  his  family,  and  he  left  behind  him  the 
priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 


ROBERT  M.  WEEKS. 

Robert  M.  Weeks,  living  on  section  5,  New- 
burg  township,  is  one  of  the  active  and  up-to-date 
farmers  of  Pike  county,  who  owns  and  operates 
a  neat  and  well  improved  farm  of  eighty  acres. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  the  county,  having  been 
born  in  Griggsville  township  on  the  22d  of  May. 
1854.  His  father,  John  A.  Weeks,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  a  son  of  Ezekiel  Weeks,  a  native 
of  Maryland,  who  when  a  young  man  came  west, 
locating  in  the  Buckeye  state.  John  Weeks  was 
reared  to  manhood  there,  but  desired  to  make  for 
himself  a  home  in  a  new  country  and  he,  too, 
journeyed  westward  as  far  as  Pike  county,  set- 
tling in  Newburg  township.  For  two  years  prior 
to  his  marriage  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand 
and  afterward  rented  land  for  two  years.  He 
then  purchased  forty  acres  on  section  5,  New- 
burg  township,  and  cleared  and  improved  this 
farm,  on  which  he  built  a  residence.  Unto  him 
and  his  wife  were  born  four  chilren,  of  whom 
three  reached  years  of  maturity,  Robert  M.  being 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  in  1858  and  John  Weeks  was  afterward  mar- 


426 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


ried  to  Martha  Wachacer,  a  native  of  Pike  county 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Wachacer.  They  had 
eight  children,  of  whom  five  reached  adult  age. 
John  Weeks  died  in  1893  and  his  second  wife 
still  survives  him,  now  making  her  home  with  her 
son,  John  W.  Weeks. 

Robert  Weeks  was  reared  to  manhood  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm,  which  he  assisted  in  improv- 
ing and  cultivating.  He  also  attended  school 
when  he  could  be  spared  from  the  work  of  the 
fields.  In  his  twentieth  year  he  went  to  Ohio, 
where  he  was  employed  at  farm  labor  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Pike  county 
and  spent  one  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  made  a  trip  to  New  Mexico  for  his 
health  arfd  while  there  worked  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  St.  Louis  and  San  Francisco  railroad, 
which  is  now  known  as  the  Santa  Fe  line.  He 
remained  there  for  about  a  year,  after  which  he 
again  came  to  Pike  county  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Moses  Duran,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  seven  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  rented  a  farm  from  Mr.  Duran  for  eight  years, 
so  that  his  business  relations  with  that  gentleman 
continued  for  fifteen  years  and  throughout  the 
entire  time  were  mutually  pleasant  and  profitable. 
Mr.  Weeks  next  purchased  the  old  home  place 
from  his  father  and  a  forty-acre  tract  of  land  ad- 
joining and  he  now  has  a  model  farm  property. 
He  has  erected  a  good  residence,  also  a  substan- 
tial barn  and  other  outbuildings  and  in  fact  he 
has  buildings  for  everything  upon  the  place,  in- 
cluding all  of  the  stock  and  the  crops  and  the  va- 
rious improvements  here  found  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  thrift  and  industry.  His  place  is 
well  fenced  and  a  young  orchard  of  twenty  acres 
is  coming  into  good  bearing.  He  feeds  all  of  his 
own  grain  and  also  buys  when  needed  to  fatten 
his  hogs  for  the  market. 

On  the  2jth  of  September,  1884,  Mr.  Weeks 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Phoebe  Crane,  a 
daughter  of  Lafayette  Crane  and  a  sister  of  Dr. 
Crane  of  Pittsfield,  who  is  represented  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weeks  have  had 
three  children,  but  two  of  the  number  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  surviving  daughter  is  Maude,  a  young 
lady  at  home,  who  has  become  a  successful  school 
teacher  and  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the  Green- 


field school.  Politically  Mr.  Weeks  is  a  democrat 
where  national  issues  and.tjuestions  are  involved, 
but  locally  votes  independently.  He  has  served 
on  the  board  for  one  term  as  assessor  and  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  the  office  in  an  able  manner, 
but  he  has  refused  to  hold  other  positions  of  po- 
litical preferment,  giving  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  farm  and  business.  He  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp  at  Pittsfield  and  he  is  highly 
esteemed  in  the  community  where  his  entire  life 
has  been  passed.  His  business  interests  are  so 
capably  directed  that  his  labors  are  now  bringing 
him  gratifying  success  and  as  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortunes  he  has  builded  wisely  and  well. 


GEORGE  MCFARLAND. 

The  family  name  of  McFarland  has  long  fig- 
ured prominently  in  public  life'  in  Pleasant  Vale 
township  and  Pike  county  and  its  representatives 
have  ever  been  men  of  business  reliability  and  of 
considerable  prominence  in  local  affairs.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Joseph 
McFarland,  now  deceased,  who  became  a  pioneer 
settler  of  Pleasant  Vale  township,  where  he  car- 
ried on  general  farming  interests  and  became 
well  known  and  highly  esteemed.  His  son,  George 
McFarland,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  in  early  life,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  this  county. 
Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  wedded 
Miss  Irene  Gage,  a  native  of  Louisiana,  and 
among  their  children  was  George  McFarland  of 
this  review.  His  birth  occurred  in  New  Canton 
on  the  24th  of  November,  1870,  and  he  has  spent 
his  entire  life  here.  He  early  became  familiar 
with  the  labors  of  the  farm  and  has  since  attain- 
ing his  majority  given  his  attention  to  the  tilling 
of  the  soil  and  raising  of  stock.  He  is  practical 
and  methodical  in  all  his  business  affairs  and  has 
become  a  successful  farmer,  whose  annual  pro- 
duction of  crops  and  stock  have  made  him  a  sub- 
stantial citizen  of  his  community. 

On  the  J3th  of  December,  1892,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  George  McFarland  and  Miss 
Dora  Shipman  and  unto  them  have  been  born 


PAST   AXD   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


427 


four    children,    two    sons    and    two    daughters, 
namely :    Eva,  Georgei;  John  and  Edith. 

Mr.  McFarland  gives  his  political  allegiance 
to  the  democratic  party  and  has  been  a  member 
of  the  board  of  supervisors  two  terms.  His  alle- 
giance to  the  general  welfare  is  a  well  known 
factor  in  his  life  and  he  brings  to  bear  upon  all 
matters  of  public  concern  earnest  consideration 
and  keen  discrimination  and  when  once  his  mind 
is  made  up  concerning  a  course  of  action  he 
stands  by  his  principles  and  belief  with  unfalter- 
ing loyalty. 


THOMAS  M.  MARTIN. 

Thomas  M.  Martin,  who  is  now  living  retired 
at  the  Barry  Woolen  Mills  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  city  of  Barry,  was  born  in  Rails  county,  Mis- 
souri, May  6,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  George  S.  and 
Ann  (Small)  Martin,  the  former  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  The  father 
came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  March,  1846,  and 
settled  at  Little  St.  Louis.  He  was  a  millwright 
by  trade  and  at  that  time  a  Mr.  Israel  was  build- 
ing the  first  grist  mill  in  that  part  of  the  county 
and  Mr.  Martin  began  working  there,  in  fact 
came  to  Pike  county  for  that  purpose.  He  was 
employed  in  the  mill  for  many  years  and  also 
worked  in  other  mills  in  the  county.  Subse- 
quently he  purchased  a  farm  near  Mt.  Carmel 
church,  which  is  located  between  Barry  and  Pitts- 
field,  and  there  he  lived  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  giving  his  attention  to  the  care  and  super- 
vision of  his  land.  He  was  a  stanch  democrat 
in  his  political  views  until  1860,  when  he  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  new  republican  party,  which 
stood  loyally  by  the  Union  and  so  continued  up 
to  the  time  of  his  demise.  In  his  family  were  five 
sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  four  sons  and 
two  daughters  are  yet  living,  namely :  Thomas 
M. ;  James,  who  resides  in  Colorado  Springs. 
Colorado :  Edwin,  who  is  living  in  northern  Kan- 
sas ;  Harvev,  of  California ;  Mrs.  Virginia  How- 
land,  of  Pittsfield,  Illinois;  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
P>ridgeman.  of  Rails  countv,  Missouri. 


Thomas  M.  Martin  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pike  county,  but  his  privileges  in  that 
direction  were  extremely  limited.  He  attended 
school  for  only  a  brief  period  during  the  winter 
seasons  and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  entering  the  em- 
ploy of  John  T.  Brown,  for  whom  he  worked  at 
seven  dollars  per  month.  Subsequently  he  as- 
sisted in  laying  the  Wabash  Railroad  that  crosses 
the  county  and  afterward  entered  the  Wike 
woolen  mills.  While  thus  employed  he  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Wike's  daughter,  whom 
he  afterward  married.  He  continued  in  the  em- 
ploy of  others  until  November,  1869,  when  he 
began  farming  on  his  own  account  and  has  since 
been  identified  with  agricultural  interests  in 
Barry  township.  He  first  lived  on  eighty  acres  of 
land  which  belonged  to  his  wife  and  he  has  since 
added  to  the  property  until  they  own  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres  in  Pike  county.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin has  always  been  a  great  lover  of  fine  stock  and 
ever  kept  high  grade  animals  upon  his  farm. 

It  was  on  the  4th  of  November,  1869,  that  Mr. 
Martin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Laura 
Wike,  who  was  born  in  the  same  house  where 
she  now  resides  and  it  was  here  that  the  wedding 
was  celebrated.  Her  natal  day  was  August  I, 
1850,  and  her  parents  were  George  and  Laura 
(Stevens)  Wike.  She  is  a  sister  of  the  Hon. 
Scott  Wike,  who  served  in  the  state  legislature 
and  was  elected  three  times  to  congress.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of 
Pike  county  and  in  addition  to  the  legislative  and 
congressional  honors  which  were  conferred  upon 
him  he  served  as  first  secretary  to  John  G.  Car- 
lisle when  that  famous  Kentucky  statesman  was 
secretary  of  the  United  States  treasury.  Mr. 
Wike  acted  in  that  capacity  for  eight  years.  He 
was  a  properous  and  prominent  business  man 
and  he  won  the  friendship  of  many  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  nation  during  his  connection  with 
congress  and  political  interests  in  Washington. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  have  been  born 
seven  children  who  are  yet  living  and  one  who  is 
deceased.  Harry,  who  was  educated  at  Lombard 
University  in  Galesburg,  Illinois,  is  a  machinist, 
who  wedded  Mary  Shay  and  lives  in  Quincy. 
K'lsa.  who  was  educated  in  Lombard  Universitv 


428 


PAST   AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


at  Galesburg  and  in  the  Gem  City  Business  Col- 
lege in  Quincy.  Wallace  is  a  resident  of  Chi- 
cago. Eva  married  Robert  Maxwell  and  died  in 
February,  1902.  George  is  at  home.  Blanche  is 
the  wife  of  Earl  Schulte  and  lives  in  East  St. 
Louis.  Bertha  is  the  wife  of  Winfield  Peters,  a 
graduate  of  Pennsylvania  colleges,  and  they  re- 
side in  Hannibal,  Missouri.  Scott  is  at  home. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Martin  is  a  demo- 
crat. In  1898  he  retired  from  active  business  life 
and  has  since  been  living  quietly  with  his  esti- 
mable wife  in  his  pleasant  home  about  a  half  mile 
from  Barry.  He  has  traveled  quite  extensively 
in  old  Mexico  and  the  west.  Almost  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed  in  Pike  county  and  here  he 
has  a  very  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance,  for 
the  sterling  traits  of  his  manhood  have  been  such 
as  have  won  for  him  unfaltering  trust  and  high 
regard.  Mrs.  Martin,  too,  is  greatly  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  her  and  they  certainly  deserve 
mention  among  the  representative  people  of  the 
county. 


GEORGE  WIKE. 

George  Wike,  for  many  years  a  most  valued 
and  honored  citizen  of  Pike  county  and  an  im- 
portant factor  in  its  industrial  development,  was 
born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  on  the  banks 
of  the  Big  Spring  in  Cumberland  county  in  the 
year  1807  and  at  the  age  of  six  months  he  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Ohio,  the  family  home 
being  established  and  maintained  in  Stark  county 
for  about  seven  years.  He  was  a  son  of  George 
and  Mary  (Polly)  Wike.  The  former  was  born 
August  29,  1781,  and  died  December  17,  1825,  at 
the  age  of  forty-four  years,  three  months  and  fif- 
teen days,  at  Big  Spring,  Pennsylvania.  In  1812 
he  joined  the  United  States  army  and  served 
under  General  Harrison  throughout  the  second 
war  with  England,  at  the  close  of  which  he  ob- 
tained an  honorable  discharge,  the  paper  being 
still  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  home  and  family  in  Ohio,  but  in 
1814,  having  become  dissatisfied  with  the  Buck- 
eye state,  he  went  back  to  Pennsylvania  with  his 
family,  settling  on  the  same  farm  from  which 


he  had  removed  in  1808.  There  he  remained 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  true 
patriot,  who  had  an  ardent  love  for  his  country 
and  he  was  also  a  devoted  Christian  man.  On 
the  3ist  of  March,  1803,  George  Wike,  ST.,  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  (Polly)  Essig,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  November  15,  1782.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Simon  Essig,  who  was  born  Decem- 
ber 27,  1754,  and  died  March  18,  1852,  aged 
ninety-seven  years,  two  months  and  twenty-one 
days.'  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Juliana 
Market  and  was  born  April  15,  1761,  while  her 
death  occurred  August  30,  1844,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years,  four  months  and  fifteen  days. 
Their  daughter  Mary  (or  Polly)  became  the  wife 
of  George  Wike,  Sr.,  and  after  her  husband's 
death  she  remained  upon  the  homestead  farm  in 
Pennsylvania  for  several  years  and  then  emi- 
grated to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  with  her  children, 
her  death  occurring  at  the  home  of  her  daughter. 
Mrs.  Eliza  Guss,  near  Barry,  October  i,  1862, 
when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years,  ten  months  and  ten  days.  She,  too,  had 
lived  a  devoted  Christian  life,  leaving  to  her  fam- 
ily a  memory  which  remains  to  them  as  a  blessed 
benediction.  Unto  George  and  Polly  Wike  were 
born  nine  children.  John  Wike,  born  May  21, 
1804,  died  in  July,  1871.  He  married  Jane  Mc- 
Cachen  and  had  three  children.  Joseph  Wike, 
born  April  n,  1806,  married  Abigail  Mills  My- 
ers, had  ten  children  and  died  March  15,  1881. 
George  Wike  is  the  third  of  the  family.  Sarah 
Wike,  born  February  21,  1810,  died  October  n. 
1826.  Eliza  Wike,  born  February  21,  1812, 
married  William  Guss,  December  26,  1841,  had 
seven  children  and  died  October  10,  1895.  Wil- 
liam Wike,  born  November  22,  1813.  wedded 
Hannah  M.  Heagy  in  Cumberland  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  January,  1842,  had  four  children  and 
died  October  22,  "1850.  Polly  (Mary)  Wike, 
born  December  21,  1815,  was  married  January 
17.  1843,  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  to 
William  Myers,  had  four  children  and  died  Au- 
gust 6.  1887.  Rebecca  Wike,  born  September  14. 
1818.  was  married  about  1845  to  Jacob  Myers,  of 
Cumberland  county.  Pennsylvania,  had  two  chil- 
dren and  died  December  22,  1854,  near  Barry. 
David  J.  Wike,  born  July  16,  1821,  was  the 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


youngest  of  the  family  and  died  June  10,  1882. 
He  was  married  November  18,  1847,  to  Drusilla 
Orr  and  they  had  six  children. 

George  Wike,  the  third  son  of  George  and 
Polly  (Essig)  Wike,  remained  with  his  mother 
about  six  months  after  the  death  of  his  father  and 
then  made  a  trip  through  Canada,  where  he  re- 
mained eight  months,  visiting  many  points  of 
scenic  interest,  including  Niagara  Falls.  He  then 
returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where  after  spending 
a  short  time  with  his  mother  he  bound  himself 
for  two  years  to  complete  his  knowledge  of  the 
manufacture  of  woolen  goods.'  He  then  joined 
his  brother  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods 
in  Pennsylvania  and  after  about  three  years  they- 
removed  to  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  car- 
ried on  business  for  four  years.  In  1838  they 
sold  out  there  and  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Adams  county,  where  they  continued  in  the  same 
business  for  six  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
they  disposed  of  their  interests  in  Adams  and  re- 
moved to  Barry  township.  Pike  county,  where 
George  Wike  erected  a  large  and  well  equipped 
building,  in  which  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
woolen  goods  on  an  extensive  scale.  This  was 
the  first  establishment  of  the  kind  ever  started  in 
Pike  county  and  Mr.  Wike  was  the  first  person 
who  ever  started  a  spinning  machine  of  any 
kind  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  He  continued  in  ac- 
tive connection  with  the  business  up  to  the  time 
of  his  demise,  being  extensively  and  successfully 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  high  grade 
woolen  goods.  He  was  the  principal  partner  in 
the  enterprise,  which  gained  an  almost  world- 
wide reputation  because  of  the  large  amount  of 
its  product  and  the  excellent  quality  of  the  manu- 
factured article.  This  business  proved  of  the 
utmost  value  to  the  community,  furnishing  em- 
ployment to  a  large  number  of  operatives  and  at 
the  same  time  proving  a  gratifying  source  of  in- 
come to  Mr.  Wike  and  the  other  stockholders  of 
the  business. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1831,  Mr.  Wike 
was  married  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  Miss  Catherine  Ann  Grubb.  who  was 
born  July  3,  1813.  They  traveled  life's  journey 
happily  together  for  about  eight  years  and  them 
were  separated  by  the  death  of  the  wife,  who 


passed  away  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  August  27,  1839. 
Unto  them  had  been  born  four  children.  Ressa- 
bella,  born  October  5,  1832,  died  March  4,  1833. 
David  Scott,  born  April  6,  1834,  died  January  15, 
1901.  Rebecca  Jane,  born  August  13,  1836,  died 
in  1878.  William  P.,  born  July  26,  1839,  died  in 
1845.  Of  this  family  David  Scott  Wike  attained 
distinction  and  became  a  recognized  leader  in 
public  thought  and  opinion  in  Pike  county.  He 
was  called  to  represent  his  district  in  the  state 
legislature  and  then  further  political  honors  were 
accorded  him,  for  he  was  thrice  elected  to  con- 
gress and  for  eight  years  served  as  first  secretary 
to  John  G.  Carlisle,  secretary  of  the  treasury  un- 
der President  Cleveland.  He  was  likewise  promi- 
nent in  business  circles  and  his  private  life  and 
public  career  reflected  credit  and  honor  upon  the 
county  which  honored  him.  Rebecca  Jane,  the 
other  member  of  the  family  who  reached  adult 
age,  was  married  September  17,  1855,  to  Pliny 
B.  Fuller,  who  died  September  30,  1881.  They 
had  two  children,  George  and  Scott  Fuller. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  George  Wike 
was  married,  January  18,  1841,  to  Mrs.  Laura 
Ann  Crouch,  who  was  born  October  25,  1821, 
and  died  June  14,  1851.  They  had  four  children. 
George  Wike,  the  eldest,  was  born  May  24,  1843, 
married  Miss  Rachel  C.  Baird,  January  15,  1865, 
and  resides  at  Barry.  They  had  two  children, 
Lilla,  and  George,  who  died  in  infancy.  Sarah 
A.,  born  October  6,  1845,  at  Barry,  was  married 
April  26.  1864,  to  George  W.  Perry.  Geddes  M., 
born  April  7,  1848,  was  married  November  17, 
1873,  to  Dena  Whitehead  and  they  reside  at 
Riverside,  California.  They  have  one  child. 
Laura  Ann,  born  August  I,  1850,  the  wife  of  T. 
M.  Martin,  whose  sketch  is  given  above.  After 
losing  his  second  wife  George  Wike  wedded  Mrs. 
Alzina  C.  McDaniel,  who  was  born  in  1826. 
Their  wedding  was  celebrated  December  19, 
1852,  and  she  now  resides  at  the  old  homestead 
near  Barry. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Wike  occurred  February  28, 
1880.  at  his  home  near  the  P>arry  Woolen  Mills, 
when  he  was  seventy-three  years  of  age.  He 
was  fully  identified  with  all  matters  of  public  in- 
terest, was  a  promoter  of  many  measures  for  the 
general  good  and  for  many  years  was  prominent 


432 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


in  connection  with  the  efforts  made  to  secure  the 
building  of  the  Hannibal  &  Naples  Railroad.  His 
credit  was  unlimited  and  his  reputation  unblem- 
ished. He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Barry  and  attained  high  rank 
in  the  fraternity.  He  was  so  uniformly  esteemed 
and  loved  that  his  death  came  as  a  personal  loss 
to  the  great  majority  of  citizens  in  Pike  county. 
Perhaps  no  better  account  of  his  connection  with 
Masonry  nor  indication  of  the  regard  in  which  he 
was  held  by  his  brethren  of  the  craft  could  be 
given  than  by  quoting  the  resolutions  prepared 
by  the  members  of  his  lodge.  The  article  was 
headed,  "In  Memoriam  ;  An  Alarm  At  the  Outer 
Door  of  Our  Lodge."  It  read  as  follows :  "The 
knock,  though  not  unfamiliar,  yet  every  heart 
feels  an  icy  chill  creeping  over  it  as  the  ominous 
sound  falls  upon  the  ear.  Each  knows  too  well 
that  sentry-guarded  doors  are  no  obstacles  to  the 
entrance  of  the  'white-winged  messenger,'  death. 
No  plea  will  be  accepted  that  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  our  work  or  at  refreshments.  The  gavel  and 
the  trowel  must  alike  be  laid  aside  when  he  si- 
lently enters  our  mystic  circle.  We  can  not  but 
look  one  to  another,  with  expressions  of  sub- 
dued anxiety  when  we  consider  'who  is  next  to 
answer  his  summons?' 

"This  time  he  crosses  the  threshold,  but  slowly, 
and  moves  silently  by  the  middle-aged  and  strong, 
and  gently  lays  his  icy  fingers  upon  one  in  the 
sere  and  yellow  leaf  of  autumn,  who,  like  the 
ripened  sheaf,  needs  but  to  be  garnered.  We 
follow  the  body  of  our  brother  to  the  tomb  and 
with  the  sacred  rites  of  our  order  deposit  therein 
the  earthly  remains  of  Brother  George  Wike. 
The  door  shuts  and  the  crypt  stands  closed  till  the 
sound  of  the  gavel  in  the  Great  East. 

"Brother  George  Wike,  Sr.,  died  February  28. 
1880,  aged  seventy-two  years  and  three  months. 

"The  early  history  of  Masonry  in  Pike  county 
is  largely  indebted  to  his  zeal  and  fostering  care, 
and  for  more  than  forty  years  he  was  a  constant 
worker  in  our  order.  Failing  health  during  the 
past  few  years  prevented  his  regular  attendance 
at  our  meetings,  but  his  fidelity  to  Masonry  re- 
mained until  his  death. 

"He  was  a  man  of  sterling  qualities,  and  so 
recognized  bv  his  fellow  citizens  and  Masonic 


brethren.  When  so  good  a  man,  distinguished 
alike  for  his  zeal,  ability  and  many  virtues,  is 
taken  from  among  us,  it  is  meet  and  proper  that 
this  order  pay  due  respect  to  his  memory,  and 
testify  in  the  most  sincere  manner  that  the  mem- 
bers revere  his  virtues,  and  deeply  mourn  his 
loss.  The  warp  and  woof  of  such  lives  are  made 
up  of  golden  cords  which  draw  mankind  nearer 
to  each  other.  Therefore 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Brother  George 
Wike,  Sr.,  this  order  has  lost  an  honored  member, 
the  fraternity  a  worthy  Mason,  and  this  com- 
munity a  good  citizen  and  an  honest  man. 

"We  shall  miss  him  in  our  counsels,  in  our  so- 
cial relations,  and  in  the  daily  walks  of  life. 
Let  us  cherish  his  memory,  and  unite  in  extend- 
ing our  sympathy  to  his  family  and  friends. 

"J.    j.    TOPLIFF, 

"E.  A.  CRANDALL, 
"J.  G.  MCKINNEY, 

"Committee.'' 


E.  C.  WINANS. 

E.  C.  Winans,  at  one  time  an  active  and  lead- 
ing representative  of  business  interests  in  Pitts- 
field  but  now  living  retired,  enjoying  in  the  even- 
ing of  life  a  well  earned  rest  from  labor,  was  born 
in  New  Jersey,  May  5,  1830,  his  parents  being 
Jonas  W.  and  Sarah  (Stiles)  Winans.  The  father 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  there  resided  until 
fifty  years  of  age,  when  in  1846  he  came  to  Pike 
county  with  his  family,  settling  two  miles  south 
of  Pittsfield,  where  he  had  purchased  a  farm  in 
1844.  •  He  had  visited  the  state  in  that  year,  after 
which  he  returned  to  New  Jersey  and  then  with 
his  family  once  more  came  to  Pike  county  in  1846. 
He  owned  two  hundred  acres  of  fine  land,  forty 
acres  of  which  was  covered  with  timber,  while 
the  remainder  was  cultivable,  and  he  converted  it 
into  rich  fields.  For  ten  years  he  lived  upon  that 
farm  and  then,  selling  the  property,  purchased 
thirty  acres  now  included  within  the  corporation 
limits  of  Pittsfield.  He  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
days  in  the  county  seat,  passing  away  in  1878,  at 
a  ripe  old  age.  In  his  family  were  five  sons  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


433 


ihrt'c  daughters,  of  whom  three  sons  and  two 
daughters  are  yet  living,  as  follows :  Isaac,  a 
resident  of  Walla  Walla,  Washington;  E.  C,  of 
this  review  ;  William  Parkhurst,  also  a  resident  of 
Walla  Walla ;  Airs.  Augustus  Dow,  who  is  living 
in  Pittsfield ;  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hubbard,  whose 
home  is  in  Springfield,  Illinois. 

E.  C.  Winans  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  New  Jersey  and  when  sixteen  years  of 
age  came  to  the  west.  At  that  time  he  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  a  carpenter  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Brown  &  Lane,  leading  contractors  of 
Pittsfield.  He  was  identified  with  carpentering  for 
twenty  years  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
furniture  and  undertaking  business  as  a  partner 
of  A.  W.  Plattner.  They  conducted  the  business 
successfully  until  1896,  when  Mr.  Winans  with- 
drew from  the  firm  and  has  since  lived  retired. 

In  1857  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  E.  C. 
Winans  and  Miss  Margaret  Rose,  of  Rensselaer 
county,  New  York,  born  August  31,  1836,  her 
parents  being  E.  D.  and  Rozena  (Allen)  Rose. 
Her  father,  coming  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in 
1839,  located  in  Newburg  township  a  half  mile 
east  of  Pittsfield,  where  he  owned  and  cultivated 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  In  his  fam- 
ily were  nine  children,  of  whom  five  are  living, 
namely:  Holly,  a  resident  of  California,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Davis,  who  is  living  in  Hadley  town- 
ship, this  county ;  Mrs.  Charlotte  E.  Smart,  whose 
home  is  in  Laddonia,  Missouri ;  Daniel,  who  re- 
sides in  Xewburg  township;  and  Mrs.  Winans. 
The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
while  the  parents  of  our  subject  held  member- 
ship in  the  Congregational  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winans  have  a  son,  Park  H.,  who 
was  educated  in  St.  Louis.  He  married  Miss 
Mabel  Green  and  they  reside  in  Hillsboro,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  den- 
tistry. 

Air.  Winans  votes  with  the  republican  party. 
He  owns  a  fine  cottage  in  Pittsfield,  where  he  and 
his  wife  reside  and  he  likewise  has  other  property 
in  the  city.  Accompanied  by  his  wife,  however, 
he  goes  each  winter  to  Florida,  where  he  also  has 
property  interests.  Their  time  is  now  devoted  to 
the  enjoyment  of  life's  pleasures  and  Mr.  Winans' 
rest  from  labor  is  well  merited,  for  through  many 


years  he  was  actively  and  honorably  connected 
with  commercial  pursuits  in  Pittsfield.  A  self- 
made  man,  he  worked  his  way  upward  step  by 
step,  advancing  by  reason  of  his  close  appli- 
cation, strong  purpose  and  trustworthy  business 
methods.  He  has  the  confidence  and  good  will 
of  his  fellpw  townsmen  and  the  consensus  of  pub- 
lic opinion  classes  him  with  the  representative 
citizens  of  Pittsfield. 


JOHN  W.  DORSEY. 

John  W.  Dorsey  has  a  state-wide  reputation 
as  a  stock-dealer  and  has  engaged  extensively  in 
the  breeding  and  raising  of  sheep  and  hogs.  He 
has  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with  the  best 
breeds  of  farm  animals  and  has  done  much  to 
improve  the  grade  of  stock  raised  in  Illinois  and 
adjoining  states,  thus  contributing  in  direct  and 
substantial  measure  to  the  general  prosperity  as 
well  as  to  individual  success. 

Mr.  Dorsey  is  a  native  of  Perry  township, 
born  March  22,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
and  Jane  (Fox)  Dorsey,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  away,  the  father's  death  having  occurred 
in  1894,  while  the  mother  died  in  1896.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

Mr.  Dorsey  of  this  review  pursued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  started  out  upon  an  in- 
dependent business  career  when  twenty  years  of 
age,  giving  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
raising  fine  stock.  As  the  years  passed  by  he 
concentrated  his  energies  more  and  more  largely 
upon  stock-raising  and  dealing  and  he  has  fed 
a  large  amount  of  stock  and  made  extensive  ship- 
ments to  the  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  markets.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  farming  about  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  which  he  has  brought  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  In  1878  he  rebuilt  his 
house  and  in  11104  he  made  some  additions  there- 
to until  now  he  has  a  fine  home.  There  are  also 
good  barns,  stock  pens  and  all  the  latest  im- 
provements upon  his  place  together  with  the  best 
machinery  for  facilitating  the  work  of  the  fields. 
He  was  formerly  quite  extensively  engaged  in 
breeding  sheep,  making  a  specialty  of  fine  Oxford 


434 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Down,  Shropshire,  Cotswokl  and  Merino  sheep. 
He  continued  in  this  business  extensively  until 
1894,  having  brought  to  Pike  county  a  carload 
of  pure  bred  sheep  from  Canada,  also  one  from 
Pennsylvania  and  one  from  Michigan.  He  was 
engaged  in  business  with  his  father  and  brothers 
under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Dorsey  &  Sons,  and 
after  his  father's  death,  under  the  name  of  Dor- 
sey Brothers,  until  1901,  and  at  present  with  his 
sons  as  J.  W.  Dorsey  &  Sons.  His  name  has  be- 
come well  known  in  connection  with  the  breeding 
of  hogs  and  he  is  today  the  owner  of  the  pioneer 
herd  of  Chester  Whites,  having  continued  in  this 
business  from  1868,  when  a  mere  boy,  to  the 
present  time.  His  hogs  have  been  winners  of 
more  prizes  in  late  years  than  any  other  herd  in 
the  world.  The  firm  won  eighteen  prizes  at  the 
World's  Fair  in  St.  Louis  in  1904,  and  also  won 
one  hundred  and  eighty-five  prizes  on  their  herd 
of  Chester  Whites  in  1902,  including  all  champion 
and  herd  prizes  at  nine  state  and  national  exposi- 
tions, as  follows :  All  first  and  second  prizes  in- 
cluding sweepstakes  boar  and  sow  at  the  Mis- 
souri State  Fair;  at  the  Towa  State  Fair,  aged 
boar  first,  yearling  boar  third,  under  year  boar 
first  and  third,  aged  sow  first,  yearling  sow  first, 
under  one  year  first,  aged  herd  first,  bred  by  ex- 
hibitor first,  young  herd  first,  bred  by  exhibitor 
first,  get  of  boar  first  and  second,  champion  boar 
first,  bred  by  exhibitor  first,  champion  sow  first, 
bred  by  exhibitor  first :  at  the  Minnesota  State 
Fair,  aged  boar  first,  yearling  boar  first,  under 
one  year  first,  second  and  third,  aged  sow  first, 
yearling  sow  first  and  second,  under  year  sow 
first,  second  and  third,  aged  herd  first,  young 
herd  first,  champion  boar  and  sow :  at  the  Wis- 
consin State  Fair,  aged  boar  first,  yearling  boar 
first,  under  year  boar  first,  second  and  third, 
aged  sow  first,  yearling  sow  first  and  second, 
under  year  sow  first,  second  and  third,  sou  un- 
der six  months  first,  get  of  boar  first,  champion 
boar  and  sow;  at  the  Indiana  State  Fair,  a^rd 
hoar  first,  yearling  boar  second,  under  year  boar 
first  and  second,  aged  sow  second,  yearling  sow 
first  and  third,  under  year  sow  first  and  third, 
aged  herd  first,  young  herd  first,  five  head  get  of 
one  boar  first,  pair  under  one  year  old  first,  cham- 
pion boar  and  sow,  also  Standard  Chester 


Record  Association  special ;  at  the  Kentucky 
State  Fair,  aged  boar  first,  yearling  boar  second, 
under  one  year  first  and  second,  boar  under  six 
months  first,  aged  sow  first  and  second,  yearling 
sow  first  and  third,  under  year  first  and  second, 
under  six  months  first,  aged  herd  first,  young 
herd  first,  get  of  boar  first,  champion  boar  and 
sow ;  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair,  all  first  and  sec- 
ond prizes,  including  herd  prizes;  also  champion 
boar  and  sow ;  at  the  great  St.  Louis  Fair,  all 
firsts  and  seconds,  including  herd  prizes;  also 
champion  boar  and  sow ;  at  the  International  Ex- 
position. Chicago,  aged  boar  first,  yearling  Ivor 
first,  under  year  boar  first,  boar  under  six  months 
second,  aged  sow  first,  under  year  sow  first  and 
second,  under  six  months  first,  aged  herd  first, 
young  herd  first  and  third,  get  of  boar  first  and 
second,  champion  boar  and  sow.  Mr.  Dorsey  is 
also  agent  for  south  Missouri  lands  and  for  Okla- 
homa and  Kansas  lands  and  conducts  excursions 
to  those  districts  on  the  first  and  third  Tucsdavs 
in  each  month.  lie  is  a  man  of  splendid  business 
ability,  executive  force  and  keen  discrimination, 
readily  recognizing  possibilities  and  improving 
these  by  determined  and  earnest  effort. 

Mr.  Dorsey  has  been  married  twice.  On  the 
27th  of  October,  1872,  he  wedded  Sarah  Jane 
Ham,  who  was  born  in  Chambersbnrg  township, 
October  31,  1856,  and  died  in  September.  iS-!;. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  a  sun  am! 
four  daughters  :  Lizzie,  born  June  29,  1874  :  Mary 
L.,  July  16.  1876;  Minnie  B..  July  n,  1878; 
Alexander.  November  29,  1880;  and  Leta  M., 
March  13,  1885.  The  son  was  in  business  with 
his  father  and  brothers  and  looked  after  the  ex- 
hibits at  all  the  state  fairs  and  expositions.  He 
was  a  very  intelligent  and  enterprising  yinm<r 
man  and  his  death,  which  occurred  April  ('•>.  nio.v 
was  deeply  regretted.  On  the  loth  of  November. 
1886,  Mr.  Dorsey  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  bein-  with  Mrs.  Ella  (Bond)  Rlake.  P.v 
this  marriage  there  are  five  children  :  Fern  F.. 
born  September  20,  1887  ;  Glen  H..  October  22, 
1888:  Otis  I!..  March  23.  1890;  Genevieve,  Janu- 
ary 25.  1890:  and  Dean  Wilson.  September  Ci. 
1904. 

Mr.  Dorsev  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
republican  party,  but  is  without  aspiration  for 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


435 


office.  He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  to  the 
Mutual  Protective  League  of  Pike  county  and 
to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Perry — associations  which  indicate  the  character 
of  the  man.  for  he  is  loyal  to  the  teachings  of 
these  different  organizations.  Deeply  interested 
in  everything  pertaining  to  agricultural  progress 
and  development,  he  was  secretary  of  the  Perry 
( Irauge  and  also  its  master  for  two  terms  and  was 
appointed  by  ( invernor  Yates  one  of  the  delegates 
to  the  farmer's  c<  ingress  held  in  Texas.  He  is 
ever  watchful  for  methods  for  the  improvement 
of  the  community  along  agricultural  lines  and  he 
belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  American 
men  who  while  advancing  their  individual  suc- 
cess also  contribute  in  substantial  measure  to  the 
work  of  public  progress  and  prosperity. 


EDWARD  R.  RUST. 

Edward  R.  Rust,  deceased,  who  was  connected 
with  agricultural  interests  in'  this  county  and  by 
an  active,  useful  and  honorable  life  won  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  his  fellowmen,  was  born  in 
England,  February  15,  1837.  His  father,  Edward 
Richard  Rust,  also  a  native  of  that  country,  came 
to  America  in  1852,  leaving  England  on  the  I5th 
of  May  of  that  year.  He  brought  with  him  his 
family,  including  six  children,  namely :  Edward 
R.,  then  fifteen  years  of  age;  Louisa,  aged  thir- 
teen ;  Martha,  ten ;  Rebecca,  eight ;  Theresa,  six 
years  of  age ;  and  Charles,  four  years  of  age.  The 
father  was  a  well  educated  man  and  the  son  of 
a  lawyer.  The  family  landed  in  New  York  and 
thence  made  their  way  to  Jasksonville,  Illinois, 
where  they  resided  for  seven  years  and  during  a 
part  of  that  time  Edward  Richard  Rust  was  in 
an  attorney's  office.  Mrs.  Edward  R.  Rust  of 
this  review  now  has  in  her  possession  the  pas- 
sengers' contract  ticket  that  the  family  had  when 
they  came  to  America. 

In  the  schools  of  England,  Edward  R.  Rust 
began  his  education,  which  he  continued  in  Illi- 
nois. He  came  from  Jacksonville  to  Pike  county 
in  1859,  and,  having  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  he  followed  that  pursuit  until  1863,  when 


he  purchased  a  farm  in  Fairmount  township  near 
Perry,  spending  eight  years  thereon.  He  bought 
another  farm  in  Fairmount  township,  one  mile 
west  of  his  first  farm  of  seven  hundred  twenty 
acres,  on  which  he  spent  his  remaining 
days  with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  six 
years,  during  which  time  he  lived  in  Baylis.  He 
removed  to  Baylis  in  1887,  there  remaining  until 
1893,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  farm 
whereon  he  resided  until  1904.  His  health  then 
failed  and  he  again  took  up  his  abode  in  Baylis, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  nth  of  January,  1905. 

Mr.  Rust  had  been  married  on  the  5th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1861,  to  Miss  Margaret  N.  Robison,  who 
was  born  October  17,  1841,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Taylor)  Robison,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  were 
of  Irish  lineage.  The  father  came  to  Pike  county 
at  a  very  early  day,  when  this  country  was  little 
else  save  an  unbroken  wilderness.  However,  he 
cleared  a  tract  of  land  and  in  the  midst  of  the  for- 
est built  a  log  cabin  and  added  other  improve- 
ments to  the  farm.  Settlers  were  very  few  in 
this  part  of  the  county  at  that  time  and  the  family 
lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  For  some  years  Mr. 
Robison  carried  on  farming  near  Pittsfield,  but 
later  removed  to  Adams  county  and  subsequently 
took  up  his  abode  in  Clayton,  Illinois,  where  about 
1855  he  built  a  brick  store.  He  afterward  re- 
turned to  Pike  county  and  located  near  Perry, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  oc- 
curring in  March,  1867.  He  was  a  very  success- 
ful man  and  accumulated  much  wealth.  In  the 
family  were  five  children. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rust  were  born  seven 
children.  Henry  R.,  born  November  17,  1863, 
married  Hattie  Tripplett,  and  they  have  eight 
children.  He  is  a  fanner  and  resides  in  Fairmount 
township.  Mary  Ann,  born  in  January,  1867, 
is  the  wife  of  William  Henthorn,  a  resident  farm- 
er of  Fairmount  township,  and  they  have  three 
children.  Emma  H.,  born  in  January,  1870,  mar- 
ried Wilson  Potter,  a  fanner  residing  in  Fair- 
mount  township,  and  they  have  seven  children. 
Rebecca,  born  October  16,  1872,  is  deceased. 
Charles  E.,  born  November  14,  1875,  has  passed 
away.  Alice  G.,  born  September  15,  1879,  is 


436 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


also  deceased.  Myrtle,  born  December  16,  1885, 
is  the  wife  of  Kyle  Seaborn,  a  resident  of  Fair- 
mount  township. 

Mr.  Rust  was  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  fine  land  at  the  time  of  his  death 
and  left  this  property  to  his  wife  and  children.  He 
was  a  very  successful  man,  and  did  everything 
in  his  power  to  promote  the  welfare  and  enhance 
the  happiness  of  his  family.  He  re'garded  no  per- 
sonal sacrifice  on  his  part  too  great  if  it  would 
benefit  those  depending  upon  him.  During  the 
time  he  lived  in  Fairmount  township  he  was  su- 
pervisor there  for  several  years.  His  good  quali- 
ties won  for  him  the  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  was  associated  and  in  his  business  life  he  dis- 
played integrity,  close  application  and  unfaltering 
diligence  that  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a 
handsome  competence.  His  widow  still  survives 
and  is  well  known  in  the  community  where  she 
makes  her  home.  She  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Baylis,  is  interested  in  its 
work,  and  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  so- 
cial circles  here. 


MULFORD  K.  FARRAND. 

Mulford  K.  Farrand,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  i,  Pittsfield  township,  was  a  native  of 
Griggsville,  Pike  county,  born  December  28,  1856, 
his  parents  being  Elbridge  G.  and  Elizabeth  J. 
(McWilliams)  Farrand.  His  maternal  grand- 
father, Hon.  James  McWilliams,  was  one  of  the 
early  legislatures  that  this  county  sent  to  the  gen- 
eral assembly  of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Bel- 
mont  county,  Ohio,  March  12,  1802,  and  was  a 
£on  of  Alexander  McWilliams,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred on  shipboard  while  his  parents  were  sail- 
ing to  America  in  the  year  1776.  The  family  is 
of  Scotch  lineage  and  the  ancestral  home  was  at 
Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  in  which  state  Alex- 
ander McWilliams  acquired  his  early  education. 
He  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  to 
Miss  Jane  Paxton,  of  Fayette  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  of  their  three  children  James  was 
the  youngest.  Mrs.  McWilliams  died  about  the 
year  1803  and  afterward  Mr.  McWilliams  mar- 


ried again  having  eleven  children  by  his  second 
wife.  For  some  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Ohio 
and  there  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 

Hon.  James  McWilliams  was  a  public-school 
student  in  Ohio  and  gave  his  attention  largely  to 
the  work  upon  his  father's  farm  up  to  the  time  of 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  1824,  Miss 
Margaret  Latimer  becoming  his  wife.  Her  fa- 
ther was  Alexander  Latimer,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land. Unto  them  were  born  eight  children.  In 
1834,  Mr.  McWilliams  became  a  resident  of 
Naples,  Illinois,  and  in  the  spring  of  1835  took 
up  his  abode  on  a  farm  near  Griggsville,  in  Pike 
county.  There  his  wife  died  on  the  28th  of 
December,  1838,  and  in  June,  1839,  ne  wedded 
Miss  Lucretia  Prescott,  a  native  of  Groton,  Massa- 
chusetts. Mr.  McWilliams  was  a  man  of  strong 
mentality  and  marked  force  of  character,  well 
fitted  for  leadership.  His  ability  was  recognized 
by  his  fellow  citizens,  who  in  1838  chose  him  as 
their  representative  in  the  state  legislature  and 
for  a  term  of  two  years  he  sat  upon  the  democratic 
side  of  the  house.  The  first  session  was  held  at 
Vandalia  and  the  second  at  Springfield,  following 
the  removal  of  the  capital  to  the  latter 
city.  In  1848  Mr.  McWilliams  became 
connected  with  the  lumber  trade,  continu- 
ing in  the  business  for  some  years.  Dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  Civil  war  he  was 
a  stanch  supporter  of  the  administration  and 
advocated  the  prosecution  of  hostilities  until  the 
preservation  of  the  Union  was  an  established  fact. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the 
Griggsville  National  Bank  and  in  fact  was  one  of 
its  principal  promoters.  The  bank  was  opened 
for  business  August  I,  1873,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  has  since  been  profit- 
ably conducted,  Mr.  McWilliams  serving  as  presi- 
dent for  many  years  during  the  earlier  period  of 
its  existence. 

Elbridge  G.  Farrand,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Bridgeport,  Vermont,  November  13,  1814, 
and  left  his  native  state  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years.  He  went  to  Michigan,  where  he  remained 
until  1845,  when  he  removed  to  Morgan  county, 
Illinois.  In  1849  ne  went  overland  to  California, 
but  in  1852  returned  to  this  state,  settling  at 
Griggsville.  In  1861  he  turned  his  attention  to 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


437 


the  lumber  business,  dealing  in  doors,  sash,  blinds, 
etc.,  his  stock  being  valued  at  between  twelve  and 
fifteen  thousand  dollars.  In  1852  he  married 
Elizabeth  J.  McWilliams,  of  Griggsville,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  sons:  James  A., 
Mulford  K.,  Harvey  L.  and  Frederick  H. 

Mulford  <K.  Farrand  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  of  Griggsville  for  the  educational 
advantages  he  enjoyed  in  his  youth.  For  several 
years  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in 
connection  with  his  father  and  afterward  went  to 
New  Mexico,  where  he  continued  in  the  cattle 
business  on  the  Black  range  for  three  years.  On 
returning  to  Pike  county  he  took  up  his  abode 
upon  his  present  farm  in  April,  1889,  purchasing 
two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  of  which 
twenty  acres  is  covered  with  timber.  His  home 
is  pleasantly  located  two  and  a  half  miles  north 
of  the  county  seat  on  section  i,  Pittsfield  town- 
ship, and  here  he  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  meeting  with  well  deserved  success 
in  his  undertakings. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Farrand 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Esther 
Craven,  who  was  born  in  Griggsville,  Pike 
county,  October  6,  1866,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Henrietta  (George)  Craven.  Her  father  was 
born  near  Jacksonville,  Morgan  county,  Illinois, 
February  13,  1835,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Craven, 
Sr.,  who  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  Janu- 
ary 7,  1802,  and  who  in  1831  married  Esther 
Warton.  The  same  year  they  came  to  America, 
settling  in  Morgan  county,  which  was  then  largely 
a  wild  and  unimproved  district,  their  home  being 
six  miles  west  of  Jacksonville.  There  Mr.  Craven 
remained  until  1850,  devoting  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  farming,  after  which  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Pike  county,  taking  up  his  abode  on 
section  20,  Griggsville  township,  where  he  again 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  In  the 
family  were  two  children,  Sarah  A.  and  John 
Craven.  The  latter  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Morgan  county,  Illinois.  He  came  to  Pike  county 
with  his  parents  in  1850  and  was  married  May  12, 
1864,  to  Miss  Henrietta  George,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  George,  who  came  to  Griggsville  in 
1847.  Mrs.  Craven  was  born  October  17,  1837, 


in  London,  England,  and  with  her  husband  is 
now  living  in  Griggsville,  Mr.  Craven  having 
retired  from  active  business  life. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farrand  have  been  born 
two  children:  Harry  C,  born  December  21,  1889; 
and  George  Elbridge,  born  September  8,  1892. 
Both  are  living  at  home.  Mr.  Farrand  is  a 
republican  but  without  aspiration  for  office.  His 
wife  belongs  to  the  Episcopal  church  and  both 
are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  locality 
where  they  reside,  their  circle  of  friends  being 
extensive.  The  farm  comprises  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  fine  land  on  section  i,  Pittsfield 
township,  and  is  splendidly  improved  with  a  good 
residence,  substantial  barn  and  other  buildings. 
All  of  the  improvements  have  been  made  by  Mr. 
Farrand  and  indicate  his  careful  supervision  and 
progressive  spirit.  He  also  has  twenty  acres  in 
Newburg  township.  He  has  been  successful  in 
his  work  and  the  secret  of  his  prosperity  lies 
in  his  determination  and  unfaltering  diligence 
supplemented  by  laudable  ambition. 


JOHN  T.  DELL. 

John  T.  Dell,  who  is  carrying  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Newburg  township,  where  he 
is  engaged  quite  extensively  in  raising  and  feed- 
ing stock  and  also  farms  from  eighty  to  four 
hundred  acres  of  land,  his  own  farm  comprising 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  of  land  in 
New  Salem  township,  was  born  in  Pittsfield 
township,  September  10,  1856.  His  father,  James 
T.  Dell,  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  born  in  1818, 
and  was  there  reared.  When  a  young  man  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  here  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Anna  Cooper,  a  native  of  New  York.  The 
father  located  in  Pike  county  in  1850.  settling  in 
Pittsfield,  where  he  followed  the  tailor's  trade, 
which  he  had  learned  in  early  years.  Later,  how- 
ever, he  purchased  a  farm  in  Pittsfield  township 
and  spent  his  last  years  upon  that  property,  giv- 
ing his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  died  in  the  year  1900.  while  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1899.  John  T.  Dell  is  one  of  a  family  of 
thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom,  five  sons  and  five 


438 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


daughters,  reached  years  of  maturity,  while  three 
sons  and  four  daughters  are  yet  living.  Mr.  Dell 
spent  his  youth  in  Pittsfield  township  and  was 
educated  in  the  district  schools.  To  his  father  he 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority,  when  he  made  arrangements 
for  having  a  home  of  his  own  by  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Anna  Fearey,  whom  he  wedded  in  Pittsfield 
township,  September  15.  1887.  She  was  born  in 
that  township  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  Fearey, 
a  native  of  England  and  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Pike  county.  Following  his  marriage  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Newburg  township,  first  operat- 
ing eighty-five  acres  of  land,  and  he  also  farmed 
other  lands.  He  remained  upon  one  farm  for 
twelve  years  and  is  still  engaged  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  that  place.  For  five  years  he  has  resided 
npon  the  place  which  is  now  his  home  and  he  is 
one  of  the  active,  diligent  and  prosperous  agri- 
culturists of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  makes 
a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  Aberdeen  Angus  cat- 
tle and  Poland  China  hogs  and  he  is  quite  suc- 
-eessful  as  a  stockman,  feeding  about  one  hundred 
head  of  hogs  per  year. 

Unto'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dell  have  been  born  ten 
children,  Orien  H..  Orville  P>.,  Dora  S.,  Nellie  P.. 
Elsie  E..  Pearl  E.,  Xola  M..  William  J.,  Theo- 
dore and  Elmer  F.  '  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dell  are 
widely  known  and  have  many  warm  friends  in 
the  community  where  they  reside.  Politically  Mr. 
Dell  has  been  a  lifelong  republican  but  is  without 
aspiration  for  office,  content  to  do  his  public  duty 
as  a  private  citizen.  He  served  on  the  school 
board  for  several  years,  during  which  time  he  did 
effective  work  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  education, 
of  which  he  is  n  warm  'and  stalwart  friend.  ITis 
entire  life  has  been  passed  in  this  county,  where 
he  is  recognized  as  a  useful  and  valued  citizen. 


LUTHER  J.  HARVEY.  M.  D. 

Dr.  Luther  J.  Harvey,  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  Griggsville,  was  born  in  Warner, 
Merrimack  county,  New  Hampshire,  October  6. 
1851.  a  son  of  Ira  and  Mary  (Bean)  Harvey, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire. 


The  father,  who  was  born  in  Merrimack  count}', 
December  3,  1809,  passed  away  in  1893,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  while  his  wife,  born  in 
Merrimack  county,  February  n,  1817,  died  in 
February,  1902.  Although  born  on  a  farm  and 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Merrimack 
county.  New  Hampshire,  the  father  spent  his  en- 
tire life  as  a  merchant  in  Warner,  owning  and  con- 
ducting business  in  the  same  building  for  nearly 
fifty  years.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  that  place  and  he  contributed  in  a  large 
measure  to  its  commercial  prosperity.  He  was 
was  also  'prominent  and  influential  in  public  af- 
fairs, was  a  Jackson  democrat  and  represented 
his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  Both  he  and 
'his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  In  their  family  were  five  children  :  Helen, 
born  November  n,  1839,  married  Edwin  W. 
Baxter,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  died 
in  1892.  They  became  the  parents  of  six  children. 
In  the  year  1858  Mr.  Baxter  came  with  his 
family  to  Griggsville,  Pike  county,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  dealer  in  meats  and  later 
on  he  conducted  a  general  store,  of  which  he  was 
proprietor  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  served 
as  postmaster  under  President  Lincoln  and  was 
one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  this  city  who 
largely  promoted  public  progress  as  well  as  in- 
dividual success  and  was  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  Following  his  death  Mrs.  Baxter  in 
1895  Became  the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Catlin  but 
survived  her  second  marriage  only  a  few  months, 
passing  away  in  1896.  Mary  A.,  the  second 
daughter  of  the  family,  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, July  27,  1841,  and  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  M. 
S.  Wilson,  of  the  old  Granite  state.  They  had 
five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living.  Fred, 
born  May  I,  1844,  in  New  Hampshire,  died  in 
( Iriggsville,  December  30.  1880.  He  was  assist  - 
tant  postmaster  of  his  brother-in-law,  E.  W.  Bax- 
ter, under  President  Lincoln.  Abbie,  born  April 
19.  1846.  became  the  wife  of  Louis  Chase,  and 
died  in  December.  1885.  Dr.  Harvey  completes 
the  family. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county 
Dr.  Harvey  began  his  education  which  he  contin- 
ued in  Colby  Academy  at  New  London,  New 
Hampshire,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1871. 


DR.  L.  T.  HARVEY 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


441 


In  May,  1872,  he  came  to  Griggsville  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  General  Grant.  In  1873  he  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  attended  Bellevue  Hospital  Med- 
ical College,  and  in  the  fall  of  1874  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  matriculated  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Col- 
lege and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1875. 
The  year  following  his  graduation  was  spent  as 
interne  in  the  City  Hospital  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  added  thorough  practical  knowl- 
edge to  his  theoretical  training.  He  then  again 
came  to  Griggsville  in  the  spring  of  1876  and 
opened  an  office  for  practice.  In  his  professional 
duties  he  has  displayed  marked  capability  and 
conscientious  endeavor  and  has  ever  maintained 
a  high  standard  of  professional  ethics.  He  was 
one  of  the  members  of  the  Morgan  County  (Illi- 
nois) Medical  Society  acting  as  president  at  Jack- 
sonville. He  was  also  one  of  the  organizer's  of 
the  Pike  County  Medical  Society,  was  its  first 
president  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1876,  Dr.  Harvey  was 
married  to  Miss  Bella  Kenney,  who  was  born 
October  16,  1852,  and  died  June  i,  1894.  Their 
children  were  two  in  number:  Ira  Kenney,  who 
was.  born  April  5,  1877,  and  is  now  living  in 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  marYied  Miss  Nellie  Mc- 
Mahon  and  has  one  daughter,  Mary  Bella. 
Florence  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Harvey,  was 
born  May  23,  1881,  and  is  at  home.  Mrs.  Harvey 
was  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Carnahan) 
Kenney.  Her  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1812,  and  died  in  Griggsville  in  1880,  while  his 
wife  was  born  in  Delaware  in  1814,  and  passed 
away  in  her  eightieth  year.  Mr.  Kenney  was  a 
leading  merchant  of  Griggsville  for  many  years 
and  although  he  suffered  heavily  through  loss  by 
fire  on  several  occasions  he  with  resolute  purpose 
and  determined  will  recovered  his  possessions  and 
was  ever  recognized  as  a  leading  and  representa- 
tive business  man,  his  labors  at  length  being 
crowned  with  a  comfortable  competence.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Jcffersonian  democrat  and  his 
fellow  citizens  recognizing  his  worth  and  ability, 
called  him  to  represent  his  district  in  the  state 


legislature.  He  was  a  very  liberal  member  of  the 
Congregational  church  and  his  life  of  uprightness 
and  honor,  activity  in  business  and  of  fearless 
advocacy  of  whatever  cause  he  espoused  made  him 
esteemed  by  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
In  his  family  were  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely :  William,  Mary,  Charles,  Rob- 
ert, Lizzie,  Samuel.  Bella,  Clarence,  Edward  and 
Preston. 

Dr.  Harvey  holds  membership  in  Griggsville 
lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  and  he  gives  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  republican  party,  while  his  re- 
ligious faith  is  indicated  by  membership  in  the 
Congregational  church.  His  professional  duties 
give  him  jitflS-  leisure  time  to  take  part  in  public 
"arrSits -and,  y'e.t  he  is  never  remiss  in  the  duties 
of  citizenship '  antt''' has  given  stalwart  sup- 
port to  many  movements  for  the  general  good. 


LEONARD  B.  HAMMOND. 

Leonard  B.  Hammond,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  17,  Hadley  township,  is  a  native  of  Pike 
county,  Illinois-,  where  he  was  born  on  the  3d 
of  April,  1840,  his  parents  being  Morris  and  Sa- 
rah ( Decker)  Hammond.  The  father  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in 
Wabash,  Illinois.  Morris  Hammond  came  to 
this  county  some  time  in  the  early  '305,  when  it 
was  an  unimproved  district,  the  work  of  progress 
and  development  seeming  scarcely  begun.  He 
settled  about  six  miles  north  of  Barry,  where  he 
made  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
government  land.  It  was  still  in  its  primitive 
condition;  not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  or 
an  improvement  made  upon  the  place,  and  the 
arduous  task  incident  to  the  development  of  a 
new  farm  made  his  life  a  strenuous  one.  He 
added  to  this  property  until  it  comprised  two 
hundred  acres,  and  in  addition  he  invested  in 
several  other  farms  in  the  county,  having  more 
than  five  hundred  acres  of  good  land  at  one  time. 
In  1864  he  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  his 
son,  Leonard  B.  Hammond,  now  resides,  there 
owning  three  hundred  and  twenty  •  acres.  For 


442 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


some  time  he  was  one  of  the  largest  landholders 
of  Pike  county,  and  was  a  very  successful  man, 
owing  his  desirable  financial  position  to  his  earn- 
est labor  and  untiring  enterprise.  His  early  po- 
litical views  accorded  with  the  principles  of  the 
whig  party,  and  upon  its  dissolution,  he  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  democrat  party,  which  he  continued 
to  support  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  faithful  Christian  people,  hold- 
ing membership  in  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Hammond  passed  away  in  1877,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years,  while  his  wife  died  in  1893,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years.  In  their  family  were 
five  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living: 
Phoebe,  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Blades,  a  resident  of 
Barry;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  Richard  Hardesty, 
of  Payson,  Illinois;  and  Leonard  B. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Leonard 
B.  Hammond  we  present  to  our  readers  the  life 
record  of  one  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
county.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
but  his  opportunities  in  that  direction  were  some- 
what meagre  because  of  impaired  eyesight.  On 
attaining  his  majority  he  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account,  and  he  has  since  followed  farming 
in  Pike  county  except  for  a  brief  interval  of  two 
years  spent  in  Adams  county.  In  1862  he  was  the 
owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  lying  across  the  boundary  line  in  Adams 
county,  and  since  that  time  he  has  always  held 
farm  property;  but  he  sold  his  Adams  county 
farm  in  order  to  remove  to  his  present  home  in 
Hadley  township.  In  1863  he  went  to  Mon- 
tana, where  he  spent  ten  months  and  then  re- 
turned to  his  present  farm,  upon  which  he  has 
resided  continuously  since.  He  owns  here  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  well  improved  land, 
which  is  well  situated  and  is  a  productive  tract, 
the  soil  being  rich  and  alluvial.  The  farm  is 
well  fenced,  and  he  has  made  all  of  the  improve- 
ments on  the  property.  The  place  is  also  well 
stocked  with  cattle  and  hogs ;  and  he  raises  polled 
Angus  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs,  which  are 
either  of  high  grade  or  thoroughbred. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Hammond  was  married  to  Miss 
Amanda  Phinneger,  who  was  born  in  Barry  town- 
ship, August  9,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Solo- 
mon and  Nancy  (McFarland)  Phinneger.  The 
father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother 


in  Ohio,  and  both  were  of  German  lineage.  Mr. 
Phinneger  came  to  Pike  county  in  an  early  day, 
and  followed  the '  occupation  of  farming,  owning 
and  cultivating  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land.  He  was  also  a  carpenter  and  worked  at 
his  trade,  being  connected  to  some  extent  with 
building  operations  here.  In  his  family  were 
twelve  children,  all  of  whom  reached  years  of 
maturity  with  one  exception. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammond  became  the  parents 
of  two  children :  John,  who  was  born  October 
20,  1863;  and  Henry,  born  November  20,  1865. 
The  latter  is  now  at  home.  The  former  married 
Clara  Henderson,  of  Iowa,  and  they  reside  in 
Lyonsville,  that  state,  where  John  Hammond  is 
engaged  in  the  poultry  business. 

Mr.  Hammond  of  this  review  votes  the  democ- 
racy, but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense 
of  office  seeking  or  desired  political  preference  as 
a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He  has  given  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  business  affairs,  and  is  a 
self-made  man,  who  has  been  both  the  architect 
and  builder  of  his  own  fortunes.  He  is  now  one 
of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  his  community,  and 
his  life  may  well  serve  as  a  source  of  emulation, 
showing  what  may  be  accomplished  when  one  has 
the  will  to  dare  and  to  do. 


GEORGE  W.  LEGGETT. 

George  W.  Leggett,  living  on  section  17,  of 
Spring  Creek  township,  is  a  progressive  farmer, 
whose  place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
is  neat  and  well  improved.  It  was  upon  this 
farm  that  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of 
day  on  the  4th  of  January,  1856.  His  father, 
John  W.  Leggett,  came  from  southeastern  Mis- 
souri to  Pike  county  and  died  when  his  son 
George  was  only  about  a  year  old.  John  W. 
Leggett  was  married  to  Louisa  Cannon,  a  native 
of  Alabama,  in  1855.  She  survives  her  husband 
and  yet  makes  her  home  in  this  county,  having, 
since  the  death  of  Mr.  Leggett.  become  the  wife 
of  David  Scranton. 

George  W.  Leggett  was  the  only  child  of  his 
mother's  first  marriage  and  was  reared  to  man- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


443 


hood  in  Spring  Creek  township,  assisting  his 
mother  in  his  early  boyhood  days,  and  afterward 
aiding  his  stepfather  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the 
home  farm.  He  enjoyed  fair  school  privileges  in 
the  district  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account, 
since  which  time  his  labors  have  been  the  source 
of  all  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him.  He 
was  first  employed  by  the  month  at  farm  labor  for 
a  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  invested  his 
earnings  in  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  18, 
Spring  Creek  township,  where  he  resided  for  two 
years.  He  then  sold  that  property,  after  which 
he  again  rented  a  farm  for  three  or  four  years,  and 
then  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on 
section  20  of  the 'same  township.  A  number  of 
years  later  he  traded  that  property  for  forty 
acres,  where  he  now  resides,  on  section  17,  Spring 
Creek  township,  and  as  his  financial  resources 
have  incerased  he  has  extended  the  boundaries 
of  his  place  from  time  to  time,  adding  on  two  dif- 
ferent occasions  forty-acre  tracts,  so  that  he  now 
has  a  good  property  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  has  erected  an  attractive  two-story 
frame  residence  and  good  outbuildings  upon  his 
place,  has  also  planted  an  orchard,  and  has  con- 
siderable small  fruit. 

On  the  nth  of  April,  1877,  Mr.  Leggett  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  Burbridge,  a 
native  of  Pike  county,  and  a  daughter  of  George 
W.  Burbridge,  who  was  born  in  Bath  county, 
Kentucky,  in  1822,  while  his  wife,  who  in  her 
maidenhood  was  Nancy  E.  Ben,  was  also  a  native 
of  the  Blue  Grass  state.  Mr.  Burbridge,  on  leav- 
ing Kentucky,  became  a  resident  of  Pike  county, 
Missouri,  and  subsequently  he  purchased  land 
and  settled  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  taking  up  his 
abode  here  in  1842,  and  continuing  a  resident  of 
this  county  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leggett  have  been  born  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  two  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are :  Lillie  Florean,  Louisa  Elizabeth,  Bessie, 
John  W.,  Dovie  Edith  and  Logan.  Mrs.  Leggett 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  of  Inde- 
pendence. Mr.  Leggett  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  at  Nebo;  and  in  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  supporter  of  the  men  who  are 
pledged  to  uphold  republican  principles.  He  and 


his  estimable  wife  have  labored  together  since 
the  time  of  their  marriage,and  have  now  a  neat 
and  comfortable  home  in  Spring  Creek  township, 
Mr.  Leggett  being  numbered  among  the  enter- 
prising farmers  of  the  community.  His  life 
record  proves  what  may  be  accomplished  by  de- 
termined purpose,  self-reliance  and  laudable  am- 
bition, for  these  have  been  the  strong  and  salient 
elements  in  his  life  work. 


HIRAM  S.  CHURCHILL. 

Hiram  S.  Churchill  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  of  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  land  on  sec- 
tions 14  and  23,  Kinclerhook  township,  in  the  midst 
of  which  stands  a  beautiful  brick  residence  sur- 
rounded by  a  well  kept  lawn.  The  barnyard  con- 
tains good  stables,  sheds  and  cribs  and  stock  of 
good  grades  is  found  in  the  pastures.  There  is 
every  evidence  of  the  careful  supervision  of  a 
painstaking  and  progressive  owner,  whose  labors 
are  actuated  by  a  progressive  yet  practical  spirit. 

Mr.  Churchill  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  his  natal  day  being  November  25. 
1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Almon  S.  and  Mary 
(Hunn)  Churchill.  The  father  was  born  near 
Batavia,  New  York,  in  1812,  and  was  reared  to 
the  life  of  a  farmer  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
remaining  in  the  east  until  1833,  when  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years  he  came  to  Pike  county. 
In  1835,  however,  he  returned  to  the  Empire 
state  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Hunn,  who  was  born  in  1812  in  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut, in  which  city  she  made  her  home  until 
fifteen  years  of  age,  when  she  accompanied  her 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Batavia,  New  York. 
Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Churchill  brought 
his  bride  to  Pike  county,  making  the  journey 
with  a  span  of  ponies  and  wagon.  This  was  long 
before  the  era  of  railroad  building  in  Illinois  and 
all  travel  was  done  by  private  conveyance,  by 
stage  or  by  means  of  water  transportation.  Mr. 
Churchill  and  his  bride,  however,  drove  across 
the  country  and  on  reaching  Pike  county  settled 
west  of  .Kinderhook,  where  they  lived  for  a  year, 
after  which  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  the 


444 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  Hiram  S. 
Churchill.  The  father,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Hilly,  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  which  was  the  nucleus  of  his  extensive  pos- 
sessions, for  at  one  time  he  owned  twelve  hundred 
acres,  all  of  which  was  on  the  bottom.  He  en- 
gaged extensively  in  trading  in  horses  and  mules 
and  was  an  excellent  judge  of  stock  and  also  a 
practical,  energetic  farmer  who  in  the  tilling  of 
the  soil  produced  large  crops.  He  became  a 
prominent  and  inlluential  resident  of  his  commu- 
nity, his  opinions  carrying  weight  in  matters  of 
the  general  welfare.  After  accumulating  con- 
siderable property  he  retired  from  active  labor 
and  spent  his  last  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
fruits  of  his  former  toil.  On  election  days  he 
was  found  at  the  polls  giving  his  support  to  the 
candidates  of  the  republican  party.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  an  earnest  Christian  spirit  char- 
acterized all  they  did.  Mr.  Churchill  died  in 
1886,  having  for  about  fourteen  years  survived 
his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1872.  Their  mar- 
riage had  been  blessed  with  three  sons  and  a 
daughter,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  son  all 
are  yet  living,  namely :  Hiram  S.,  of  this  review ; 
William  E.,  who  is  living  in  Kansas  City ;  and 
Nandy  M.,  the  wife  of  Jacob  R.  Fox,  a  resident 
of  California. 

Hiram  S.  Churchill  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Kinderhook  and  remained  upon  his  father's 
farm  until  1888,  when  he  went  to  the  village, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  grain  business  for 
ten  years,  owning  and  operating  the  elevator  at 
that  place.  In  1898,  however,  he  returned  to  the 
farm,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  three  hundred  acres  of  very  pro- 
ductive land  on  sections  14  and  23,  Kinderhook 
township,  most  of  which  is  bottom  land.  He  has 
an  excellent  farm  here,  well  fenced,  and  its  equip- 
ments are  in  keeping  with  all  modern  ideas  of 
agricultural  progress.  His  residence  is  a  fine 
brick  house,  tastefully  furnished,  and  he  has  good 
buildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  Tilt- 
fields  are  carefully  tilled  and  he  also  raises  good 
grades  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs  upon  his  farm, 
which  is  conveniently  situated  about  a  mile  north- 
west of  Kinderhook.  thus  bringing  railroad  facili- 


ties within  easy  access  together  with  all  of  the 
advantages  of  town  life. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1874,  Mr.  Churchill- 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  C.  Smith. 
who  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  June  12, 
1854,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Lizzie 
(Hull)  Smith.  The  father  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia and  came  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  day, 
after  which  he  carried  on  general  farming  in 
Kinderhook  township  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise, 
which  occurred  in  1870.  His  widow  still  resides 
in  that  township.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Churchill  has  been  blessed  with  four  sons  and 
three  daughters ;  D.  A.,  born  in  September,  1875, 
and  now  living  on  the  home  farm,  married  Essie 
Likes.  Bessie,  born  in  August,  1876,  is  with  her 
parents.  Fred,  born  in  August,  1877,  and  now 
living  at  Payson,  Illinois,  married  Ethel  Tooley. 
Charles,  born  in  December,  1879,  married  Ada 
McKinney  and  lives  on  his  father's  farm.  Frank, 
born  in  July,  1882,  died  in  Wyoming  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years.  Nellie,  born  in  July,  1886, 
is  the  wife  of  Harry  McGuire,  bookkeeper  for 
the  Swift  Packing  Company  of  Chicago.  Uldene 
is  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Churchill  is  strictly  independent. 
He  does  not  bind  himself  by  party  ties,  but  votes 
as  he  thinks  preferable  and  as  his  mature  judg- 
ment indicates.  For  fifteen  years  he  served  as 
school  trustee  and  has  ever  been  interested  in  the 
cause  of  public  education.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd 
Fellows  lodge,  No.  757,  of  Kinderhook,  of  which 
he  is  a  charter  member  and  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They  are 
sociable,  entertaining  people,  with  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  meet  and  the  hospitality  of  their  home 
is  greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many  friends: 


JOHN  F.  WATKIXS. 

John  F.  Watkins,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
owning  and  operating  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  section  29.  Griggsville  township, 
has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  since  1869. 
He  was  born  October  9,  1846,  in  Warner.  New 
Hampshire,  and  was  a  student  in  the  public 


MR.   AND  MRS.  J.   F.  WATK1NS 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


447 


schools  of  Merrimack  county,  that  state,  until 
thirteen  years  of  age.  His  parents,  George  and 
Abbie  C.  (Bean)  Watkins,  were  also  natives  of 
New  Hampshire,  the  former  born  November  4, 
1822,  and  the  latter  on  the  6th  of  August,  1824. 
The  father  was  educated  in  Wilmot  Academy 
in  his  native  state  and  also  in  Lowell,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  among  his  classmates  were  sev- 
eral students  who  afterward  gained  distinction, 
including  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Dr.  Sa- 
very  and  ex-Governor  Straw,  of  New  Hampshire. 

On  the  1 2th  of  January,  1842,  George  Wat- 
kins  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Abbie  C. 
Bean  and  they-  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil  - 
clren,  namely:  James,  who  was  born  March  29. 
1844,  and  is  now  farming  in  Kansas;  John  F., 
of  this  review ;  Mary  S.,  who  was  born  August 
31,  1848,  and  died  in  September,  1872;  Martha, 
who  was  born  August  30,  1850,  and  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1897;  Lizzie,  who  was  born  March  10, 
1856,  and  became  the  wife  of  Charles  H.  Tood, 
who  is  now  living  at  New  Richmond,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business ; 
Fred  O.,  who  was  born  August  3,  1862,  and  died 
.March  19,  1899 ;  and  George  A.,  who  was  born 
(ictolier  17,  1864,  and  died  September  5,  1896. 
The  members  of  this  family  were  all  born  in  New 
Hampshire  save  the  last  two,  who  were  natives 
of  Fredericktown,  Missouri. 

It  was  in  the  year  1858  that  the  parents  left 
their  old  home  in  Warner,  New  Hampshire,  and 
removed  to  Fredericktown,  where  they  remained 
for  about  five  years.  They  came  west  for  the 
purpose  of  living  in  a  milder  climate,  and  from 
Missouri  they  removed  to  Griggsville,  Illinois. 
where  they  spent  about  five  years  and  then  went 
to  Kansas,  locating  in  Jackson  county,  that  state. 
There  the  father  gave  his  attention  to  fanning 
and  stock-raising,  spending  his  remaining  days 
in  that  locality.  He  was  not  only  a  successful 
business  man  but  also  a  representative  and  hon- 
ored citizen  of  Kansas  and  for  two  or  three  terms 
served  in  the  state  legislature,  acting  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  house  at  the  time  that  John  St.  John 
was  governor.  He  was  also  county  commissioner 
and  town  clerk  while  living  in  New  Hampshire. 
Tie  held  membership  in  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  was  in  full  sympathy  with  its 


teachings  and  for  a  number  of  years  served  as 
noble  grand  in  the  local  lodge.  His  wife,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  was  chaplain 
of  her  lodge  for  twenty-five  years,  filling  the  po- 
s'ition  at  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred 
December  12,  1905,  while  she  was  visiting  her 
son  in  Pike  county.  She  was  very  active  and 
bright  for  one  of  her  age,  being  at  that  time  in 
her  eighty-first  year.  She  maintained  her  home 
in  Whiting,  Kansas,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  there.  Mr.  Watkins 
favored  that  church  and  gave  to  it  his  financial 
support.  In  early  life  he  was  a  democrat,  sup- 
porting the  principles  advocated  by  Jackson. 
During  the  period  of  hostilities  between  the  north 
and  the  south  he  was  what  is  known  as  a  war 
democrat  and  his  last  democratic  vote  was  cast 
for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Following  the  war  he 
became  a  republiqaj^  and  continued  to  support 
that  party  until  his  demise',  which  occurred  on  the 
9th  of  August"  ¥892:  ..^  ^ 

John  F.  Watkins,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  began  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  state,  and  when  thirteen  years  of 
age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Fredericktown,  Missouri,  and  on  the  I5th  of 
October,  1864,  arrived  in  Griggsville,  Pike  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  Here  he  began  working  for  E.  W. 
Baxter  at  the  butcher's  trade  and  after  a  year 
devoted  to  that  labor  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing, remaining  in  the  emplby  of  a  Pike  countv 
agriculturist  for  sixteen  months.  He  then  be- 
gan farming  on  his  own  account  on  land  belong- 
ing to  Isaac  Hatch,  and  in  1869  he  removed  to 
the  old  Greeno  place,  where  he  has  since  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-rais- 
ing. He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  land,  which  is  rich  and  arable,  and  he  raises 
here  shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs. 

On  the  3ist  of  December,  1868,  Mr.  Watkins 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Brown, 
the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  by  the 
Rev.  E.  E.  Carpenter  at  the  home  of  her  parents 
in  Griggsville  township.  Mrs.  Watkins  was  born 
June  1 6,  1850,  a  daughter  of  Henry  R.  and  Jane 
(Chapman)  Brown,  who  are  represented  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work  in  connection  with  the 
sketch  of  William  H.  Brown,  a  brother  of  Mrs. 


448 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Watkins.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  five  children.  George  H.,  the  eldest, 
was  born  July  30,  1869.  Abbie  J.,  born  Decem- 
ber u,  1870,  died  on  the  3d  of  April,  1876. 
Alice  L.,  born  February  19,  1872,'  was  married 
February  20,  1895,  to  J.  N.  Mitchell  and  died 
on  the  27th  of  October  of  the  same  year  while 
they  were  living  in  Missouri.  Mary  L.,  born 
December  22,  1873,  was  married  January  4,  1899, 
to  John  Craven,  a  farmer  now  residing  in  Griggs- 
ville  township.  Frank  W.,  born  April  9,  1876, 
died  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  May  17,  1892, 
while  traveling  there  in  the  hope  of  benefiting 
his  health.  He  was  gifted  with  superior  musical 
talent  and  engaged  in  teaching  that  art. 

Mr.  Watkins  votes  with  the  republican  party 
and  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  its  principles  and 
policy.  He  has  been  school  director  for  twenty- 
one  years,  has  been  road  overseer  for  nine  years 
and  road  commissioner  for  twelve  years,  and  his 
good  work  in  this  direction  is  seen  as  one  drives 
over  the  public  highways  in  Griggsville  town- 
ship. He  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has 
accomplished,  for  starting  out  in  life  without 
capital,  he  has  won  through  earnest  purpose  and 
unremitting  diligence  the  property  which  he  now 
owns  and  occupies  and  which  is  to  him  a  good 
source  of  income. 


CHARLES  LINCOLN  HOPKINS. 

Charles  Lincoln  Hopkins,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  New  Canton  Press,  was  born  near  Delavan, 
Illinois,  July  15,  1865,  ar|d  on  January  21,  1892, 
was  married  toMissKateBeatty,of  the  same  place. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  bright 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely : 
Guy  B.,  Charles  L.,  Stephen  F.  'and  Katharine  E. 

Having  acquired  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools,  Mr.  Hopkins  afterward  began 
learning  the  printer's  trade,  and  soon  became  a 
practical  printer,  having  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  business  in  all  of  its  departments.  He  has 
been  connected  with  newspaper  publication  since 
1891,  being  located  at  various  times  in  the  states 
of  Kansas,  Louisiana  and  Illinois.  In  September, 


1904,  he  established  the  New  Canton  Press  which 
he  has  since  edited  and  published,  making  it  a 
bright,  enterprising  journal,  which  has  a  good 
circulation  and  advertising  patronage.  He  has 
enjoyed  a  merited  success  in  the  "art  preserva- 
tive," and  uses  the  columns  of  his  paper  as  a 
source  of  advocacy  of  all  measures  which  he 
deems  will  prove  of  direct  and  immediate  service 
in  public  affairs. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Hopkins  is  a  Mason,  and  also 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  the 
Dramatic  Order  Knights  of  Korassan,  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp.  He  is  a  valuable  and 
useful  citizen  in  many  lines  of  endeavor  and  ac- 
tivity, and  is  a  musician  of  considerable  talent, 
whose  musical  knowledge  is  greatly  enjoyed  by 
the  public,  his  skill  in  this  direction  rendering 
him  a  favorite  in  musical  circles. 


ELI  POWELL. 

Eli  Powell  is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  Fairmount  township.  A  life  of  unflag- 
ging industry  has  been  crowned  with  success, 
and  now  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years  he  is 
numbered  among  the  venerable  and  respected  citi- 
zens of  Pike  county.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Smith  county,  Tennessee,  on  the  4th  of  October, 
1827,  his  parents  being  Charles  and  Nancy 
(Smith)  Powell,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
North  Carolina.  In  the  year  1828  they  came 
with  their  family  to  Illinois,  settling  first  in  Mor- 
gan county,  and  about  1834  they  removed  to 
Pike  county.  The  father  was  a  pioneer  settler 
of  this  state,  and  aided  in  the  early  development 
of  what  gave  promise  of  later  progress  and  ad- 
vancement. He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  this  state,  and  his  political  sup- 
port was  given  to  the  democracy.  In  his  family 
were  nine  children ;  but  with  the  exception  of  Eli 
Powell,  all  have  passed  away.  The  father's  death 
occurred  in  1852,  while  his  wife  departed  this 
life  in  1849. 

Eli  Powell  was  an  infant  when  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Illinois,  and  was  only  seven  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


449 


Pike  county.  Few  ad  vantages  were  to  be  enjoyed  in 
those  pioneer  days  ;  and  later  with  the  other  chil- 
dren of  the  neighborhood  he  attended  schools  which 
were  conducted  on  the  subscription  plan.  Although 
his  educational  privileges  were  somewhat  limited 
his  training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meagre,  and  he 
early  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
a  new  farm.  As  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
given  his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  however, 
he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  and  following  his 
marriage  he  followed  that  pursuit  and  also  farming. 
He  now  carries  on  general  farming,  and  has 
eighty  acres  in  the  homestead  property  in  Fair- 
mount  township. 

On  the  3ist  of  January,  1850,  Mr.  Powell  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Taylor,  who 
was  born  December  i,  1834,  in  a  log  cabin,  which 
had  been  built  by  her  father  in  this  county  when 
it  was  a  pioneer  district.  Her  parents  were  Nich- 
olas C.  and  Margaret  (Cradoc)  Taylor,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her  father 
died  in  1841,  at  the  comparatively  early  age  of 
thirty-four  years,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born 
in  1814,  died  in  1857.  He  came  to  Illinois  in 
1831,  settling  first  in  Morgan  county  but  subse- 
quently he  returned  to  Kentucky,  where  he  was 
married.  He  then  brought  his  wife  to  Illinois, 
making  the  journey  on  horseback,  and  located 
upon  a  farm  on  the  boundary  line  between  Perry 
and  Fairmount  townships.  He  entered  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  government  land  of  which 
eighty  acres  were  in  Fairmount  township,  and 
which  he  secured  through  a  soldier's  claim.  The 
remaining  eighty  acres  were  in  Perry  township. 
He  was  entitled  to  the  former  tract  by  reason  of 
his  service  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  At  one  time 
he  had  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  and 
aided  in  the  development  of  this  property,  show- 
ing a  thorough  understanding  of  agricultural 
methods.  As  a  pioneer  settler  he  aided  in  reclaim- 
ing a  wild  district  for  the  uses  of  civilization, 
and  moreover,  in  community  interests  he  mani- 
fested a  helpful  spirit  and  contributed  in  substan- 
tial measures  to  the  public  good.  He  was  asses- 
sor for  two  terms,  and  was  also  collector;  and 
in  his  political  views  was  a  democrat.  He  held 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


In  his  family  were  four  children,  but  only  two 
are  now  living,  Mrs.  Powell  and  Mary  A.  Taylor, 
who  was  engaged  in  the  millinery  business  in 
Pittsfield  for  several  years. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powell  have  been  born 
eight  children,  of  whom  four  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters are  yet  living:  George,  a  resident  of  Idaho; 
Elsie,  who  is  engaged  in  the  millinery  business 
in  Fish  Hook ;  Ermittie,  the  wife  of  John  Hobbs, 
who  is  living  in  Cass  county,  Missouri ;  James 
Albert,  who  married  Viola  Taylor  and  is  living 
in  Perry ;  Theodore,  who  married  Marietta  En- 
sley  and  resides  in  Fish  Hook;  and  Simon  T., 
who  married  Emma  Davis  and  lives  in  Fish 
Hook.  The  two  latter  are  familiarly  known  as 
the  Powell  Brothers.  They  are  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  and  have  built  up  a  large 
trade. 

Mr.  Powell  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  demo- 
cratic party,  and  he  has  been  a  subscriber  to  the 
Pike  County  Democrat  for  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury. He  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  of- 
fice, however,  and  he  has  never  served  on  a  jury. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
The  Powell  family  are  well  known,  and  the  fam- 
ily name  has  figured  in  connection  with  the  his- 
tory of  Pike  county  for  more  than  three  quar- 
ters of  a  century,  its  representatives  standing  as  a 
high  type  of  citizenship,  interested  in  the  move- 
ments and  measures  that  have  brought  about  the 
present  prosperity  and  conditions  of  advanced 
civilization  which  are  found  here  to-day.  Eli 
Powell  as  a  pioneer  of  1834  well  deserves  men- 
tion in  this  volume,  and  his  familiarity  with  the 
history  of  the  county  enables  him  to  relate  many 
interesting  incidents  concerning  the  early  days 
in  this  part  of  the  state. 


ALMON  C.  BANCROFT. 

Almon  C.  Bancroft,  whose  beautiful  home  is 
one  of  the  fine  residences  of  the  county,  is  classed 
to-day  with  the  substantial  citizens,  having  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  bottom  land.  His 
success  is  creditable  and  his  business  ability  un- 


450 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


mistakable.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  May 
8,  1860,  and  is  a  son  of  Harvey  and  Lydia 
(Gaines)  Bancroft,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  old  Bay  state.  In  1864  the  father  came  with 
his  family  to  Pike  county,  locating  on  the  river 
bottom  south  of  Kinderhook,  where  he  carried  on 
farming  on  a  small  scale.  He  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  he  is  affili- 
ated with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  while  his  po- 
litical faith  was  indicated  by  the  support  which 
he  gave  to  the  republican  party.  His  wife  died  in 
1873  and  he  afterward  married  Amelia  Mays. 
His  death  occurred  in  1892 ;  and  his  second  wife 
is  now  living  near  Kinderhook.  There  were  born 
of  the  first  marriage  five  sons,  namely  :  Almon  C. ; 
George,  who  is  living '  in  Leadville,  Colorado; 
Lester,  who  resides  in  Canon  City.  Colorado ; 
Charles,  who  makes  his  home  in  Trinidad,  that 
state ;  and  Lewis,  who  is  likewise  living  in 
Colorado. 

Almon  C.  Bancroft  was  a  public-school  stu- 
dent in  Pike  county  between  the  ages  of  six  and 
thirteen  years.  He  then  left  home  and  went  to 
live  with  Timothy  Colvin,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  started 
out  upon  an  independent  business  career.  He 
spent  one  summer  in  the  west  on  a  cattle  range 
in  New  Mexico  and  Texas,  being  at  that  time 
only  nineteen  years  of  age.  After  leaving  Mr. 
Colvin  he  worked  by  the  month  for  one  season 
on  the  farm,  and  then  went  to  work  on  the  rail- 
road with  a  bridge  gang,  being  thus  employed  for 
a  year  and  a  half.  He  was  afterward  employed 
by  the  month  for  some  time  for  about  two  years, 
when  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
making  his  first  purchase  of  land  when  thirty- 
four  years  of  age.  He  thus  became  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  nineteen  acres  on  the  river  bot- 
tom, which  constitutes  the  nucleus  of  his  present 
extensive  possessions,  for  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  he  has  placed  his  money  in  the  safest  of  all 
investments — real  estate — until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  very  valuable  land, 
most  of  which  is  bottom  land,  and  is  very  rich 
and  productive.  The  farm  is  well  improved  and 
well  fenced,  and  in  its  midst  stands  a  beautiful 
two-story  residence  about  thirty-two  feet  square. 
It  is  surrounded  by  a  well-kept  lawn;  and  the 


house  is  one  of  the  best  in  this  part  of  the  county- 
Mr.  Bancroft  gives  his  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  fields  and  also  raises  some  stock,  and  in 
his  work  his  indefatigable  energy  and  honorable 
purpose  stand  as  strong  and  resultant  elements. 

In  1882  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ban- 
croft and  Miss  Delia  Lewton,  who  was  born  in 
Pike  county  in  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Christina  (Decker)  Lewton.  The  father's 
birth  occurred  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  he 
was  a  son  of  Daniel  Lewton,  who  came  here  from 
Pennsylvania,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers.  The  mother  was  also  born  in  this 
county,  her  parents  located  in  pioneer  days,  hav- 
ing removed  to  this  state  from  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bancroft  now  have  two  sons :  Harry, 
born  April  17,  1890;  and  Lewis,  born  January 
20,  1892. 

Mr.  Bancroft  is  a  member  of  Kinderhook 
lodge,  No.  353,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  of  Barry 
chapter,  No.  88,  R.  A.  M.  He  likewise  belongs 
to  Kinderhook  lodge,  No.  757,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in 
which  he  has  passed  all  of  the  chairs,  and  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  Kin- 
derhook, and  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Associa- 
tion, while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Eastern  Star. 
Both  are  devoted  Christian  people,  holding  mem- 
bership in  the  Baptist  church,  in  the  work  of 
which  they  take  an  active  and  helpful  part.  Mr. 
Bancroft  is  a  democrat,  but  without  aspiration 
for  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  en- 
ergies to  his  business  affairs.  He  has  been  de- 
pendent upon  no  outside  aid  or  influence,  but  has 
placed  his  faith  in  the  sure  and  dependable  quali- 
ties of  close  application  and  unfaltering  diligence, 
and  his  life  exemplifies  the  term,  dignity  of 
labor,  and  shows  forth  the  sure  rewards  of  per- 
sistent, honorable  effort. 


CHARLES  G.  WINN. 

Charles  G.  Winn  is  numbered  among  the  na- 
tive sons  of  Griggsville  township  and  throughout 
his  entire  life  has  displayed  the  enterprising 
spirit  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  middle  west.  He  is  extensively 


C.   G.   WINN 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


453 


engaged  in  buying  and  feeding  cattle  and  hogs 
and  also  in  the  production  and  shipment  of  apples, 
having  one  of  the  finest  orchards  in  this  part  of 
Illinois.  His  natal  day  was  December  n,  1847, 
his  parents  being  James  and  Hannah  (Converse) 
Winn,  the  former  born  in  Belmont,  Massachu- 
setts, in  January,  1808,  and  the  latter  in  Win- 
chester, Massachusetts,  in  1811.  Mr.  Winn  was 
educated  in  Boston  and  in  his  youth  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  grocery  man.  Attracted  by  the  oppor- 
tunities offered  by  the  new  and  growing  west, 
he  came  to  Illinois  in  1833  and  took  up  govern- 
ment land,  forty  acres  of  which  has  never  been 
held  except  by  one  who  has  borne  the  name  of 
Winn.  Later  he  purchased  more  land,  built  a 
home  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  engaged 
in  the  meat  business  on  his  farm,  buying  and 
packing  pork,  which  he  shipped  to  Boston  by  way 
of  New  Orleans.  He  had  a  partner  living  in 
Chelsea,  Massachusetts,  who  attended  to  the  sale 
in  the  east.  In  1836,  Hannah  Converse  came 
to  Griggsville  Landing,  making  the  trip  across 
the  country  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  thence 
by  way  of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois 
rivers  to  Griggsville  Landing.  Here  she  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  James  Winn.  There 
were  only  a  few  houses  in  Griggsville  at  that  time 
and  the  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life 
in  one  of  these.  Mr.  Winn  continued  packing 
pork  in  the  winter  months  and  in  farming  in  the 
summer  seasons  and  at  one  time  was  the  owner 
of  eight  hundred  acres  of  land  but  sold  much  of 
this  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  his  landed  pos- 
sessions comprised  but  three  hundred  acres.  He 
acted  as  supervisor  for  many  years,  filling  the 
position  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  and  to  the 
republican  party  he  gave  stalwart  and  unfalter- 
ing support.  Both  he  and  his  wife  held  member- 
ship in  the  Congregational  church.  In  their 
family  were  nine  children,  if  whom  seven  are  now 
living:  Jennie,  Louise,  James,  Hattie,  Charles 
G.,  Abbie  and  Elizabeth.  The  father  died  in  Jan- 
uary, 1861,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years,  while 
the  mother  passed  away  in  1888,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

Charles  G.  Winn  was  reared  to  the  occupation 
of  farming  and  in  the  public  schools  acquired  his 
.elementary  education,  while  later  he  attended  the 
23 


Jacksonville  Business  College.  When  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority  he  began  farming  on  his  own 
account  and  he  has  also  been  engaged  in  buying 
and  feeding  cattle  and  hogs  for  thirty-six  years, 
being  one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  this 
line  of  business  in  the  county.  He  ships  his 
stock  to  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  markets,  where 
he  finds  a  ready  sale.  He  has  also  one  of  the 
finest  orchards  of  the  state,  containing  about  five 
thousand  bearing  apple  trees.  He  sold  from  ten 
acres  in  1891  fruit  to  the  value  of  thirty  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  dollars.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  has  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  apples,  pack- 
ing and  selling  in  the  Chicago  market,  also  in 
Peoria  and  in  St.  Louis  and  the  fact  that  fruit 
is  shipped  from  his  orchards  is  a  guarantee  of 
its  excellent  quality. and  value.  Mr.  Winn  was 
one  o£  t^eifour'm-the  state  of  Illinois  who  was 
awarded  a  gold'  friedal  "an.  his  apples  at  the  Paris 
exposition,  and  was  the  only  Pike  county  ex- 
hibitor to  receive  a  silver  medal  at  the  Louisiana 
Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1896,  Mr.  Winn  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lura  Dimmitt,  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Elsie  (Flinn)  Dimmitt.  Her  father, 
who  was  born  in  Griggsville  in  1852,  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  and  in  1870  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Flinn,  whose  birth  occurred  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  in  1851.  He  had  acquired  a  pub- 
lic-school education,  and  he  lived  at  home  until  the 
time  of  his  marriage,  when  he  began  farming  for 
himself,  settling  in  Griggsville  township.  He 
removed  to  Scott  county  in  March,  1905,  and  is 
now  living  there  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  In  his  family  were  nine  children,  of 
whom  eight  are  yet  living:  Bertha ; Lura, who  was 
born  November  13,  1873  ;  Nelson ;  Gordon ; 
Grace;  Roy;  Helen;  and  Byron.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Winn  have  one  daughter,  Helen  Elsie,  born  Jan- 
uary 14,  1899.  In  1903  Mr.  Winn  purchased 
the  old  homestead  of  Robert  Seaborn,  one  of  the 
fine  brick  houses  of  Griggsville.  Although  built 
in  1855,  it  is  still  in  splendid  condition  and  is 
one  of  the  attractive  residences  of  the  city.  Here 
he  and  his  family  are  now  residing  and  they 
have  many  warm  friends  in  the  town  and  through- 
out the  county.  Mr.  Winn  belongs  to  Griggs- 


454 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE  COUNTY. 


ville  lodge,  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he 
became  a  member  in  1872  and  he  likewise  holds 
membership  in  Perry  chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Mutual  Protective  League  and 
the  Pike  County  Mutual  Insurance  Company.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church,  while 
his  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  in  politics  he  is  a  stanch  republican. 
Mr.  Winn  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Pike  county 
and  the  fact  that  many  of  his  stanchest  friends 
are  those  who  have  known  him  from  his  boy- 
hood days  to  the  present  is  an  indication  that  he 
has  lived  an  upright,  honorable  life,  never  taking 
advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his  fellowmen  in 
business  transactions,  while  in  his  social  relations 
he  has  displayed  courtesy  and  consideration  for 
others  that  win  genuine  personal  regard. 


THOMAS  MANTON. 

Thomas  Manton,  for  many  years  a  resident  of 
Pike  county,  where  his  business  integrity  has 
never  been  called  into  question  and  where  his  suc- 
cess has  been  most  worthily  won,  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  England,  on  the  i6th  of  April,  1844, 
his  parents  being  James  and  Charlotte  (Ham- 
merton)  Manton,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives 
of  Lincolnshire.  The  father  was  born  January  I, 
1813,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Febru- 
ary, 1817.  In  the  year  1854  Mr.  Manton  came  to 
this  country  with  his  wife  and  children,  sailing 
from  Liverpool  to  New  York  city,  the  voyage 
consuming  thirty-three  days,  for  they  encountered 
severe  weather  and  rough  seas.  From  New  York 
they  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Hudson  river  to 
Albany,  thence  by  rail  to  Buffalo  and  on  by  way 
of  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chicago.  From  that  point 
they  journeyed  by  canal  to  LaSalle  and  by  boat 
down  the  Illinois  river  to  Griggsville  Landing. 
Mr.  Manton  worked  the  first  year  for  Joe  Stone, 
securing  employment  the  second  day  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Pike  county.  He  operated  the  old  Hazel- 
wood  farm  for  two  years,  and  subsequently  leased 
and  cultivated  the  Thomas  Simpkins  farm  for 
three  years.  He  then  removed  to  Dutton  Sta- 
tion, renting  land  from  Dr.  Wellington,  and  for 


six  years  he  remained  upon  that  place.  He  was 
extensively  engaged  in  raising  wheat,  and  in  the 
'6os  raised  forty-six  hundred  bushels  on  the  Dut- 
ton place.  He  removed  from  that  place  to  a  farm 
on  section  5,  Griggsville  township,  where  he  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  seven  acres  of  land, 
while  later  he  bought  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
known  as  the  Judd  Kendall  farm.  He  afterward 
purchased  one  hundred  and  six  acres  south  of 
this,  a  part  of  which  was  the  John  Hoss  farm, 
and  his  next  purchase  made  him  owner  of  forty 
acres  which  he  secured  from  the  Carnes  place. 
He  afterward  bought  the  old  Charles  Williams 
place,  in  Pittsfield-  township,  and  there  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  making  his  home  thereon  for 
about  twenty-six  or  twenty-seven  years.  In  1878 
he  raised  over  four  thousand  bushels  of  wheat; 
and  he  sold  wheat  as  high  as  two  dollars  and  a 
half  a  bushel.  He  was  a  most  energetic  and  prac- 
tical farmer,  and  the  success  he  enjoyed  was  at- 
tributable entirely  to  his  own  labors.  He  never 
cared  for  nor  sought  public  office,  but  gave  his 
political  allegiance  to  the  democracy ;  and  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  he  held  his  mem- 
bership. He  died  October  31,  1904,  while  his 
wife  is  now  living  in  Pittsfield  in  her  eighty- 
seventh  years.  In  their  family  were  thirteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  six  are  now  living :  George ; 
James  B. ;  Marie;  Lizzie,  the  widow  of  Lewis 
Whitney ;  Francis  ;  and  Thomas. 

The  last  named  was  only  ten  years  of  age 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  America,  and  in 
boyhood  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  Pike 
county.  In  his  youth  he  remained  with  his  par- 
ents, and  after  attaining  his  majority  he  con- 
tinued to  live  with  them,  helping  his  father  in  the 
acquirement  of  his  property  and  caring  for  him 
in  his  later  years.  He  was  connected  with  the 
work  of  operating  a  threshing  machine  for  thirty- 
six  years,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  men  in  this 
business  in  the  county.  In  early  days  they  had 
to  haul  the  machine  with  horses  from  place  to 
place,  and  the  machine  had  to  be  lifted  on  and 
off  the  wagons  every  time  it  was  set  up.  They 
had  an  eight-horse-power  machine  which  did  the 
threshing  in  Hardin,  Detroit,  Pittsfield  and 
Griggsville  townships,  and  they  worked  from 
daylight  until  dark.  Later  on  in  1885  Mr.  Man- 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  PIKE  COUNTY. 


455 


ton  bought  a  steam  boiler,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1886  traded  this  for  a  traction  machine.  In  1890, 
however,  he  sold  out  and  put  aside  the  active 
work  of  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  had 
formerly  made  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  cattle 
and  hogs,  and  his  business  brought  to  him  a  fair 
measure  of  success.  His  life  has  indeed  been  an 
active  and  useful  one,  characterized  by  unfalter- 
ing diligence.  He  belongs  to  Pike  lodge,  No. 
73,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  became  a  member 
in  1874.  He  rather  favors  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  but  has  contributed  to  the  support  of 
all  denominations.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat, 
but  without  political  aspiration,  having  always 
preferred  to  give  his  time  and  energies  to  his 
business  interests,  and  in  the  practical  manage- 
ment of  his  farm  work  and  threshing  he  has 
found  a  good  source  of  income. 


SAM  GRAMMER. 

Sam  Grammer,  president  of  the  Farmers'  Bank 
of  Baylis,  whose  life  has  been  actuated  by  the 
spirit  of  definite  and  immediate  service  in  public 
affairs,  is  a  native  of  Adams  county,  Illinois,  born 
on  the  1 8th  of  December,  1860.  He  is  a  son  of 
George  W.  and  Experience  (Cutter)  Grammer. 
The  father  was  born  in  Woburn,  Massachusetts, 
July  4,  1825,  and  was  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  families  of  New  England  founded  in 
America  in  early  colonial  days.  Joseph  Gram- 
mer. the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
a  sea-faring  man,  and  fought  for  the  indepen- 
dence of  the  colonies  in  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. Seth  Grammer,  the  grandfather,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  old  Bay  state,  born  in  1797,  and  took 
part  in  the  war  of  1812,  manifesting  the  same  mil- 
itary spirit  that  prompted  his  father's  loyal  serv- 
ice in  the  preceeding  war  with  England.  He  came 
to  Pike  county  at  a  very  early  day,  when  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and 
located  011  section  2,  Hadley  township,  where  he 
built  a  log  cabin  for  the  shelter  of  his  family. 
It  was  a  primitive  home,  with  scanty  furnishings 
and  few  comforts  or  conveniences ;  but  it  sheltered 
stout  hearts  and  willing  hands,  ?nd  the  work  of 


cultivation  and  development  was  steadily  carried 
forward  by  Mr.  Grammer,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  sons.  He  cleared  his  place  of  the  native  tim- 
ber with  which  it  was  covered,  built  the  mill  and 
was  actively  engaged  in  pioneer  labors  that  re- 
sulted in  the  development  and  improvement  of 
the  county,  and  that  served  as  the  foundation 
upon  which  has  been  reared  the  superstructure 
of  its  present  prosperity  and  progress.  His  death 
in  1858  proved  a  serious  loss  to  the  community, 
for  he  had  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to  its 
advancement.  His  life  was  indeed  one  of  serv- 
ice ;  and  his  personal  traits  of  character  were  such 
as  endeared  him  to  his  fellow  townsmen,  and  won 
him  a  warm  place  in  the  affections  of  those  with 
whom  he  was  associated.  He  had  been  married 
in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  1811,  to  Miss  Lydia 
Marshall,  a  native  of  the  old  Bay  state,  in  which 
she  was  reared  to  womanhood.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Marshall,  who  was  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  was  also  one  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

George  W.  Grammer,  son  of  Seth  and  Lydia 
(Marshall)  Grammer,  spent  the  first  fifteen  years 
of  his  life  in  New  England,  and  then  came  with 
his  parents  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1840.  He 
lived  here  for  ten  years,  after  which  he  removed 
to  Adams  county,  where  he  resided  for  a  long 
period.  Eventually,  however,  he  returned  to  this 
county,  establishing  his  home  in  Baylis,  where 
he  died  in  1886.  He  owned  land  in  the  county 
from  the  time  he  first  came  to  Illinois  until  his 
demise,  and  was  an  energetic  farmer  of  good  busi- 
ness ability,  whose  well  directed  efforts  proved 
the  basis  of  gratifying  success.  He  married  Miss 
Experience  Cutter,  who  was  born  in  Woodbridge, 
New  Jersey,  in  May,  1827,  and  died  in  1900.  In 
the  family  were  four  children,  three  of  whom  are 
now  living,  namely :  Sam ;  Webber,  a  resident 
of  Baylis;  and  Mrs.  Exie  Huff,  of  Abilene,  Kan- 
sas. William  Grammer.  of  Pike  county,  is  an 
uncle  of  our  subject. 

In  the  public  schools  of  the  county  Sam  Gram- 
mer mastered  the  branches  of  learning  received 
through  public  instruction  and  resided  upon  farms 
in  either  Adams  or  Pike  counties  until  May, 
1904,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  village  of 
Baylis,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  his  farm 


456 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


work  he  manifested  a  practical,  enterprising 
spirit,  following  modern  methods  in  the  care  of 
his  fields  and  his  stock,  and  improved  his  place 
with  all  the  equipments  found  upon  a  model 
farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  In  May,  1905, 
when  the  Bank  of  Baylis  changed  hands  and  be- 
came the  Fanners  Bank  he  was  chosen  its  presi- 
dent, and  is  now  at  the  head  of  this  institution, 
which  is  a  strong  financial  concern,  conducting  a 
general  banking  business,  and  having  behind  it 
stockholders  of  well  known  financial  strength  and 
good  business  and  executive  force.  He  also  owns 
two  hundred  acres  of  fine  land  located  about  two 
miles  northwest  of  the  village,  lying  partly  in 
Adams  and  partly  in  Pike  county. 

Mr.  Grammer  was  married  in  1884  to  Emily 
Powell,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county  in  i8sg, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Mc- 
Cleary)  Powell,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  and  owned  about  eight 
hundred  acres  of  land.  His  business  affairs  were 
sucessfully  managed,  and  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  on  an  extensive  scale.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Grammer  have  become  the  parents  of  two 
sons,  Earl  and  Eugene.  The  family  residence  is 
attractive  by  reason  of  its  warm-hearted  hospital- 
ity as  well  as  from  the  fact  that  it  is  a  modern 
home  in  the  midst  of  tasteful  surroundings.  Mr. 
Grammer  votes  with  the  democracy  and  has  been 
called  to  local  offices,  serving  as  assessor  in  Bev- 
erly township,  Adams  county,  and  also  in  Hadley 
township,  Pike  county.  He  belongs  to  Baylis 
lodge,  No.  834,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Public  opinion  is 
undivided  concerning  his  business  qualifications 
and  his  reliability,  and  his  position  in  public  re- 
gard is  one  among  the  foremost  of  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  the  county. 


S.   HIRSHEIMER,   SR. 

S.  Hirsheimer,  the  oldest  merchant  in  years  of 
continuous  business  in  Pike  county  and  still  ac- 
tively connected  with  commercial  interests  in 
Pittsfield.  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany.  Au- 
gust 12,  1825.  He  spent  the  years  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  native  land  and  in  1848. 


when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  came  to  Amer- 
ica. The  vessel  in  which  he  took  passage  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  and  from  that 
city  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  entered  upon  his  business  ca- 
reer in  the  new  world  as  a  peddler.  He  had  goods 
to  the  value  of  about  seventy-five  or  one  hun- 
dred dollars  and  an  old  horse  and  wagon  and 
thus  equipped  he  began  peddling  through  the 
country,  being  thus  engaged  for  four  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  the  little 
town  of  Fayetteville,  Brown  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  opened  a  store  with  a  small  stock  and  contin- 
ued its  conduct  for  four  years,  but  thinking  that 
he  might  have  a  still  better  field  of  labor  it:  Illi- 
nois he  came  to  Pittsfield  in  1856  and  opened  a 
small  store  in  a  little  room  twenty  by  thirty  feet, 
carrying  an  exclusive  stock  of  clothing.  There 
lie  continued  in  business  until  1880,  when  the 
store  was  'destroyed  by  fire  and  he  erected  his 
present  business  block.  In  1858  C.  P.  Chapman. 
also  a  dry  goods  merchant  of  Pittsfield,  gave  Mr. 
Hirsheimer  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  Young 
Brothers,  of  St.  Louis,  that  enabled  him  to  'pro- 
cure goods  to  any  amount  on  credit.  This  was 
before  the  advent  of  railroads  into  Pittsfield  and 
the  goods  were  shipped  by  water  to  Florence  and 
thence  across  the  country  to  this  city.  Mr.  Chap- 
man did  everything  he  could  to  assist  Mr.  Hir- 
sheimer in  the  establishment  and  successful  con- 
duct of  the  business,  although  he  himself  was  in 
the  same  line  of  trade,  and  Mr.  Hirsheimer  gladly 
acknowledges  his  indebtedness  for  the  aid  ren- 
dered. As  the  years  have  passed  by  his  business 
has  constantly  increased,  owing  to  his  capable 
management  and  well  directed  labors,  until  he 
is  now  handling  a  fine  line  of  dry  'goods,  clothing 
and  carpets,  occupying  two  floors.  He  had  to 
borrow  the  money  of  Colonel  D.  D.  Hicks  with 
which  to  pay  the  freight  on  the  first  goods  he 
bought  after  coming  to  Pittsfield.  Soon  all  his 
financial  obligations  were  discharged,  however. 
and  he  has  ever  been  found  faithful  in  keeping  a 
business  engagement  reliable  in  his  transactions 
and  trustworthy  in  all  his  dealings  so  that  his  busi- 
ness lias  constantly  grown,  bringing  to  him  the 
splendid  success  that  has  made  him  one  of  the 
wealthy  residents  of  his  adopted  city. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


457 


In  1852  Mr.  Hirsheimer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mena  Eppenger,  of  Cincinnati. 
They  have  seven  children:  Den,  the  eldest,  has 
been  associated  with  his  father  as  a  partner  since 
1870  and  the  firm  has  had  a  very  prosperous  ex- 
istence. Ben  Hirsheimer  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and  all 
of  the  fraternal  insurance  companies.  Lena,  the 
eldest  daughter,  became  the  wife  of  Hyman 
Brunswick,  of  St.  Louis,  engaged  in  manufacture 
of  billiard  tables.  He  now  lives  in  this  city.  Sam 
is  in  the  shoe  business  in  Pittsfield,  having  rented 
a  building  in  1875  and  opened  an  exclusive  shoe 
store,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  has 
control  of  the  office  connected  with  his  own  es- 
tablishment, also  his  father's  store.  He  has  never 
married  but  has  always  lived  at  home  and  now 
takes  life  easy,  having  acquired  a  handsome  com- 
petence. Louis  D.  Hirsheimer,  born  in  1858,  is 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  cigar  and  tobacco  busi- 
ness, embarking  in  this  line  of  business  in  1873 
as  a  retail  cigar  dealer  on  a  small  scale.  Through 
his  ability  and  strict  attention  to  business  he  has 
developed  a.  large  trade  until  his  firm  now  have 
an  extensive  wholesale  business  in  the  states  of 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Missouri.  He  began  a  jobbing 
business  in  Pike  county  in  1878  and  the  follow- 
ing year  extended  his  efforts  to  other  cities  and 
their  business  has  steadily  increased  until  it  has 
now  reached  very  extensive  and  profitable  pro- 
portions and  they  employ  a  large  number  of  men, 
being  leading  tobacco  dealers  of  the  country.  In 
his  early  youth  L.  D.  Hirsheimer  was  a  newsboy 
on  the  streets,  of  Pittsfield  and  it  was  the  accumu- 
lations of  his  earnings  at  selling  papers  that  en- 
abled him  to  start  his  retail  cigar  store.  In  1878 
he  admitted  his  brother,  C.  M.  Hirsheimer.  to  a 
partnership,  while  in  1888  another  brother,  I.  G. 
Hirsheimer,  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  and 
now  the  firm  is  Louis  D.  Hirsheimer  &  Brothers. 
At  the  present  time  these  brothers  largely  con- 
duct the  cigar  and  tobacco  business,  while  Louis 
D.  Hirsheimer  gives  his  attention  in  greater  meas- 
ure to  outside  business  affairs.  He  has  made  a 
notable  record  as  a  successful  man  through  the 
improvement  of  his  opportunities,  his  watchful- 
ness of  the  trade  and  his  progressive  methods 


which  have  been  the  salient  features  in  a  business 
which  is  as  creditable  as  it  is  gratifying.  He  was 
married  in  1889  to  Miss  Hannah  Meyer,  of 
Springfield,  Illinois,  a  beautiful  and  popular  lady, 
who  died  in  1891.  In  community  affairs  he  has 
taken  a  very  active  and  helpful  interest,  was  town 
clerk  of  Pittsfield  for  eight  years  and  city  treas- 
urer for  six  years.  In  1896  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  state  board  of  equalization  and  is 
now  serving  for  his  third  term.  He  is  also  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pitts- 
field  and  has  been  a  most  important  factor  in 
business  and  political  circles,  leaving  the  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  the  public  life  of  the 
city  and  its  advancement  along  various  progres- 
sive lines.  C.  M.  and  I.  G.  Hirsheimer,  the  next 
members  of  the  family  are,  as  before  stated,  con- 
nected with  their  brother  in  the  cigar  and  to- 
bacco trade,  practically  having  charge  of  the  con- 
duct of  their  extensive  house.  Ida  is  the  wife  of 
A.  L.  Stone,  one  of  the  large  wholesale  jewelry 
merchants  of  the  west,  doing  business  in  Chicago, 
and  they  have  one  son,  Irving  Stanley  Stone,  who 
is  an  exceptionally  bright  boy  ten  years  old,  and 
is  a  special  favorite  with  the  Hirsheimer  family. 
He  is  a  natural  student,  greatly  interested  in  all 
things  pertaining  to  electricity  and  railroads. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Sam  Hirsheimer,  Sr., 
the  father,  is  a  stalwart  democrat  but  has  never 
had  aspiration  for  office.  In  1850  he  joined  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Fayette- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  now  belongs  to  Pittsfield  lodge, 
Xo.  95,  being  today  the  oldest  Odd  Fellow  in 
Pike  county,  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state. 
In  1901  the  lodge  of  Pittsfield  presented  him  with 
a  cane  in  appreciation  of  his  fidelity  to  the  order 
through  the  long  years  of  his  connection  there- 
with and  his  capability  as  an  officer,  for  he  has 
filled  all  of  the  chairs  in  the  lodge.  He  has  also 
been  a  member  of  the  Bna  Bris  lodge,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  since  1850,  a  Jewish  organization, 
with  which  he  is  still  in  good  standing.  He  holds 
membership  in  the  Jewish  temple  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  during  the  holiday  seasons  he  acts 
as  minister  here,  there  being  no  regularly  organ- 
ized church  of  the  faith  in  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Hir- 
sheimer was  the  first  depositor  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Pittsfield  and  is  now  one  of  its 


458 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


stockholders.  He  and  his  wife  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding  anniversary  in  April,  1902,  and 
both  are  still  enjoying  good  health.  He  and  his 
sons  own  twenty-five  residences  and  business 
blocks  in  Pittsfield  beside  much  valuable  farming 
property  in  the  county,  and  the  family  is  one  of 
great  prominence,  having  contributed  in  large 
measure  to  the  substantial  upbuilding,  business 
development  and  material  progress  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Hirsheimer,  now  at  the  age  of  eighty  years, 
has  had  a  remarkable  record  for  success,  coming 
to  this  country  with  very  limited  capital  but  im- 
proving his  opportunities  and  utilizing  his  advan- 
tages as  the  years  have  gone  by.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  venerable  citizens  of  Pittsfield,  and  in- 
deed is  the  oldest  merchant  here  or  in  Pike 
county.  His  career  merits  praise  and  admiration 
and  should  inspire  others  with  a  sense  of  the  true 
worth  and  value  of  character  and  indefatigable 
energy  as  a  moving  force  in  business  life. 


JOHN  A.  HARBOURN. 

John  A.  Harbourn  has  been  active  in  promoting 
various  interests  that  have  proven  of  value  in 
business,  social  and  moral  development  of  Pike 
county  and  as  a  representative  citizen  well  de- 
serves mention  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in 
London,  Canada,  October  27,  1844,  a  son  of  Jef- 
frey and  Bridget  (Carney)  Harbourn,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Dublin,  Ireland.  They 
came  to  America  on  the  same  sailing  vessel  from 
Liverpool,  England,  reaching  New  York  city 
in  1842.  The  voyage  consumed  six  weeks,  and 
from  the  eastern  metropolis  they  made  their  way 
to  London,  Canada,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Har- 
bourn were  married  in  1842.  They  remained 
residents  of  that  country  until  1867,  and  the  fa- 
ther worked  at  the  trade  of  cabinetmaking.  He 
was  also  a  contractor  and  bridge  builder,  and  built 
many  bridges  in  the  Dominion.  In  1867  he  re- 
moved from  Canada  to  Brookfield,  Missouri, 
where  he  conducted  a  hotel  for  about  two  years, 
and  then  sold  out,  after  which  he  went  to  Linn 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  turned  his  attention 
to  farming,  owning  at  one  time  two  hundred  and 


forty  acres  of  land.  He  first  purchased  eighty 
acres  from  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad 
Company,  now  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company.  The  tract  was  at  that  time 
wild  prairie,  and  he  and  his  family  were  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  locality.  He  at  once  began  the 
improvement  and  development  of  the  property, 
and  in  •  the  course  of  time  transformed  it  into 
productive  fields.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  church ;  and  was  an  Orangeman- 
while  living  in  Canada.  In  politics  he  was  a 
democrat  until  1864,  when  he  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  republican  party,  of  which  he  continued 
a  supporter  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  His 
death  occurred  in  Unionville,  Missouri,  in  1898, 
when  he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
three  years,  while  his  wife  died  in  Jacksonville, 
Illinois,  in  1902,  when  she  was  seventy-six  years 
of  age.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing, namely:  John  A.;  Mary  Ann,  the  wife  of 
Edward  Cunningham,  of  Missouri ;  Phebe,  the 
wife  of  Albert  Sharp,  a  resident  of  Hiawatha, 
Kansas;  and  James, who  is  married  and  lives  upon 
the  old  homestead. 

John  A.  Harbourn  attended  school  but  three 
months  in  Canada  and  is  therefore  a  self-educated 
man.  He  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  left 
Canada,  and  went  to  Lexington,  Michigan,  where 
he  was  employed  in  the  salt  works,  and  also  in 
a  lumberyard  and  at  carpentering,  his  time  being 
thus  occupied  until  September,  1862,  when  in  re- 
sponse to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country,  he  vol- 
unteered as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Sixth 
Michigan  Cavalry.  He  served  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  under  Generals  Custer,  Kilpatrick 
and  Sheridan.;  and  he  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
the  Wilderness,  Antietam,  Chancellorsville,  Pitts- 
burg,  Fredericksburg,  the  second  battle  of  Win- 
chester, Falling  Water,  the  raid  to  Richmond  and 
many  skirmishes.  He  was  ill  with  typhoid  fever 
at  City  Point,  and  was  sent  to  the  field  hospital, 
after  which  he  was  taken  to  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
and  subsequently  to  Little  York,  Pennsylvania. 
Later  he  was  transferred  to  Fort  Schuyler,  New 
York,  on  the  Hudson  river,  where  he  lay  ill  in 
the  hospital  for  some  time,  after  which  he  re- 
joined his  regiment  at  Harper's  Ferry.  His  com- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


459 


mand  was  in  pursuit  of  General  Johnston,  who, 
however,  surrendered  before  the  regiment  reached 
him  and  the  Sixth  Michigan  was  then  recalled 
to  Washington,  D.  C..  where  Mr.  Harbourn  par- 
ticipated in  the  grand  review,  the  most  celebrated 
military  pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hemi- 
sphere. Later  the  Sixth  Michigan  was  sent  to 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  was  there  dis- 
charged on  the  5th  of  July,  1865. 

Mr.  Harbourn  became  a  resident  of  Pike 
county  in  1866.  He  has  been  engaged  in  contract- 
ing, in  levee  work,  has  followed  farming  and  has 
been  an  officer  for  the  state  in  the  game  and  fish 
department.  He  is  one  of  the  best  wheat  raisers 
in  the  county,  and  has  twenty  acres  of  land  on 
which  he  has  raised  fifty-one  bushels  and  one 
peck  to  the  acre.  For  thirty  years  he  has  rented 
the  D.  M.  Morris  farm,  consisting  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  but  has  never  had  any  writ- 
ten contract  in  all  this  time,  a  fact  which  shows 
his  thorough  reliability  in  business  matters.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  farming  six  hundred  acres 
of  land,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  and  enterprising 
agriculturists  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Harbourn  was  married,  July  4,  1867,  to 
Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Burkes,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Sarah  Burkes,  the  former  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Har- 
bourn were  married  in  Buchanan,  Missouri.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Indiana,  November  8,  1848,  and 
when  but  an  infant  was  brought  to  Morgan 
county,  Illinois,  and  at  the  age  of  seven  years 
removed  to  Missouri.  By  this  marriage  there  are 
eleven  children:  Louise  E.,  Mary  E.,  Alice  R., 
Lydia  S.,  George  F.,  Jessie  D.,  John  H.,  Asa  D., 
Benjamin  Harrison,  Amos  and  Bertha. 

In  politics  Mr.  Harbourn  is  a  stalwart  repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  school  director,  school 
trustee,  constable  and  census  enumerator  in  1890 
and  1900.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  state  repub- 
lican convention  at  Springfield  in  1904,  casting 
seventy-eight  votes  for  Yates  and  one  for  De- 
neen ;  also  a  delegate  to  the  congressional  conven- 
tion at  Jerseyville,  and  the  senatorial  convention 
at  Pittsfield  the  same  year.  He  belongs  to  the 
Kinderhook  lodge,  No.  353,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  junior  deacon  and  junior 


warden,  and  he  his  likewise  been  a  delegate  to  the 
state  grand  lodge,  attending  the  meeting  in  Chi- 
cago in  1902.  He  affiliates  with  Kinderhook 
lodge,  No.  757,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  a  past 
noble  grand.  Both  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  in  which  he  has  been 
worthy  patron;  and  they  are  identified  with  the 
Rebekah  degree  in  Odd  Fellowship,  while  Mr. 
Harbourn  is  a  member  of  General  W.  T.  Sher- 
man post,  No.  45,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Hannibal,  Mis- 
souri. 

Both  he  and  his  wife  are  devoted  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  trustee,  as  class  leader  and  one  of  the 
stewards.  He  has  taken  a  most  active  part  in 
church  and  kindred  work,  and  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  township  Sunday  School  Association, 
and  has  been  chosen  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee.  His  labors  have  been  effective  in 
the  work  of  the  church  in  all  of  its  departments ; 
and  in  all  of  life's  relations  he  has  been  found 
trustworthy,  manifesting  the  same  loyalty  to  duty 
which  he  displayed  when  he  followed  the  stars 
and  stripes  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south. 


JOHN  ROY  POLLOCK,  M.  D. 

Dr.  John  Roy  Pollock,  one  of  the  active  young 
physicians  of  Pike  county,  who  for  two  years  has 
been  engaged  in  practice,  was  born  in  Nebo,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1879,  and  was  reared  and  educated 
here.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  R.  R.  Pollock,  men- 
tioned on  another  page  of  this  volume.  He  fol- 
lowed his  public-school  education  by  the  study 
of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  his  father  and 
pursued  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  the  Keokuk 
Medical  College,  which  he  entered  in  1900.  He 
also  pursued  three  courses  in  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  Barnes  University  and  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1904.  He  then  returned  home 
and  entered  upon  active  practice,  since  which  time 
he  has  built  up  a  good  business,  which  is  grati- 
fying evidence  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  the 
general  public. 

Dr.  Pollock  was  married  near  Nebo  in  October, 
1899,  to  Miss  Jessie  P.  Sitton,  who  was  born  and 


460 


PAST   AND    I 'RESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


reared  here  and  w.as  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Pike  county  and  of  Peoria,  Illinois.  Her  father, 
Tames  A.  Sitton,  is  a  prominent  farmer  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  township.  Dr.  Pollock  and  his  wife  have 
a  large  circle  of  warm  friends  and  are  prominent 
socially  in  Nebo  and  Pike  county.  At  one  time  Dr. 
Pollock  was  associated  with  his  brother,  R.  C. 
Pollock,  in  the  drug  business  in  Pittsfield,  being 
connected  with  the  trade  before  he  pursued  his 
course  in  medicine.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  belonging  to  the  blue  lodge  at 
Nebo,  and  he  also  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  a  very  active  and  earnest  worker  in 
church  and  Sunday-school. 


SOLON   HUNTLEY. 

Solon  Huntley  is  one  of  the  best  known  citizens 
of  Pike  county — the  owner  and  proprietor  of  the 
Elmdale  stock  farm.  His  life  record  began  Au- 
gust 30,  1836,  the  place  of  his  nativity  being 
Ashtabula  county,  Ohio.  He  came  to  ths  county 
with  his  parents,  Harlow  and  Elmira  (Partridge) 
Huntley.  The  father  was  born  in  Allegany 
county,  New  York,  July  19,  1806,  and  died  in 
Pike  county  in  1879.  The  mother's  birth  occurred 
in  Massachusetts  on  Christmas  day  of  1809  and 
they  were  married  in  the  Empire  state.  Unto 
them  were  born  twelve  children,  of  whom  ten 
are  yet  living.  Lyman  resides  in  California. 
Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Shipman  and  lives  in 
California  but  has  spent  much  of  her  life  in  Pike 
county.  Roxanna  is  the  wife  of  Dexter  Milley 
and  resides  in  Missouri.  Martin  is  living  in 
Hadley  township,  Pike  county.  Laura  is  the 
widow  of  A.  B.  Cobb  and  makes  her  home  in 
California.  Solon  is  the  next  of  the  family. 
Loren  is  living  in  Pittsfield.  William  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  while  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  Union  army  in  Company  I,  Twenty-eighth 
Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers.  Julia  and  Mar- 
tha are  living  with  their  brother  Solon.  Pardee 
is  a  resident  of  California.  Hattie  has  departed 
this  life. 

The  father,  who  was  a  farmer's  son,  was  reared 
to  the  work  of  the  fields  and  on  coming  to  Pike 


county,  Illinois  in  1843,  located  in  Hadley  town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  land  and  began  the 
development  of  a  farm.  He  worked  persistently 
and  energetically  and  as  the  years  passed  made 
extensive  investments  in  property  until  he  was  one 
of  the  large  land  owners  of  the  county.  He  was 
also  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  wheat 
and  his  business  were  carefully  and  successfully 
conducted.  His  possessions  embraced  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  Hadley  township  and  his 
first  home  was  a  log  cabin  but  in  the  course  of 
years  all  the  evidences  of  pioneer  life  were  re- 
placed by  those  of  a  modern  civilization.  His 
early  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  whig 
party  and  he  afterward  voted  with  the  republican 
party  and  subsequently  with  the  greenback 
party.  His  position  in  the  regard  of  his  fellow 
townsmen  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  for  thirty 
years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace,  discharging 
his  duties  with  promptness  and  impartiality.  He 
was  also  at  one  time  supervisor  of  Hadley  town- 
ship and  he  took  a  deep  and  helpful  interest  in 
school  work,  realizing  the  value  of  educational 
development.  His  wife  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church. 

Solon  Huntley  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools,  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  started  out 
in  life  on  his  own  account,  since  which  time  he 
has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  began 
with  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  purchased  in  1860.  This  proved  the  nucleus 
of  his  present  extensive  possessions,  for  he  has 
invested  in  property  from  time  to  time  until  he 
now  owns  ten  hundred  and  forty-five  acres,  and 
all  but  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres  are  in 
the  home  farm.  He  has  built  a  beautiful  home 
and  other  buildings  and  his  farm  is  divided  into 
fields  of  convenient  size  by  well  kept  fences  and 
enclosed  in  the  same  manner.  No  equipment  of 
a  model  property  is  lacking  and  the  splendid 
appearance  of  the  place  is  indicative  of  the  care- 
ful supervision,  keen  business  discernment  and 
unfaltering  energy  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Huntley 
now  rents  much  of  his  land,  while  he  gives  his 
attention  to  his  stock-raising  interests.  He  is 
largely  engaged  in  the  raising  of  polled  Angus 
cattle,  having  a  herd  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
head.  He  also  raises  a  large  number  of  hogs 


HARLOW  HUNTLEY 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


463 


and  ships  most  of  his  stock.  He  is  to-day  the 
largest  landowner  in  Hadley  township  and  much 
of  his  land  is  in  grass. 

Mr.  Huntley  is  independent  in  politics  and  has 
been  school  director  and  supervisor  of  Hadley 
township  but  office  holding  has  little  attraction 
for  him.  In  manner  he  is  quiet  and  unassuming, 
concentrating  his  energies  upon  his  business  af- 
fairs. He  has  never  married  but  occupies  with 
his  sisters  a  most  beautiful  home,  which  he 
erected  and  in  fact  has  one  of  the  most  attractive 
residences  in  this  part  of  the  county.  The  owner 
of  the  Elmdale  stock-  farm  is  well  known  for  his 
splendid  business  qualifications  and  is  honored 
and  respected  by  all,  not  alone  because  of  the 
success  which  he  has  achieved,  but  also  by 
reason  of  the  straightforward  methods  he  has 
ever  followed. 


JUSTUS  GRIFFETH. 

Justus  Griffeth  is  now  living  retired  upon  his 
farm  in  New  Salem  township  after  many  years  of 
active  and  prosperous  connection  with  general 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  passed  the  eighty- 
first  milestone  on  life's  journey,  having  been  born 
March  25,  1825,  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  his 
parents  being  Samuel  C.  and  Esther  (Wilson) 
Griffeth,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  and  were  of  Irish  descent.  The  mater- 
nal grandfather,  Reuben  Wilson,  was  a  native  of 
the  Emerald  Isle,  and  after  crossing  the  Atlantic 
to  the  new  world  served  as  a  member  of  the  Co- 
lonial army  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Clermont  county,  Ohio, 
subsequently  to  Indiana,  and  still  later  to  Lima, 
Illinois,  where  he  died.  His  daughter  Esther 
was  born  April  28,  1799,  and  in  Ohio  became  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Griffeth,  her  first  home  after  her 
marriage  being  on  a  farm  in  Clermont  county, 
near  Batavia,  Ohio.  About  1838  they  removed  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  on  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  14,  New  Salem  township.  There 
were  but  few  neighbors,  and  these  lived  some 
distance  away.  Wild  animals,  however,  were  nu- 
merous, including  wolves  and  wildcats.  There 


were  also  many  deer,  turkeys  and  other  wild  game 
in  the  county,  so  that  it  was  not  difficult  for 
a  good  hunter  to  supply  his  table  with  fresh  meat. 
The  father's  financial  circumstances  were  lim- 
ited and  he  was  obliged  to  work  hard  to  support 
his  family  and  develop  his  farm,  on  which  only 
slight  improvements  had  been  made  when  it  came 
into  his  possession.  Nor  was  he  permitted  to  en- 
joy his  new  home  for  a  long  period,  for  his 
death  occured  in  1842.  He  left  several  chil- 
dren to  the  care  of  a  devoted  mother,  who  sup- 
ported her  famly  by  spinning,  weaving  and  other 
work  which  she  could  find  to  do,  a  part  of  the  time 
even  carding  hec.qwn  wool.  She  lived  upon  a 
rented  far,)jn  but  after  £  number  of  years,  owing 
to  her  economy  and  diligence,  she  was  able  to  pur- 
chase a  property.  She  kept  a  number  of  cows 
and  walked  a  mile  and  a  half  to  New  Salem  to 
market  butter,  eggs  and  other  farm  produce.  She 
was  a  lady  of  remarkable  strength  of  both  body 
and  mind  and  did  her  own  household  work  and 
transacted  her  own  business  until  the  summer 
prior  to  her  death,  which  occurred  forty-five 
years  after  her  husband's  demise,  on  the  25th  of 
February,  1887,  when  she  had  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-eight  years.  Mrs.  Griffeth 
was  most  highly  respected  by  those  who  knew 
her  and  was  spoken  of  in  terms  of  praise  by  her 
many  friends,  who  recognized  the  noble  and  ster- 
ling qualities  which  she  had  manifested  in  the 
care  of  her  own  family,  the  management  of  her 
business  interests  and  the  assistance  which  she 
had  rendered  to  friends  and  neighbors  in  times 
of  illness  or  breavement,  for  she  was  ever  ready 
to  sacrifice  her  own  comfort  to  aid  others.  She 
was  a  most  consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  no  one  con- 
nected with  the  church  at  New  Salem  is  more 
lovingly  remembered  than  "Grandma  Griffeth," 
as  she  was  generally  called.  In  the  family  were 
eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living. 
Those  deceased  are :  George  W.,  Esther,  Samuel 
J.,  Mrs.  Caroline  Hughes,  Wesley,  John  D.,  Isaac 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Those  who  still 
survive  are:  Justus;  Lydia  A.  Griffeth,  who  is 
living  in  New  Salem ;  and  James  W.  Griffeth, 
a  resident  of  Kansas. 


464 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


The  children  had  but  limited  school  privileges, 
although  the  mother  did  the  best  she  could  to- 
ward giving  them  an  education,  and  as  far  as  pos- 
sible made  up,  through  home  instruction,  what 
they  lacked  in  school  training.  Justus  Griffeth 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  Clermont 
county,  Ohio,  and  for  about  a  year  after  coming  to 
Pike  county,  whither  he  made  his  way  with  his 
parents  when  thirteen  years  of  age.  When  the 
school  year  was  ended  he  began  work,  following 
any  pursuit  that  would  yield  him  an  honest  living, 
and  manifested  a  willingness  to  undertake  any 
labor,  however  hard,  provided  that  it  was  honest 
and  useful.  He  was  working  at  Phillips  Ferry 
when  the  Mormons  emigrated  to  Missouri,  and  he 
helped  take  Hiram  Smith  and  his  family  across 
the  river.  He  heard  the  men  talking  of  their 
future  intentions  and,  pointing  to  the  boys,  say 
that  they  intended  to  take  all  such  urchins  and 
knock  their  brains  out  against  the  trees.  The  river 
was  very  high  at  that  time  and  the  passage  over 
was  made  in  a  flatboat  manned  by  oars  in  the 
hands  of  Justus  Griffeth  and  an  elder  brother. 
The  lads  determined  that  all  the  Mormons  should 
not  reach  the  far  west  and  laid  their  plans  to 
sink  a  boatload  of  them.  They  overloaded  their 
boat  and  pulled  out  to  cross  as  a  steamer  was 
coining,  but  one  of  the  fattest  horses  on  board 
fell  into  the  river  and  thus  lightened  the  boat 
sufficiently  to  prevent  the  catastrophe  for  which 
the  boys  had  planned.  The  lads  were  very  much 
dissappointed  and  cared  much  more  for  their  ill 
success  than  for  the  reprimand  which  they  re- 
ceived for  their  supposed  carelessness.  The  wife 
of  Hiram  Smith  was'  one  of  their  passengers  and 
during  the  crossing  of  the  swollen  stream  she 
sang,  prayed  and  cursed  the  boys  in  turn. 

Justus  Griffeth  worked  out  by  the  day  or 
month,  breaking  prairie  with  a  team  of  seven  yoke 
of  oxen  and  a  thirty-inch  plow.  He  also  did 
threshing  with  a  "chaff  piler"  machine  and  he  as- 
sisted in  clearing  the  home  farm,  grubbing  out 
the  stumps,  making  rails  and  chopping  cord  wood. 
He  worked  as  a  wood  chopper  on  the  Illinois 
river  one  winter  for  forty  cents  per  cord.  When 
working  by  the  month  he  was  never  paid  higher 
than  ten  dollars  and  generally  received  but  seven 
dollars  per  month  for  his  wages  and  was  obliged 


to  do  his  own  washing.  No  matter  at  what  he 
worked  his  wages  went  to  his  mother,  with  whom 
he  made  his  home  until  his  marriage,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age. 

It  was  on  the  2d  of  November,  1848,  that 
Justus  Griffeth  wedded  Elizabeth  Conkright, 
with  whom  he  lived  happily  until  June  27,  1859, 
when  she  laid  aside  the  cares  of  life  to  enter  into 
eternal  rest.  She  was  born  in  Kentucky,  January 
12,  1826,  and  her  parents,  William  and  Martha 
(Bell)  Conkright;  were  also  natives  of  that  state. 
The  Conkrights  became  early  residents  of  Pike 
count}',  settling  on  section  34,  New  Salem  town- 
ship, in  1835.  There  the  father  and  mother  died 
many  years  ago,  and  of  the  original  family, 
consisting  of  parents  and  four  children,  not  one 
is  now  alive.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Griffeth  bore  her 
husband  five  children,  but  only  two  are  now  liv- 
ing. Riley  P.,  married  Caroline  Shrigley  and 
lives  in  New  Salem  township.  They  had  four 
children :  Emmett,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma ;  Lulu 
M.,  the  wife  of  George  Moore,  who  is  living  in 
New  Salem  township;  Elva  H.,  deceased;  and 
Roy,  residing  at  home.  John  F.  Griffeth  married 
Matilda  Bridgeman,  lives  in  Griggsville  town- 
ship and  has  six  children,  as  follows :  Anna,  the 
wife  of  Charles  Bridgeman,  of  Rockport,  Illinois ; 
Ray ;  Jesse ;  Elmer ;  Fred ;  and  Ada. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Griffeth  settled 
upon  a  tract  of  raw  land  on  section  28,  New  Salem 
township,  his  dwelling  being  a  log  cabin  which 
contained  the  usual  primitive  furnishings.  He 
improved  his  land  and  afterward  sold  the  prop- 
erty, at  which  time  he  bought  a  tract  in  Martins- 
burg  township,  near  New  Hartford,  which  he 
afterward  also  sold.  In  1858  he  purchased  a  farm 
on  section '25,  New  Salem  township,  and  has  made 
it  his  permanent  location.  He  has  added  to  it 
all  of  the  present  improvements,  including  the 
various  farm  buildings  and  his  present  residence, 
which  is  a  most  attractive  home,  forming  one  of 
the  pleasing  features  of  the  landscape.  He  owns 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land,  which  he  leases  to  his  sons,  for  he 
has  now  retired  from  active  work,  and  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  enjoying  life  in  a  pleasant  residence 
supplied  with  an  adequate  store  of  those  things 
which  go  to  make  life  worth  living.  For  eight 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


465 


years  Mr.  Griffeth  was  engaged  in  shipping  grain 
and  stock  from  Maysville,  Pittsfield,  Griggsville, 
New  Salem  and  Baylis  and  he  also  found  this  a 
profitable  source  of  income. 

On  the  1 6th  of  March,  1860.,  Mr.  Griffeth  was 
married  a  second  time,  Miss  Margaret  J.  Kennedy 
becoming  his  wife.  She  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  by  this  marriage  had  one  child,  now  de- 
ceased. The  wife  and  mother  died  May  13,  1886, 
and  on  the  loth  of  May,  1887,  Mr.  Griffeth  wedded 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Kinman,  nee  Cannon.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Dorothy  (Hunter) 
Cannon,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Arkansas,  re- 
spectively. The  parents  of  both  the  father  and 
mother  removed  to  Lincoln  county,  Missouri, 
and  there  the  young  man  and  maiden  were  made 
man  and  wife.  In  1832,  while  wild  animals 
were  still  numerous  in  Pike  county  and  when  the 
work  of  improvement  and  progress  seemed  scarce- 
ly begun,  they  came  here,  taking  up  their  abode 
in  a  log  cabin  upon  the  present  site  of  the  city 
of  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Cannon  aided  in  laying  out 
the  county  seat  and  was  a  very  prominent  and 
influential  resident  of  this  part  of  the  state,  serv- 
ing as  county  sheriff  for  two  terms  and  in  other 
positions  of  public  trust.  He  was  a  recognized 
leader  in  political  circles  and  was  also  numbered 
among  the  large  and  prosperous  landowners  of 
the  county.  He  died  in  1865,  while  his  wife 
survived  until  1878.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  members 
of  the  Christian  church.  Mrs.  Griffeth  was  born 
December  30,  1836,  in  Pittsfield  township,  and 
acquired  an  excellent  education.  She  has  always 
kept  well  informed  on  questions  of  general  interest 
and  she  possesses  a  beautiful  Christian  character 
and  the  useful  attainments  which  abundantly  qual- 
ify her  for  her  position  at  the  head  of  a  household. 
When  she  was  seventeen  years  of  age  she  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  T.  J.  Kinman,  who  was 
a  brave  and  loyal  citizen  and  entered  the  Union 
army  as  a  member  of  Company  K,  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  rose  to  the  rank  of  second 
lieutenant  and,  like  many  of  his  gallant  comrades, 
laid  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of  his  country, 
being  killed  in  the  charge  on  Vicksburg,  May  22, 
1863.  Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  four 
children.  Martin  M.  wedded  Bessie  Breeder, 


who  died  leaving  one  daughter,  Edna,  now  the 
wife  of  Charles  Ogden,  a  resident  of  Carthage, 
Missouri.  Martin  M.  Kinman  chose  for  his 
second  wife  Jennie  Brown  and  they  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Missouri  with  their  daughter,  Lena.  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Goddard  resides  in  Arkansas  and  has  two 
children,  Allie  and  Irene.  Allie'Kinman,  the  next 
of  the  family,  is  living  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grif- 
feth. Susie  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  D.  Higgins,  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Neil  Higgins.  Mrs.  Griffeth  owns  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  fine  land  near  her  husband's 
property,  which  she  inherited  from  her  first 
husband. 

In  community  interests  Mr.  Griffeth  has  taken 
an  active  and  helpful  part,  his  labors  being  far- 
reaching  and  beneficial.  He  served  as  school 
director  for  twelve  years  and  was  also  an  efficient 
assessor  for  one  year.  He  has  ever  been  deeply 
interested  in  political  questions,  has  been  active 
in  county  affairs  since  1846  and  has  usually  been 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  party  conventions  or  acted 
as  a  member  of  the  central  committee.  During 
the  border  troubles  before  the  admission  of  Kan- 
sas into  the  Union  he  traveled  through  Missouri 
in  a  wagon  and  although  he  talked  abolition  he 
never  suffered  harm  although  many  others  were 
persecuted  because  of  their  pronounced  opposition 
to  slavery.  His  early  political  allegiance  was 
given  to  the  whig  party  and  when  the  republican 
party  was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  exten- 
sion of  slavery  he  joined  its  ranks  and  has  since 
been  one  of  its  advocates.  Mrs.  Griffeth  belongs 
to  the  Christian  church  and  her  husband  aids  her 
in  its  support.  He  is  a  man  always  known  for 
his  straightforward  dealing,  genial  spirit  and  gen- 
uine personal  worth  and  his  life  record  at  all 
times  has  made  him  worthy  of  confidence  and  re- 
spect. He  has  ever  been  an  ardent  lover  of 
hunting  and  has  made  excursions  into  Arkansas, 
Missouri,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
Wiconsin  and  Minnesota  in  order  to  enjoy  this 
sport,  having  made  fifteen  different  hunting  trips. 
He  was  a  capital  off-hand  shot,  and  enjoys  re- 
counting his  experiences  in  field  and  forest,  thus 
living  again  in  memory  the  pleasant  hours  that 
he  has  devoted  to  his  favorite  recreation.  On 
New  Year's  day  of  1870  he  and  Thomas  Gray 


466 


PAST   AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


killed  a  black  bear  in  the  swamps  of  Mississippi 
which  weighed  over  five  hundred  pounds.  They 
caught  the  animal  in  a  steel  trap  that  weighed 
forty  pounds,  but  he  broke  loose  and  after  fol- 
lowing his  trail  for  three  hours  they  shot  him 
dead,  eight  bullets  piercing  his  body  before  a 
vital  spot  was  reached.  They  brought  the  ani- 
mal home  and  exhibited  it  on  the  public  square 
in  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Griffeth  has  traveled  quite 
extensively,  covering  ten  thousand  miles  on  the 
ocean,  while  he  has  twice  crossed  the  isthmus  of 
Panama,  visited  points  in  old  Mexico  and  more 
than  Half  of  the  states  of  the  Union.  In  1856 
he  went  by  the  water  route  to  California  and  spent 
several  months  in  prospecting  but  returned  to 
his  home  before  the  expiration  of  the  year.  The 
greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  devoted  to 
agricultural  pursuits  and  his  well  directed  labors 
have  brought  to  him  the  prosperity  which  now 
enables  him  to  put  aside  further  business  cares 
and  in  the  evening  of  his  life  to  enjoy  the  fruits, 
of  former  toil  in  a  well  earned  rest.  Not  to  know 
Mr.  Griffeth  in  Pike  county  is  to  argue  oneself 
unknown,  for  he  has  a  very  extensive  acquaint- 
ance and  his  active  life  and  close  connection  with 
public  interests  have  made  him  a  notable  figure 
here. 


GEORGE  R.  FISHER: 

George  R.  Fisher  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  fine  land  and  this  property 
is  the  proof  of  an  active  and  well  spent  life,  for 
he  started  out  upon  his  business  career  empty- 
handed.  A  native  of  Greene  county,  Missouri, 
he  was  born  March  2,  1854,  his  parents  being 
John  R.  and  Mary  A.  (Allred)  Fisher.  The 
father's  birth  occurred  near  Nashville,  Tennessee. 
March  12,  1812,  and  he  died  on  the  6th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1867.  His  wife,  who  was  horn  July  if>,  1815, 
departed  this  life  March  20,  1870.  Frederick- 
Fisher,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject. 
was  a  native  of  Germany  and  was  sent  to  America 
as  one  of  the  soldiers  who  had  been  employed  by 
the  English  government  to  crush  out  the  rebellion 
among  the  colonists  in  1776.  When  he  landed  in 
this  countrv,  however,  he  deserted  from  the  I'.rit- 


ish  army  and  joined  the  colonists,  fighting  for  the 
independence  of  the  nation  for  abort  two  years. 
He  was  wounded  in  the  leg  at  Bunker  Hill  and 
crawled  under  a  brush  pile,  but  was  found  there 
by  one  of  the  enemy  who  thrust  a  bayonet  through 
his  shoulder  and  left  him  for  dead.  Life,  how- 
ever, was  not  extinct  and  after  his  wound  was 
dressed  he  recovered  and  lived  to  be  nearly  ninety 
years  of  age.  Removing  from  the  east  to  Ten- 
nessee, he  there  engaged  in  teaching  school  and 
was  also  the  owner  of  a  large  farm  in  that  state. 
He  was  a  liberally  educated  man  and  talked  both 
German  and  English. 

John  R.  Fisher,  father  of  our  subject,  removed 
from  Tennessee  to  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  in 
1834  and  was  there  engaged  in  general  farming 
for  three  years.  In  1837  he  came  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  1853,  when  he 
went  to  Greene  county,  Missouri,  where  he  re- 
mained for  eighteen  months.  In  1855  he  came 
to  Pike  county,  settling  on  what  is  known  as  the 
John  Kendrick  farm.  His  remaining  days  were 
passed  in  this  county  with  the  exception  of  a 
brief  period  of  eighteen  months  spent  in  Missouri 
and  two  years  passed  at  Nauvoo,  Hancock  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Pike  county,  whose  efforts  in  behalf  of  public 
progress  were  felt  as  a  beneficial  force.  Here  he 
reared  a  large  family  of  thirteen  children,  but  only 
three  are  now  living :  William,  who  resides  in 
New  Canton  ;  George  R. ;  and  Charles,  who  makes 
his  home  near  his  brother  George.  The  mother 
was  a  member  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 

George  R.  Fisher  was  educated  in  the  Brewster 
school  in  one  of  the  little  log  schoolhouses  com- 
mon in  pioneer  times.  He  started  out  to  earn  his 
own  living  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age  and 
was  employed  at  farm  labor  from  the  3d  of 
March  until  the  i/th  of  October.  1881.  He  then 
began  working  for  a  railroad  company  and  con- 
tinued in  that  service  for  eight  years  and  a  half, 
when,  with  the  capital  which  he  had  managed  to 
save  from  his  earnings,  he  purchased  a  farm  of 
forty  acres  on  section  16,  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship, where  he  now  resides.  He  began  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  place  in  1890  and  has  since  car- 
ried on  general  farming,  raising  corn  and  wheat. 
On  the  loth  of  January,  1901,  he  bought  eighty 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


467 


acres  near  the  old  place  and  now  has  altogether 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land,  which  has  greatly  appreciated  in 
value  by  the  care  and  cultivation  he  has  bestowed 
upon  it. 

On  the  25*  of  September,  1881,  Mr.  Fisher 
was  married  to  Miss  Laura  J.  Fowler,  who  was 
born  in  Derry  township,  Pike  county,  on  the  28th 
of  November,  1861,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Bloomer 
and  Rebecca  (Collyer)  Fowler,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Indiana.  Her 
father  was  a  butcher  by  trade  and  also  dealt  in 
furs  and  other  commodities,  being  proprietor  of  a 
hotel  in  Rockport  for  a  number  of  years.  He  had 
twelve  children,  of  whom  eight  are  now  living. 
Following  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  married 
again  and  there  was  one  child  by  the  second  union. 
The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Fisher  are:  J. 
W.  Fowler,  a  farmer  and  school  teacher,  living  in 
Middletown,  Missouri ;  Mrs.  Elmira  Wilson,  of 
Summer  Hill,  Pike  county;  Mrs.  Luemma  Ban- 
corn,  of  New  Canton ;  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Palmer,  of 
Creston,  Iowa ;  J.  L.  Fowler,  of  Kendrick,  Idaho ; 
B.  P.  Fowler,  of  Cunningham,  Washington ;  and 
Elmer  Fowler,  of  New  Canton.  Mrs.  Fisher  was 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  and  by  her  marriage 
she  became  the  mother  of  four  children  but  two 
have  passed  away,  Ellis  E.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  five  and  a  half  years,  and  Laura  Fay  when 
five  months  old.  Those  still  living  are  Leslie  W. 
and  Lester  L.,  twins,  born  March  12,  1895. 

The  family  home  is  pleasantly  located  about  a 
half  mile  southwest  of  New  Canton,  so  that  they 
are  enabled  to  readily  acquire  the  comforts  of 
town  life  and  also  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a 
rural  residence.  Mr.  Fisher  votes  with  the  democ- 
racy and  is  a  member  of  camp  No.  1148,  M.  W. 
A.,  of  New  Canton.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Mutual  Protective  League,  the  Royal  Neighbors 
of  America  and  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Life  In- 
surance Association  and  she  also  belongs  to  the 
Christian"  church.  She  was  educated  in  the  El- 
dara  public  schools.  Mr.  Fisher  started  out  in 
life  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  has  climbed 
steadily  upward  until  he  has  reached  the  plane 
of  affluence.  Every  cent  that  he  has  ever  pos- 
sessed and  enjoyed  has  been  acquired  by  earnest 
and  honest  labor  and  such  a  course  has  won  the 


admiration  and  respect  of  his  fellow  townsmen 
who  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  esteem,  good 
will  and  confidence. 


ELLIOTT  BAKER. 

Elliott  Baker  owns  a  farm  on  sections  9  and  16, 
Martinsburg  township,  and  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous agriculturists  and  successful  business  men 
of  Pike  county.  It  was  upon  this  farm  that  he 
was  born  and  as  his  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  this  locality  he  is  now  well  known  in  Pitts- 
field  and  throughout  the  county,  where  he  has 
made  a  splendid  reputation  as  a  man  of  tried  in- 
tegrity and  worth.  Moreover  he  is  one  of  the 
veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  having  fought  valiant- 
ly for  the  old  flag  which  was  the  symbol  of  the 
Union.  The  farm  which  he  now  owns  and  which 
is  the  old  homestead  property  of  the  Baker  fam- 
ily comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  val- 
uable and  well  improved  land. 

It  was  upon  this  place  that  Mr.  Baker  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  on  the  2d  of 
January,  1842.  His  father  was  James  Baker,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  his  grandfather  was  Joseph 
Baker,  who  removed  from  the  Buckeye  state  to 
Illinois  about  1832.  Here  he  purchased  land  and 
opened  up  a  farm.  James  Baker,  having  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Betts  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  and  later  he  and  his 
wife  rode  across  the  country  on  horseback  to  join 
his  father  here.  He  continued  a  resident  of  Mar- 
tinsburg township  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  1846.  His  wife  survived  him  and  reared 
her  family,  doing  a  mother's  full  part  toward  her 
children,  to  whom  she  gave  every  advantage  pos- 
sible. 

Elliott  Baker  remained  upon  the  old  homestead 
with  his  mother,  attended  the  public  schools 
through  the  winter  months"  and  in  the  summer 
seasons  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field.  He  was 
thus  engaged  until  about  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  on  the  I4th  of  March,  1862,  he  responded 
tq  his  country's  call  for  aid  and  joined  Company 
B  of  the  Third  Missouri  Cavalry,  which  was  at- 
tached to  the  Western  Armv.  He  served  for  three 


468 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


years  and  was  in  a  number  of  small  battles  and 
several  important  ones.  On  one  occasion  he  sus- 
tained a  gunshot  wound  in  the  right  arm  but  he 
lost  no  time  from  active  service  and  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Macon  City,  Missouri,  March 
14,  1865. 

Upon  his  return  home  Mr.  Baker  took  charge 
of  his  mother's  property  and  business  interests. 
The  following  year  he  was  married  in  Pike  coun- 
ty on  the  1 3th  of  September,  1866,  to  Miss  Susan 
C.  Gooden,  whom  he  brought  to  the  farm  and 
with  whom  he  traveled  life's  journey  happily  until 
March  12,  1890,  when  she  was  called  to  her  final 
home,  her  remains  being  interred  in  Prairie 
Mound  cemetery.  There  were  four  children  born 
of  that  union.  On  the  3d  of  March,  1904,  Mr. 
Baker  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Josephine  Alcorn.a  native  of  this  county.  His 
children  are :  Sherman,  who  is  married  and  re- 
sides in  Los  Angeles,  California;  Mary  F.,  the 
wife  of  David  Rupert,  a  resident  farmer  of  Mar- 
tinsburg  township;  Lilly  E.,  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Ellis,  of  the  state  of  Washington ;  and  Logan,  at 
home. 

Mr.  Baker  has  built  a  good  neat  residence  upon 
his  farm,  also  substantial  barns  and  outbuildings, 
has  fenced  the  place  and  by  this  means  has  di- 
vided it  into  fields  of  convenient  size.  He  has 
made  most  of  the  present  improvements  upon  the 
property,  which  indicates  his  careful  supervision, 
his  practical  methods  and  his  keen  insight  into 
agricultural  affairs.  In  connection  with  general 
farming  he  raises  and  feeds  stock  for  the  mar- 
ket and  feeds  a  carload  or  two  of  hogs  each  year. 
In  this  business  he  has  won  prosperity  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  successful  agriculturists  of 
the  county.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  republican  party,  which  he  has  supported 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Gen- 
eral Grant  in  1868,  save  on  one  occasion.  He  has 
taken  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  political  work 
and  has  been  elected  and  served  for  three  consecu- 
tive terms  as  supervisor,  acting  on  a  number  of 
committees  while  a  member  of  the  board,  includ- 
ing the  finance  and  other  important  committees. 
He  has  been  chairman  of  the  township  committee 
and  as  a  friend  of  the  public-school  system  he  did 
effective  service  for  the  schools,  acting  as  a  mem- 


ber of  the  board  of  education.  He  belongs  to 
Pittsfield  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  also 
taken  the  Royal  Arch  and  commandery  degrees 
but  is  now  demitted.  In  matters  of  citizenship 
he  has  been  as  loyal  to  his  country  and  her  wel- 
fare in  days  of  peace  as  when  he  wore  the  blue 
uniform  of  the  nation  upon  southern  battle-fields. 
His  life  has  been  characterized  by  untiring  ac- 
tivity in  business,  by  fidelity  in  citizenship,  by  loy- 
alty in  friendship  and  by  trustworthiness  in  all 
life's  relations. 


GEORGE  H.  DUXX. 

George  H.  Dunn,  who  after  long  years  of  active 
and  honorable  connection  with  farming  interests 
in  Pike  county  is  now  living  retired  in  Perry,  was 
born  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  February  28, 
1838.  His  parents  were  Harvey  and  Angeline 
(Milligan)  Dunn  and  the  family  is  of  Irish  line- 
age in  the  paternal  line,  representatives  of  the 
name  having  located  in  Providence,  Rhode  Is- 
land, prior  to  the  establishment  of  American  in- 
dependence. Following  the  Revolutionary  war 
they  became  residents  of  the  state  of  New  York 
and  it  was  there  that  Harvey  Dunn  was  born.  In 
his  boyhood  days  he  went  to  Indiana  and  subse- 
quently removing  to  Ohio  was  there  connected 
with  building  operations.  In  1837  ne  came  to 
Morgan  county,  Illinois,  locating  at  Meredosia 
and  was  connected  with  railroad  construction  on 
what  is  now  the  Wabash  line.  The  year  1840  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Pike  county  and  after  en- 
gaging in  general  merchandising  in  Chambers- 
burg  for  some  years  he  sold  out  there  and  bought 
a  farm  in  Chambersburg  township  whereon  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  when 
he  was  sixty-two  years  of  age.  He  wielded  a 
wide  influence  over  public  thought  and  opinion 
in  Pike  county  and  was  called  by  his  fellow  towns- 
men to  act  as  their  representative  in  the  constitu- 
tional convention  of  1847.  He  filled  various  local 
offices  and  was  an  advocate  of  democratic  princi- 
ples, while  his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Angeline  Milligan,  was  born 
in  Massachusetts  and  was  descended  from  Puritan 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


469 


ancestry.  In  early  womanhood  she  accompanied 
her  parents  to  Ohio,  \yhere  she  was  married  and 
her  death  occurred  at  the  birth  of  her  son,  George 
H.,  of  this  review.  She  was  a  true  Christian 
woman  and,  like  her  husband,  belonged  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

George  H.  Dunn  acquired  a  public-school  edu- 
cation in  Pike  county,  to  which  place  he  was 
brought  by  his  father  in  1839.  He  early  became 
familiar  with  the  various  duties  that  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  agriculturist  and  when  twenty-one  years 
of  age  began  farming  in  Chambersburg  town- 
ship. Subsequently  he  purchased  land  and  later 
added  to  the  property  until  he  had  two  hundred 
and  sixty-five  acres.  He  then  sold  out  and  bought 
a  farm  in  Perry  township,  devoting  his  attention 
to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
For  many  years  he  was  active  in  this  work  and 
in  1904  he  put  aside  business  cares  and  removed 
to  Perry,  where  be  now  resides.  Mr.  Dunn  has 
been  married  twice.  He  first  wedded  Miss  Susan 
Dennis  and  their  two  children  died  in  infancv . 
Her  father,  Clark  Dennis,  married  a  Miss 
Stought.  On  the  I2th  of  November,  1890,  Mr. 
Dunn  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mary  Lackschiede,  who  was  born  in  Perry 
township,  October  29,  1861,  her  parents  being 
William  D.  and  Mary  (Heberlain)  Lackschiede, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  Saxony,  February  25, 
1821,  died  February  24,  1903.  The  mother's  birth 
occurred  October  30,  1840,  and  they  were  mar- 
ried in  Perry,  Illinois.  Of  this  union  there  were 
twelve  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Dunn;  William  D., 
who  is  now  living  in  Seattle,  Washington ;  Lou, 
who  married  Peter  Swarts  and  resides  in  Hanni- 
bal, Missouri ;  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Harvey  Brown- 
ing, of  Perry  township ;  Henry,  who  married 
Lovey  Morgan  and  is  living  in  Perry  township ; 
Simon,  who  wedded  Lizzie  Hippie  and  is  living  in 
Perry  township;  Ida,  who  resides  in  the  village 
of  Perry ;  Malinda,  the  wife  of  Stanley  Jones,  of 
Perry  township ;  George,  who  is  living  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm ;  Matilda,  who  is  with  her 
mother ;  Rudy,  at  home ;  and  Lewis,  who  died  in 
infancy.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1854. 
crossing  the  Atlantic  on  a  steamer  to  New  York 
city,  whence  he  made  his  way  to  Pike  county.  He 


located  first  in  Mount  Sterling  and  was  employed 
by  John  Craven,  while  later  he  began  working  for 
John  George.  His  first  purchase  of  land  com- 
prised forty  acres  in  Perry  township  and  was  a 
tract  of  wild  timber.  He  first  built  a  log  house 
and  as  the  years  advanced  he  continued  the  fur- 
ther improvement  of  the  property,  to  which  he 
added  until  the  farm  embraced  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  grain 
and  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He  continued  in  busi- 
ness up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  in  politics  he  was  a  democrat. 

Mr.  Dunn  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  pub- 
lic office,  but  votes  with  the  democracy.  He  is 
content  to  leave  office-seeking  to  others,  yet  he 
keeps  well  informed  on  all  the  questions  and  is- 
sues of  the  day.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in  Perry 
lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  1860,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Perry  chap- 
ter, R.  A.  M.  He  also  belongs  to  the  commandery 
at  Pittsfield  and  in  his  life  exemplifies  the  benefi- 
cent spirit  of  the  craft  which  is  based  upon  mu- 
tual helpfulness  and  brotherly  kindness.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  his 
membership  relations  are  indicative  of  his  life  of 
uprightness  and  honor.  His  worth  is  greatly  ap- 
preciated and  his  name  is  regarded  as  a  synonym 
for  integrity  in  all  life's  relations. 


WILLIAM  BORTHWICK,  JR. 

William  Borthwick,  Jr.,  undertaker  and  em- 
balmer,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  Barry,  where  he  has  been  located  in 
the  conduct  of  his  present  enterprise  for  seven 
years.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  county,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Kinderhook  on  the  22d 
of  May,  1872,  his  parents  being  William  and 
Martha  (Likes)  Borthwick.  The  father  was 
born  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  in  1832,  and  was  a 
son  of  James  and  Mary  (Oilmen)  Borthwick, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  England.  In  the 
year  1857  William  Borthwick  arrived  in  Pike 
county,  settling  in  Barry  township,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  giving  his  time  and  atten- 


470 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


tion  to .  farming.  He  owns  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  which  he  has  placed  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  fields  giving  prom- 
ise of  golden  harvests.  He  was  married  in  1859 
to  Miss  Martha  Likes,  who  was  born  in  this 
county  in  1840  and  died  in  1873,  leaving  seven 
children,  Mary,  Isabelle,  Emma,  Minerva,  Bar- 
bara, James  and  William.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tion the  father  is  a  democrat  and  has  been  called 
to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge  while  his 
religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in 
the  Methodist  church. 

William  Borthwick  of  this  review  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  when  fourteen  years 
of  age  started  out  upon  his  business  career.  Leav- 
ing home,  he  went  to  Quincy,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed for  a  few  months  and  then  made  his  way 
southward,  where  he  remained  for  a  year.  Re- 
tracing his  steps  as  far  as  Kentucky,  he  there 
engaged  in  the  undertaking  business  for  six  years. 
He  has  visited  the  best  undertaking  schools"bf 
the  country  and  is  splendidly  qualified  for  the 
work  which  now  claims  his  attention.  Returning 
to  Barry  in  1895  he  was  for  two  years  employed 
at  the  Blair  hotel  and  afterward  went  to  New 
York  and  Hartford,  Connecticut,  spending  a  short 
time  in  both  places.  Subsequently  he  came  again 
to  Barry,  where  in  October.  1807,  ne  established 
an  undertaking  business,  which  he  has  since 
followed.  He  was  in  partnership  with  James 
Smith  but  afterward  purchased  his  interest  and 
admitted  Mr.  Hazen  to  a  partnership  but  event- 
ually became  sole  proprietor  and  is  now  conduct- 
ing the  business  alone.  He  has  five  hearses,  four 
in  Barry  and  one  at  Hull  Station.  In  this  town  he 
has  two  white  hearses  and  two  black  ones.  He 
keeps  the  best  outfit  in  Pike  county,  carries  a 
large  line  of  fine  caskets  and  is  doing  an  excellent 
business,  being  represented  by  an  agent  at  Xew 
Canton.  Eldara.  Hull  and  Kinderhook. 

In  May,  1897,  Mr.  Borthwick  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Smith,  of  Barry,  a 
daughter  of  George  W.  and  Alta  C.  (Blair) 
Smith.  Her  father  was  born  in  Belmont  county, 
Ohio,  February  8,  1851,  and  was  a  son  of  James 
and  Sarah  Smith,  who  became  residents  of  Barry. 
He  removed  with  his  parents  to  Pike  county  in 


1856,  when  but  five  years  of  age  and  was  edu- 
cated in  this  city.  In  1874  he  was  joined  in 
wedlock  to  Miss  Alta  C.  Blair,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Blair,  and  unto  them  were  born  two 
children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Borthwick  have  two  sons,  Men- 
dell  and  Harold.  Mr.  Borthwick  owns  a  fine  six- 
room  cottage  standing  on  two  lots  in  an  attrac- 
tive residence  portion  of  Barry.  He  is  a  socialist 
and  has  been  an  earnest  student  of  the  signs  of 
the  times,  keeping  in  touch  with  the  most  mod- 
ern thought.  Both  he  and  his  wife  hold  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  church  and  he  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  In  the  spring 
of  1905  he  was  elected  city  attorney  of  Barry  and 
has  been  honored  with  other  local  offices,  having 
served  as  city  clerk  for  two  years,  as  city  treas- 
urer for  two  years  and  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  four  years.  In  the  discharge -of  his  official 
duties  he  has.  ever  been  found  prompt,  capable 
and  reliable,  and  his  record  as  a  business  man, 
official  and  private  citizen  is  commendable  and 
worthy  of  emulation. 


MARCUS  McCARTER. 

Marcus  McCarter  is  the  owner  of  over  six 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  equipped  with 
excellent  improvements.  His  possessions  indi- 
cate his  position  in  business  circles,  his  name  be- 
ing an  honored  one  on  commercial  paper,  and 
yet  in  his  boyhood  days,  at  the  time  when  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  Marcus  Mc- 
Carter was  empty-handed,  having  no  capital  to 
asssist  him  in  his  business  career.  All  that  he 
possesses  has  been  acquired  through  earnest,  per- 
sistent labor.  He  has  been  watchful  of  oppor- 
tunities pointing  to  success,  and  his  well  directed 
energy  and  unflagging  industry  have  constituted 
the  basis  of  his  present  prosperity. 

Born  in  Pike  county  on  the  27th  of  February. 
1842,  he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
when  not  busy  with  his  text-books  he  worked 
in  the  fields  upon  his  father's  farm.  His  parents 


OF  THE 
,,!HVf*SiTV  Of - 


MRS.  MARCUS  McCARTER 


MARCUS  McCARTER 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


475 


were  James  and  Margaret  (White)  McCarter, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Londonderry,  Ire- 
land. The  father  was  born  August  8,  1805,  and 
the  mother  April  12,  1807.  They  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1832,  taking  passage  upon  a 
sailing  vessel  which  eventually  reached  the  har- 
bor of  Philadelphia.  Two  children  were  born 
unto  them  during  their  residence  in  that  city.  In 
1836  they  came  westward  to  Illinois,  making  the 
journey  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  riv- 
ers to  Quincy,  where  Mr.  McCarter  secured  em- 
ployment in  connection  with  the  improvement  of 
the  streets.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  1838, 
when  he  came  to  Pike  county  and  purchased  forty 
acres  of  wild  land  with  the  money  which 
he  had  saved  from  his  earnings.  In  the  midst 
of  this  tract  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  in  true  pio- 
need  style  began  life  in  this  county,  where  hith- 
erto little  work  of  progress  and  improvement  had 
been  clone.  His  frugality,  industry  and  busi- 
ness integrity  constituted  the  secret  of  his  suc- 
cess and  by  these  means  he  added  continually  to 
his  capital,  which  he  wisely  invested  in  land  un- 
til he  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  He  never  went  in  debt,  but  paid 
for  his  land  at  the  time  of  his  purchase  and  he 
ever  maintained  and  unassailable  reputation  for 
business  integrity.  He  broke  the  wild  prairie  and 
cleared  away  the  timber  until  where  was  once 
the  dense  forests  the  sun  shone  upon  plowed  fields 
and  in  due  course  of  time  ripened  good  har- 
vests. He  was  engaged  quite  extensively  in  the 
raising  of  wheat,  harvesting  between  four  and 
five  thousand  bushels  each  year.  He  also  became 
well  known  as  a  large  stock-raiser,  making  a 
specialty  of  hogs  which  he  killed  and  sold  at 
Griggsville  and  Barry.  Earnest,  unremitting  la- 
bor proved  the  foundation  of  his  prosperity  and 
his  life  record  is  a  splendid  exemplification  that 
a  man  may  work  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a 
position  of  affluence  if  he  has  the  will  to  dare 
and  to  do.  He  voted  with  the  democratic  party, 
advocating  the  political  principles  promulgated  by 
Andrew  Jackson.  His  death  occurred  Sep- 
tember 20,  1888,  when  he  had  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  wife  passed 
away  October  24,  1868,  when  sixty  years  of  age. 
By  this  marriage  there  were  born  six  children, 
24 


five  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  four  are 
now  living,  Sarah  J.,  Marcus,  James  and  Andrew. 

In  his  boyhood  days  Marcus  McCarter  assist- 
ed in  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  He  attended 
the  district  schools  in  the  winter  months  and 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year  worked  in 
the  fields.  When  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  be- 
gan working  as  a  carpenter.  He  gave  of  the  first 
five  dollars  which  he  ever  earned  three  dollars 
to  the  church.  He  had  nothing  when  he  started 
out  for  himself,  but  he  early  came  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  fact  that  all  honorable  success  is  the 
result  of  close  application  and  diligence  combined 
with  sound  judgment  in  business  affairs.  He  nev- 
er allowed  his  expenses  to  exceed  his  income,  and, 
in  fact,  saved  something  each  year  from  his  earn- 
ings, and  when  his  capital  justified  his  purchase 
of  land  he  here  made  investment  of  his  means 
in  farm  property  until. tie  is  to-day  the  owner  of 
over  six  hundred  acres,  ojf,  very  valuable  land,  on 
which  are  good  improvements.  The  place  is 
neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  indicating  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  a  painstaking  and  progressive 
owner.  In  all  of  his  work  he  has  been  systematic 
and  methodical,  so  directing  his  labor  as  to  pro- 
duce maximum  results  at  minimum  expenditure, 
which  is  the  secret  of  all  successful  business  man- 
agement. He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Exchange  Bank  at  Baylis,  subscribing  five  thou- 
sand dollars  in  stock  to  the  institution,  but  while 
financially  interested  in  other  business  concerns 
his  chief  attention  is  given  to  his  farming  and 
stock-raising  interests.  He  now  has  seventy- 
five  head  of  fine  cattle  upon  his  place  and  is  a 
breeder  of  polled  Angus  cattle.  He  also  feeds 
many  cattle  each  year  which  he  ships  to  the  city 
market. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1875,  Mr.  McCarter 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Kennedy, 
who  was  born  in  Griggsville  township  on  the 
1 6th  of  October,  1848,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James 
E.  and  Margaret  J.  (Laird)  Kennedy,  the  for- 
mer born  in  Huntingdon  county,  Pennsylvania, 
April  10,  1810,  while  the  latter  was  born  March 
14.  1X26.  In  the  year  1838  he  arrived  in  Griggs- 
ville township  and  purchased  land.  Later  he  re- 
turned to  Pennsylvania  in  1846,  was  married  there 
and  with  his  wife  again  came  to  Griggsville  town- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ship,  where  he  resided  until  1875,  in  the  meantime 
improving  and  cultivating  his  land  until  he  had 
developed  a  fine  farm.  In  1875  he  removed  from 
Pike  county  to  Henry  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land, 
whereon  he  resided  until  1889.  He  then  removed 
to  Alpha,  Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred  on 
the  4th  of  February,  1897.  He  acted  as  school 
director  for  many  years  and  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion found  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  belonged 
to  the  Presbyterian  church,  living  in  harmony 
with  its  teachings  and  he  gave  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  democracy.  His  widow"  still  survives 
him  and  now  resides  in  Kansas.  In  their  family 
were  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living : 
Mrs.  Marcus  McCarter;  Alexander,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Kansas ;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Carl  H. 
Shinn,  also  of  Kansas ;  and  Allen,  who  makes  his 
home  in  the  Sunflower  state. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarter  has 
been  blessed  with  five  children,  but  the  eldest  died 
in  infancy.  The  others  are  Edith,  who  was  born 
March  17,  1879,  and  is  the  wife  of  A.  Girard. 
who  is  living  in  New  Salem  township  and  by 
whom  she  has  two  children ;  Joseph  R.,  who 
was  born  July  9,  1881,  and  living  in  Englewood, 
Kansas;  James  J.,  born  December  23,  1885,  and 
now  at  home ;  and  Marcus  C.,  who  was  born  Au- 
gust 15,  1888,  and  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  McCarter  has  never  had  aspiration  for  pub- 
lic office.  He  has,  however,  served  as  school  di- 
rector for  thirty-seven  years,  save  for  the  brief 
period  of  a  single  year  and  has  been  a  champion 
for  improvement  in  the  schools,  believing  in  main- 
taining a  high  standard  of  public  instruction.  In 
1868  he  joined  the  Methodist  church,  but  in  1875 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Baylis, 
with  which  his  wife  has  been  connected  since 
1872.  They  are  devoted  members  of  this  church, 
in  which  he  has  served  as  one  of  the  trustees  ever 
since  it  was  organized.  They  are  most  generous 
contributors  to  its  support  and  take  an  active  and 
helpful  part  in  its  work  and  in  the  extension  of  its 
influence.  Mr.  McCarter  votes  with  thedemocracy. 
While  there  have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  his 
life  record,  his  history  has  been  characterized  by 
steady  progress.  In  his  business  career  he  has 
known  no  such  word  as  fail,  and  by  earnest  ef- 


fort has  overcome  all  difficulties  and  obstacles  in 
his  path  working  his  way  steadily  upward.  To 
those  who  are  familiar  with  his  life  history  it 
would  seem  trite  to  say  that  he  has  advanced  from 
a  humble  position  to  rank  among  the  leading  and 
prosperous  citizens  of  the  county  yet  it  is  just  to 
say  in  a  history  that  will  descend  to  future  gen- 
erations that  his  has  been  a  record  that  any  man 
might  be  proud  to  possess,  being  characterized  by 
the  faithful  fulfillment  of  every  obligation  that 
has  devolved  upon  him. 


JACOB  SCHEDEL. 

Jacob  Schedel,  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, born  in  1848.  He  came  to  America  in 
1866,  after  spending  the  first  eighteen  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  land  and  soon  took  up  his 
abode  in  Pittsfield,  having  in  the  meantime  trav- 
eled to  some  extent.  Here  he  embarked  in  the 
butchering  business  in  connection  with  his  bro- 
ther and  they  were  associated  in  the  conduct 
of  a  successful  enterprise  up  to  the  time  of  the 
death  of  Jacob  Schedel.  The  farm  upon  which 
his  widow  now  resides  was  purchased  by  him 
and  his  brother.  He  was  quite  successful  in  the 
conduct  of  the  meat  market,  securing  a  liberal 
and  gratifying  patronage  which  brought  him  a 
good  financial  return. 

Mr.  Schedel  was  married  in  1871  to  Miss 
Charlotte  Auer,  who  was  born  in  Wittenberg, 
Germany,  in  1852,  and  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  in  1854,  the  family  home  being  established 
in  Pennsylvania.  There  they  remained  until  1860, 
when  they  came  westward  to  Illinois  and  Mrs. 
Schedel  lived  with  an  aunt,  Mrs.  Hoffberger. 
Her  father  owned  considerable  land  near  New 
Canton,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  his  death  occurring  in  1900.  His  wife  sur- 
vived until  July,  1905,  passing  away  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-nine  years.  When  Mrs. 
Schedel  came  to  the  west  she  was  twelve  years  of 
age  and  she  lived  in  New  Canton  for  one  winter, 
after  which  she  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  and 
subsequently  came  to  Pittsfield. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schedel  were  born  eight 
children,  namelv :  Louisa  A.,  the  wife  of  Charles 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


477 


Clitts,  a  resident  of  New  Canton,  Illinois ;  Bertha 
M.,  the  wife  of  Gust  Attaberg,  a  resident  of 
Keokuk,  Iowa;  Theodore  F.,  at  home;  Harold 
F.,  living  in  Missouri ;  Viola,  who  is  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Pittsfield  township ;  Ivan,  Char- 
lotte and  Jacob,  all  at  home. 

Mrs.  Schedel  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  fine  and  well  improved  land  pleasantly 
situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Pitts- 
field.  She  superintends  her  farming  interests, 
the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  and  raising  stock 
being  carried  on  there.  She  has  a  very  nice  home 
and  good  buildings  upon  the  farm  and  in  the 
control  of  her  property  has  displayed  excellent 
business  ability  and  executive  force.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  and  a 
most  estimable  lady.  She  proved  to  her  husband 
a  faithful  helpmate  and  companion  on  life's  jour- 
ney, ably  assisting  him  by  her  energy  and  capable 
management  of  the  household  affairs.  In  his 
political  views  Mr  Schedel  was  a  democrat,  but 
was  without  aspiration  for  public  office,  preferring 
to  give  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business 
affairs,  and  his  industry  and  honorable  dealing 
were  the  salient  features  in  his  success. 


GEORGE  B.  McKINNEY,  D.  D.  S. 

Dr.  George  B.  McKinney,  a  dental  practitioner 
of  Barry,  is  a  native  of  Adams  county,  Illinois, 
his  birth  having  occurred  there  on  the  2ist  of 
May,  1872.  He  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Malinda 
( Yining)  MoKinney,  who  are  presented  else- 
where in  this  volume.  After  mastering  th'e  pre- 
liminary branches  of  learning  he  passed  through 
successive  grades  of  the  Barry  schools  until  he 
had  completed  the  high-school  course  and  later 
he  spent  one  term  as  a  student  in  the  University 
of  Illinois  and  afterward  entered  the  Northwest- 
ern University  at  Chicago,  matriculating  as  a 
student  in  the  dental  department.  He  completed 
the  regular  course  there  and  was  graduated  in 
1897  with  the  class  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
members.  I  le  had  passed  the  state  board  ex- 
amination in  1896  and  entered  upon  active  prac- 
tice prior  to  his  graduation.  Following  the  com- 


pletion of  his  university  course  he  came  to  Barry, 
where  he  opened  an  office  and  has  since  remained 
in  business.  He  has  here  purchased  a  lot  on 
which  he  erected  a  brick  office  building,  thirty 
by  twenty-eight  feet,  containing  six  rooms  and 
a  hall.  He  has  here  an  electric  light  plant  and  water- 
works, also  a  furnace  and  compressed-air  cylinder 
and  the  building  is  supplied  with  hot  and  cold 
water  throughort.  His  is  one  of  the  most  modern 
and  best  equipped  dental  parlors  in  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois. He  uses  the  latest  improved  scientific  im- 
plements known  to  the  profession  and  keeps  in 
touch  with  the  marked  advance  that  has  been  made 
in  dentistry  during  the  last  few  years.  His  work 
has  given  universal  satisfaction  and  is  his  best 
advertisement  for  'his  patrons  recommend  him  to 
others  and  his  patronage  is  constantly  growing. 
In  1897  Dr.  McKinney  was  married  to  Miss 
Edith  Robb  who  was  born  in  Griggsville,  July 
19,  1874,  and  is  a  daughter  of  J.  J.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Miller)  Robb.  Her  father  was  born  in  1835, 
in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
a  son  of  David  and  Sarah  (Wyte)  Robb,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Keystone  state  and 
were  of  German  descent.  The  father  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  throughout .  his 
life  carried  on  farming.  He  came  to  Illinois  in 
1858,  rented  land  and  continued  its  cultivation 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  en- 
listing in  the  army  in  1865  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  One  hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for 
five  months  in  Tennessee  He  was  on  detached 
duty  along  the  Nashville  Railroad  and  partici- 
pated in  no  battles  but  took  part  in  some  skir- 
mishes. Following  the  close  of  hostilities  he  re- 
turned to  Pike  county  and  settled  in  Griggsville, 
where  the  family  had  removed  in  the  meantime. 
There  he  followed  the  trade  of  brick-laying  for 
a  time,  continuing  his  residence  there  until  1877, 
when  he  removed  to  Barry,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home!  He  conducted  a  billiard  and 
pool  room  in  the  town  until  1894  and  since  that 
time  has  been  proprietor  of  a  bakery.  In  1858 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Miller,  of  Pike  county, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  died  here  in 
January,  1898.  They  had  eight  children,  of  whom 


478 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


four  are  now  living:  Mrs.  Edjth  McKinney; 
Mortimer,  who  is  associated  with  his  father  in 
the  bakery;  J.  W.,  a  resident  of  Centertown, 
Missouri ;  and  Fannie,  wife  of  J.  B.  Watson,  a 
hardware  merchant  of  Barry.  Mr.  Robb  is  a 
republican  in  his  political  views,  while  fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public and  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  having  been  affiliated  with  the  latter 
for  twenty-nine  years. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  McKinney  have  one  child,  Ruth 
Marie,  born  February  21,  1901.  The  Doctor 
votes  with  the  republican  party  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  city  council  for  two  years,  exer- 
cising his  official  prerogatives  in  suppdrt  of  all 
progressive  public  measures.  He  belongs  to 
Barry  lodge,  No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  and  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Asso- 
ciation. Along  professional  lines  he  is  connected 
with  the  Morgan  County  Dental  Society,  which 
includes  five  counties  within  its  membership,  and 
has  been  honored  with  the  office  of  vice  president. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  State  Dental  Society. 
He  began  preparation  for  the  profession  in  1894 
and  added  to  his  knowledge  of  the  great  scien- 
tific principles  which  underly  the  work,  natural 
mechanical  skill  and  ability.  The  dental  pro- 
fession is  unique  in  that  it  demands  three  dis- 
tinct qualifications  for  success — strong  mentality 
for  the  mastery  of  the  science,  mechanical  ingen- 
uity for  the  operating  room,  and  keen  business 
discernment  for  the  management  of  the  financial 
part  of  the  business.  In  all  Dr.  McKinney  is  well 
equipped  and  his  business  has  constantly  grown 
in  extent  and  importance. 


CHARLES  B.  GOSE. 

Charles  B.  Gose,  a  dealer  in-  general  merchan- 
dise at  Kinderhook,  where  for  twenty-five  years 
he  has  been  engaged  in  business  so  that  his  name 
is  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  history  of  com- 
mercial activity  in  the  village  and  who  is  also 
capably  carrying  on  farming  interests,  was  born 


in  Pike  county  on  the  4th  of  September,  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Eliza  J.  (Bickley)  Gose. 
The  father  was  born  in  Russell  county,  Virginia, 
and  was  reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer  in  his 
native  state.  He  was  married  there  in  March, 
1835,  to  Eliza  J.  Bickley,  also  a  native  of  the  Old 
Dominion.  Thirty  days  after  their  marriage  they 
started  for  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  came  over- 
land, being  a  long  time  upon  the  way,  but  event- 
ually reaching  their  destination  in  safety.  They 
located  on  the  northwest  corner  of  section  14, 
Kinderhook  township,  securing  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  of  which  Charles  B.  Goss  now  owns 
sixty-eight  acres  besides  other  property  amounting 
to  four  hundred  acres.  On  the  father's  land  a  story 
and  a  half  log  house  and  a  good  barn  had  already 
been  built  and  in  this  primitive  pioneer  home 
the  family  began  their  life  in  the  middle  west, 
The  father  cultivated  and  developed  new  land, 
the  demanded  activity  making  his  life  a  strenuous 
one.  In  the  midst  of  a  busy  and  energetic  career 
he  passed  away,  dying  in  October,  1847,  when 
yet  in  the  prime  of  life.  His  widow  long  sur- 
vived him  and  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the 
7th  of  January,  1894.  In  their  family  were  four 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  Abel  A., 
who  was  born  in  June,  1836;  Charles  B.,  of  this 
review;  George  C,  born  in  November,  1839;  and 
Frances  E.,  the  widow  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Sprague, 
and  a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  The 
parents  were  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
church. 

Charles  B.  Gose  was  educated  in  the  old  stone 
schoolhouse  near  his  father's  home  in  Pike 
county.  This  structure  replaced  one  of  the  primi- 
tive log  schoolhouses  of  pioneer  times  which 
had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  He  mastered  the 
common  branches  of  English  learning  and  when 
still  quite  young  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account,  being  left  fatherless  at  the  age  of  ten 
years.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  when  he  began  farming  on  his  own 
account,  following  that  calling  until  March,  1881. 
Tie  then  entered  into  partnership  with  J.  C.  Col- 
vin  in  a  general  store  at  Kinderhook.  the  relation 
being  maintained  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
purchased  Mr.  Colvin's  interest  and  has  MHCC 
successfully  carried  on  business  alone.  He  has 


C.    B.   GOSIJ 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


481 


a  general  stock  of  merchandise  and  also  handles 
patent  medicines  and  school  supplies.  In  addition 
to  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  which  he  now  owns 
he  has  purchased  more  land  from  time  to  time 
until  his  possessions  at  present  writing,  in  1906, 
aggregate  four  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres 
of  valuable  land,  about  one-half  of  which  is  lo- 
cated on  the  bottom  and  the  remainder  on  the 
bluff.  He  rents  his  land,  which  is  all  well  im- 
proved. It  is  divided  into  several  farms  and  he 
has  good  houses  and  other  buildings  upon  them. 
He  also  owns  a  dwelling  in  the  town. 

On  the  '20th  of  October,  1863,  Mr.  Gose  was 
tinited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cynthia  J.  Jones,  who 
was  born  in  Chautauqua  county,  New  York, 
February  16,  1840,  and  is  a  daughter  of  H.  S. 
and  Elizabeth  (Bain)  Jones.  The  father  was 
born  in  Vermont,  while  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Washington  county,  New  York.  They 
removed  to  western  New  York  and  in  1854  came 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where  they  remained  until 
1860,  when  they  went  to  northwestern  Wisconsin, 
where  both  died.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gose  were 
born  four  children,  two  sons  now  living,  while 
two  daughters  have  passed  away.  Bertha, 
born  in  April,  1865,  died  in  January,  1866. 
Bessie,  born  in  February,  1867  died  in  February, 
1871.  Ernest  B.,  born  November  15,  1868,  mar- 
ried Frances  M.  Elliott.  He  attended  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  New 
York,  from  1886  until  1890,  and  was  graduated 
in  the  latter  year.  He  was  recommended  to  West 
Point  by  Hon.  J.  M.  Riggs,  of  Scott  county. 
Illinois,  who  was  at  that  time  a  member  of  con- 
gress. He  is  now  a  captain  in  the  United  States 
regular  army  and  with  his  family  is  stationed  in 
the  Philippines.  He  has  one  son,  Elliott  B. 
Charles  J.,  born  December  16,  1871,  married  Car- 
rie A.  Leach,  of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  now 
lives  in  Kinderhook.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Missouri  Medical  College,  of  St.  Louis,  of  the 
class  of  1899  but  is  not  now  practicing  his  pro- 
fession. He  has  one  child,  Cynthia  F. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gose  is  a  stalwart 
democrat  and  for  twenty-six  years  served  as 
school  treasurer  in  Kinderhook  township.  He  has 
also  been  town  clerk,  assessor  and  road  commis- 
sioner. His  sons  are  both  members  of  the  Masonic 


fraternity.  Mr.  Gose  stands  as  a  splendid  ex- 
ample of  the  self-made  man  and  his  life  exempli- 
fies the  term,  dignity  of  labor.  He  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  have  worked  earnestly  as  the  years  have 
gone  by  and  success  have  attended  their  efforts. 
They  are  both  people  of  genuine  personal  worth 
and  the  history  of  Mr.  Gose  may  well  serve  as  a 
source  of  inspiration  and  encouragement  to  others, 
showing  what  may  be  accomplished  by  deter- 
mined purpose  when  guided  by  good  business 
judgment  and  supplemented  by  indefatigable 
industry. 


JOSEPH  WILSON. 

Joseph  Wilson,  a  representative  agriculturist  of 
Pike  county,  who  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  of 
polled  Angus  cattle'  and^Poland  China  hogs,  was 
born  in  Gri*gsyille  township,  January  22,  1838. 
His  parents  were  Joseph-and  Elizabeth  (Walker) 
Wilson.  The  father's  birth  "oct'urred  near  Bos- 
ton in  Lincolnshire,  England,  March  6,  1793,  and 
in  his  native  country  he  was  married.  His  two 
children  were  born  prior  to  the  emigration  to 
the  new  world,  which  occurred  in  1829.  They 
took  passage  on  a  westward  bound  sailing  vessel, 
which  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York 
city  and  thence  they  proceeded  by  stage  to  Chi- 
cago and  on  to  La  Salle,  Illinois,  after  which  they 
made  their  way  down  the  Illinois  river  to  Griggs- 
ville  Landing.  They  settled  in  Griggsville  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  where  the  father  built  a  log 
house  on  land  belonging  to  his  brother-in-law, 
Robert  Walker.  Later  he  purchased  ninety  acres 
of  land  from  Mr.  Walker,  which  was  partially 
wild  prairie,  while  the  remainder  was  covered 
with  timber.  Mr.  Wilson  was  one  of  the  frontier 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  state  and  shared  in  all 
the  Hardships,  privations  and  dangers  incident  to 
pioneer  life.  Indians  frequently  visited  the  neigh- 
borhood, wild  animals  were  killed  in  the  forests 
and  there  was  much  wild  game,  including  deer, 
turkeys  and  prairie  chickens.  The  table  of  the 
early  settler  was  thus  often  supplied  with  game 
if  the  man  of  the  household  could  prove  himself 
a  good  shot  and  the  Wilson  family  board  was  oft- 
en adorned  bv  the  fruits  of  the  chase.  As  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


years  passed  by  Mr.  Wilson  prospered  in  his  busi- 
ness undertakings  and  wisely  invested  in  more 
land,  becoming  the  owner  of  about  four  hundred 
acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  reclaimed  from 
its  wild  condition  through  his  own  labors  and  the 
assistance  of  his  sons.  He  built  a  frame  house 
and  added  other  modern  improvements,  while  his 
fields  were  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  returned  to  him  good  crops.  While  he 
led  a  busy  life  he  also  found  opportunity  to  de- 
vote to  the  general  good,  served  as  school  director 
for  many  years  and  assisted  in  the  work  of  gen- 
eral development  and  progress.  He  helped  to 
raise  the  first  house  built  in  Griggsv.ille,  it  being 
a  log  structure  which  is  still  standing.  He  voted 
with  the  whig  party  and  was  a  consistent  and 
faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  His  death  occurred  at  the  very  advanced 
age  of  ninety-six  years  and  eight  months,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1876  in  her  seventy-sixth 
year.  They  were  honored  and  worthy  pioneer  peo- 
ple and  their  names  are  inseparably  interwoven 
with  the  annals  of  Pike  county  because  of  their 
activity  in  early  days  when  this  region  was  emerg- 
ing from  pioneer  conditions  to  take  on  the  im- 
provements and  advantages  of  civilization.  After 
coming  to  this  country  the  family  circle  was  in- 
creased by  the  birth  of  eight  children,  the  family 
record  being  as  follows :  Rachel ;  David ;  Louisa ; 
Martha,  who  married  John  Scott  and  is  living  in 
Kansas;  Jane  Ann;  Joseph;  Isaac;  Sarah; 
George,  who  married  Julia  Bell  and  died  in  Red- 
lands,  California,  November  23,  1905 ;  and  Eliza- 
beth. 

Joseph  Wilson  is  today  one  of  the  oldest  native 
sons  of  Pike  county,  his  life  record,  covering  six- 
ty-eight years,  being  one  of  close  connection  with 
the  interests  and  especially  with  the  agricultural 
development  of  this  part  of  the  state.  In  his  boy- 
hood days  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of 
field  and  meadow  and  in  the  winter  months  after 
the  crops  were  harvested  he  attended  the  district 
schools.  When  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
took  charge  of  the  farm  belonging  to  his  brother- 
in-law,  who  had  left  this"  country  for  Pike's  Peak. 
He  remained  upon  the  farm  for  about  six  months 
and  then  began  farming  on  his  own  account  and 
also  assisted  his  father.  In  1863  he  concentrated 


his  energies  entirely  upon  farm  work  for  himself, 
raising  wheat  and  corn.  He  is  today  carrying  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  on  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  which  is  very  rich  and  pro- 
ductive and  in  addition  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil 
he  is  engaged  in  breeding  and  raising  polled  An- 
gus cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  Both  branches 
of  his  business  are  carefully  conducted  and  ap- 
proving profitable. 

On  the  3ist  of  March,  1864,  Mr.  Wilson  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  G.  Sleight,  who  was  born 
March  25,  1838,  and  was  a  daughter  of  John  G. 
and  Rebecca  (Walker)  Sleight,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  England,  the  former  born  October 
5,  1805,  and  the  latter  in  1802.  They  came  to 
this  country  in  1857  with  their  children,  all  of 
whom  were  born  in  England,  and  located  in  Flint 
township,  Pike  county,  Illinois.  The  father  had 
nine  tracts  of  forty  acres  each  and  one  of  eighty 
acres,  making  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
all  devoted  to  general  farming.  He  raised  wheat, 
corn,  cattle  and  hogs,  conducting  a  general  farm- 
ing business.  He  never  cared  for  public  office, 
although  he  served  as  school  director  and  trustee 
for  many  years.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  his  life  was  an 
honorable  and  upright  one,  commending  him  to 
the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. In  politics  he  was  a  republican.  His  death 
occurred  February  13,  1888,  when  he  was  in  his 
eighty-third  year,  while  his  wife  passed  away  June 
19,  1862.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons:  Betsy  G.,'who  married  John 
Culley ;  Sally  G.,  who  married  James  L.  Thomp- 
son and  died  in  1894;  Ann  G.,  the  wife  of 'Robert 
N.  Long,  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Walker  G.,  who 
died  in  1884;  Eliza  G.,  who  passed  away  in  1902  ; 
Mrs.  Wilson,  who  was  born  March  25,  1838; 
John  G.,  who  married  Ruth  Reynolds  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Griggsville  township  ;  and  Rebecca  G.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  John  Cummings  and  died  in 
1871. 

Unto  Air.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  been  born  four 
children,  but  only  one  is  now  living.  Elizabeth 
F.,  born  January  29,  1865,  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Meyers,  who  resides  on  section  6,  Flint  township. 
This  was  tar  grandfather's  home  and  it  was  here 
that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  married.  Wai- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


lace  Ross  Wilson,  born  in  the  fall  of  1871,  died  in 
the  fall  of  1874.  Rebecca  K.,  born  December  23, 
1874,  died  March  5,  1875,  and  one  child  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  for  twenty-five  years  been 
treasurer  of  the  Flint  Mutual  Aid  Association, 
which  was  organized  in  1873.  In  politics  he  has 
been  a  stalwart  republican  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860. 
He  served  as  school  director  from  1872  until  1888 
and  for  seven  terms  was  supervisor.  He  was  also 
road  commissioner  and  tax  collector  and  in  these 
various  offices  has  been  most  faithful  and  prompt 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  He  belongs  to  Pike 
lodge,  No.  73,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  is  esteemed  by  his 
brethren  of  the  fraternity,  by  his  business  asso- 
ciates and  by  the  friends  whom  he  has  made  in  so- 
cial life.  He  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance  in  Pike 
county,  where  he  has  always  lived,  and  few  men 
are  more  familiar  with  the  history  of  this  part  of 
the  state  or  with  the  events  which  have  formed 
its  annals.  His  mind  bears  the  picture  of  early 
pioneer  life  as  well  as  of  later  progress  and  he 
has  not  only  watched  the  growth  of  the 
county  but  has  also  taken  a  helpful  part 
in  its  development. 


WILLIAM  H.  WINDSOR. 

The  name  Windsor  has  long  figured  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  and  the  business  prog- 
ress of  Pike  county,  the  subject  of  this  review 
being  the  representative  of  a  pioneer  family. 
He  is  now  well  known  as  a  merchant  and  the 
postmaster  of  Valley  City  and  he  is  also  farming 
eighty  acres  of  land.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Florence,  Pike  county,  on  the  2ist  of  May,  1871. 
His  father,  William  Windsor,  was  born  March  4, 
1822,  and  became  a  resident  of  this  county  at  an 
early  day.  Here  he  was  married  on  the  271)1  of 
April,  1851,  to  Miss  Caroline  Evans,  whose  birth 
occurred  December  28,  1831.  He  first  built  a 
house  on  a  forty-acre  tract  of  land  and  subse- 
quently he  purchased  what  was  called  the  Wine- 
gar  Spring  farm,  which  he  afterward  sold,  in- 


vesting his  money  in  a  farm  in  Chambersburg 
township.  There  he  planted  an  orchard  and  im- 
proved his  property,  but  eventually  disposed  of 
that  place  and  returned  to  Valley  City.  In  the 
early  days  he  operated  the  old  horse-power  ferry 
there  for  many  years  and  following  his  return  to 
Valley  City  he  operated  a  steam  ferry  there.  On 
selling  out  that  business  he  went  to  Detroit,  where 
he  lost  his  wife  and  several  of  his  children.  He 
afterward  spent  the  winter  in  the  south,  engaged 
in  hunting  large  game  and  his  last  days  were 
passed  in  honorable  retirement  from  labor.  His 
death  occurred  at  Poplar  Bluffs,  Missouri.  He 
favored  the  Af  ethodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
his  wife  was  a  devoted  member,  taking  a  very 
active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work.  He  voted 
with  the  democracy  and  was  ever  earnest  in  sup- 
port of  political  principles  and  whatever  he  be- 
lieved to  be  right.  His  death  occurred  March  12, 
1885,  when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age  and 
his  wife  passed  away  July  16,  1874,  at  the  age 
of  forty-three  years.  In  their  family  were  eleven 
children,  of  whom  the  following  are  now  living: 
John,  who  resides  in  Valley  City ;  Sarah  E.,  the 
wife  of  George  Conkright,  a  resident  of  Okla- 
homa: and  Kisebell,  the  wife  of  Fred  Garrett,  of 
Pueblo,  Colorado. 

The  other  surviving  member  of  the  family  is 
William  H.  Windsor  of  this  review,  who  at  the 
age  of  five  years  went  to  New  Hartford  to  live 
with  the  family  of  John  Hoskins,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  working 
as  a  farm  hand  until  1898,  when  he  became  ill 
with  appendicitis.  After  his  recovery  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Company  as  a  lineman,  being  employed  in 
different  cities  as  far  east  as  New  York.  In  the  fall 
of  1902  he  returned  to  Pike  county,  where  he 
carried  on  farming  until  the  24th  of  August, 
1905,  when  he  took  possession  of  a  store  which 
he  had  purchased  in  Valley  City.  Here  he  has 
since  carried  on  general  merchandising  and  he 
is  also  acting  as  postmaster  of  the  village.  At  the 
same  time  he  is  farming  eighty  acres  of  land, 
having  seventy  acres  planted  to  corn. 

On  the  3ist  of  December,  1903,  Mr.  Windsor 
was  married  to  Miss  Mariette  Remington,  who 


484 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


was  born  near  Chambersburg,  Pike  county,  March 
i.  1870,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  A.  and 
Hasty  (Davis)  Remington,  the  former  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Griggsville,  Illinois. 
Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  en- 
listing in  Henry  county,  Illinois,  as  a  defender  of 
the  Union  cause.  He  afterward  followed  farm- 
ing in  Pike  county  and  subsequently  removed  to 
Stark  county,  where  he  carried  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise, 
which  occurred  July  31,  1873,  when  he  was  thirty- 
seven  years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him 
until  September  20,  1879,  and  died  in  Perry  at  the 
age  of  thirty-seven  years.  In  their  family  were 
six  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living :  Wil- 
liam, Weltha  A.,  Mrs.  Windsor  and  Anthony. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windsor  has 
been  blessed  with  one  son,  William  Russell,  born 
February  2,  1905. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  highly  esteemed 
people  of  the  community  in  which  they  reside, 
having  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends.  He  be- 
longs to  Valley  City  camp,  No.  4658,  M.  W.  A., 
and  he  gives  his  political  support  to  the  repub- 
lican party.  Starting  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account  when  fourteen  years  of  age  he  has  since 
been  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources 
and  to  his  labor  may  be  attributed  all  the  success 
he  has  enjoyed.  He  is  alert  and  enterprising, 
watchful  of  opportunities  promising  a  business 
advancement  and  has  already  attained  a  credit- 
able position  in  business  circles  in  his  native 
county  for  so  young  a  man. 


CAPTAIN  H.  B.  ATKINSON. 

Captain  H.  B.  Atkinson,  who  has  passed  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  in  Pike  county  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  New  Canton  since  June,  1876, 
closely  identified  with  its  business  interests  and 
commercial  development,  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  July  29,  1842,  the  second  son  of  B.  H. 
and  Harriet  (Morgan)  Atkinson,  natives  of  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  In  the  year 
1846  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Pike  county,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Pittsfield,  where 


most  of  his  youth  was  passed.  He  was  a  student 
in  the  public  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years  he  joined  the  Pike  county  regiment  which 
was  raised  in  August,  1862,  and  became  the  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  enlisted 
for  three  years'  service  and  although  he  joined 
the  army  as  a  private  his  soldierly  qualities  soon 
won  for  him  a  commission  and  toward  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was  given  a  captain's  commission, 
after  which  he  commanded  his  company  until  the 
close  of  hostilities.  With  his  regiment  he  re- 
turned home  at  the  close  of  the  war  in  August, 
1865,  and  soon  afterward  joined  his  father  in 
business  in  the  city  of  Pittsfield. 

On  the  1 2th  day  of  May,  1868,  Captain  Atkin- 
son was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Orphie  M. 
Witt.  Their  wedded  life  was  very  happy,  and  for 
thirty-one  years  they  traveled  down  the  slope  of 
time,  enjoying  life  and  its  surroundings,  but  in 
1899  Mrs.  Atkinson  was  called  to  her  final  rest. 
She  had  been  a  devoted  wife  and  mother,  a  faith- 
ful friend,  and  was  recognized  by  all  as  a  most 
estimable  lady,  so  that  her  death  was  deeply  de- 
plored in  the  community,  where  she  had  long  re- 
sided. There  had  been  four  children  born  to  this 
union  :  Fannie  M.,  now  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Dutton  ; 
Laura  E.,  the  wife  of  S.  T.  Donohoe ;  Richard  M., 
who  is  associated  with  his  father ;  and  Henry,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

Captain  Atkinson  continued  a  resident  of  Pitts- 
field  until  June,  1876,  when  he  removed  to  New 
Canton,  where  he  has  since  been  successfully  en- 
gaged in  business.  He  is  conducting  a  drug  store 
which  is  well  equipped  with  everything  found  in 
a  first-class  establishment  of  that  character,  and 
his  patronage  is  extensive  because  of  his  honor- 
able business  methods  and  his  earnest  desire  to 
please  his  patrons.  He  has  also  extended  his  ef- 
forts to  other  lines  of  business  activity,  for  in  1903 
he  assisted  in  establishing  the  Bank  of  New  Can- 
ton, a  much-needed  institution  in  his  home  town. 
He  has  been  president  of  the  bank  since  its  organ- 
ization and  is  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the 
very  successful  management  of  its  affairs.  He  has 
also  been  active  in  matters  of  public  moment,  and 
his  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  frequently  called  him  to  public  of- 
fice. He  was  supervisor  from  Pleasant  Vale  town- 


H.  B.  ATKINSON 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


487 


ship  from  1884  until  1889,  and  during  that  period 
acted  as  chairman  of  the  board  for  two  years. 
He  was  also  treasurer  of  the  Sny  levee  commission 
for  twelve  years,  and  in  September,  1901,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  its  commissioners,  and  for  three 
years  has  been  president  of  the  board.  Captain 
Atkinson,  while  not  a  native  son  of  the  county, 
has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  here,  and  has 
always  taken  a  great  interest  in  its  affairs,  tending 
to  the  good  of  the  community.  He  has  so  directed 
his  efforts  that  his  labors  have  proved  of  direct 
benefit  to  the  county,  and  at  the  same  time  has  so 
capably  managed  his  business  affairs  that  his 
labors  have  been  crowned  with  success. 


JOSEPH  M.  DUNHAM. 

Joseph  M.  Dunham,  at  one  time  closely  associat- 
ed with  agricultural  interests  but  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Pittsfield,  was  born  in  New  Salem 
township,  Pike  county,  on  the  I7th  of  May,  1859, 
Tiis  parents  being  the  Rev.  Abel  and  Rachel  (Har- 
den) Dunham.  The  father's  birth  occurred  in 
Harrison  county,  Ohio,  on  the  i6th  of  July,  1819, 
and  his  parents  were  William  and  Mary  (Chancy; 
Dunham.  Lewis  Dunham,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  met  all  the  hardships  and  privations  that 
fell  to  the  lot  of  the  brave  men  who  won  American 
liberty.  At  times  the  army  was  reduced  almost 
to  starvation,  but  the  troops  persevered  and  at 
length  victory  crowned  the  arms  of  the  colonists 
and  the  establishment  of  the  republic  was  an  as- 
sured fact. 

William  Dunham,  the  grandfather,  was  a  "na-- 
tive  of  Maryland,  in  which  state  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  were  passed.  Having  reached 
adult  age  he  married  Miss  Mary  Chaney,  who 
was  of  Scotch  lineage,  and  some  years  later  they 
removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Harrison  county 
when  it  was  a  wild  and  undeveloped  district. '  They 
cast  in  their  lot  with  its  pioneer  residents  and  aid- 
ed in  its  reclamation  for  the  uses  of  civilization. 
In  the  spring  of  1845  they  came  to  Illinois,  tak- 
ing up  their  abode  in  what  is  now  Griggsville 
township,  where  they  spent  their  remaining  days. 


William  Dunham  died  September  15,  1845,  an<^ 
his  wife  passed  away  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1852. 

Rev.  Abel  Dunham  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  amid  pioneer  environments  in 
Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  when  he  had  reached 
his  majority  he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate 
for  life's  journey.  He  wooed  and  won  Miss 
Rachel  Harden,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  March  7,  1816.  At  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage his  sole  capital  was  one  dollar  and  one  cent 
and  the  dollar  was  given  to  the  minister  who  per- 
formed the  marriage  ceremony,  while  after  the 
infair  a  little  nephew  was  made  the  happy  recip- 
ient of  the  penny.  Thus  empty-handed,  but  with 
courageous  p'urpqse  and  willing  hands,  the  young 
couple  started1 'out  in  life,  Mr.  Dunham  devoting 
his  attention  to  fartning  on  a  small  scale  in  his 
native  county,  when,  feeling  that  he  might  have 
better  business  opportunities  in  the  middle  west 
he  removed  to  Pike  county,  where  he  went  to  work 
in  earnest.  His  unremitting  diligence  formed  the 
basis  of  his  prosperity  and  his  labors  were  ably 
supplemented  by  the  faithful  efforts  of  his  esti- 
mable wife.  Thus  he  accumulated  over  six  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  land  together  with  other 
property  in  this  part  of  the  state.  In  1840  his 
wife  became  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church  and  was  a  most  earnest  and  faithful  work- 
er. She  frequently  spoke  in  the  meetings  of  the 
church  and  her  words,  fraught  with  the  true  spirit 
of  religion  and  with  intense  purpose,  thrilled  her 
hearers  and  had  a  beneficial  influence  on  many 
lives.  For  some  years  prior  to  her  death  she  was 
an  invalid,  but  her  mental  faculties  were  unim- 
paired and  she  retained  her  consciousness  up  to 
the  last,  bidding  her  friends  farewell  and  speak- 
ing to  them  words  of  Christian  cheer,  comfort 
and  advice.  She  passed  away  Sunday,  February 
28,  1886,  in  the  full  assurance  of  a  life  to  come. 
Ten  children  were  born  of  that  marriage.  Fol- 
lowing the  death  of  his  first  wife  Rev.  Dunham 
was  married  to  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Brown,  nee  Ander- 
son, who  was  born  near  Hillsboro,  in  Highland 
county,  Ohio.  August  23.  1840.  Mr.  Dunham 
was  a  prominent  abolitionist,  doing  everything  in 
his  power  to  suppress  slavery,  and  when  the  re- 
publican party  was  organized  to  prevent  its  fur- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


ther  extension  he  became  one  of  its  stalwart  ad- 
vocates. Later  he  was  again  connected  with  a 
party  of  reform — the  prohibitionist,  for  he  was 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  cause  of  temperance 
and  in  fact  his  influence  was  ever  given  on  the 
side  of  progress  and  improvement  and  for  the 
amelioration  of  the  hard  conditions  of  human  life. 
He  died  August  18,  1899,  leaving  behind  him  the 
priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name  and  an 
example  that  is  indeed  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

Joseph  M.  Dunham  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  New  Salem  township  and  in 
Griggsville.  He  remained  at  home  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  continuing  upon  his  father's  farm 
for  five  years,  and  since  that  time  has  lived  upon 
land  of  his  own.  His  farming  interests  today 
cover  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  and 
productive  land  in  New  Salem  township  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement  with 
all  modern  equipments  and  accessories.  He  built 
thereon  a  beautiful  residence,  but  has  now  retired 
from  the  active  management  of  the  farm,  remov- 
ing to  Pittsfield  on  the  3oth  of  August,  1905,  while 
his  land  is  leased  to  his  sons.  He  always  carried 
on  general  fanning  and  stock-raising,  making  a 
specialty  of  hogs,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness he  met  with  success  that  in  the  course  of 
time  brought  him  a  capital  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest  at  the  present 
time.  He  rents  a  fine  home  where  he  resides  on 
East  Washington  street. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  1877,  Mr.  Dunham 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eldora  Koontz, 
who  was  born  February  14,  1860,  and  is  a  native 
of  Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Catherine  (Stambaugh)  Koontz.  The 
father  was  a  farmer,  stone-mason  and  contractor. 
In  the  family  were  fifteen  children,  eight  of  whom 
reached  years  of  maturity,  but  only  three  are  now 
living,  namely  :  Mrs.  Dunham  ;  David  Koontz, 
who  resides  in  East  St.  Louis,  Illinois ;  and  Wil- 
liam Koontz,  who  is  living  near  Camden,  Illinois. 
The  parents  are  both  deceased,  the  mother  passing 
away  in  1875,  while  the  father's  death  occurred 
in  1888. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children.  Harry  H.,  the  eldest,  born 
August  24,  1878,  married  Ida  Pence  and  is  a 
farmer  living  in  Xew  Salem  township.  They  have 


two  children,  Paul  and  Lena.  Nellie  L.  Dunham, 
born  October  13,  1880,  attended  the  country 
schools  and  has  been  educated  in  music.  William 
R.,  born  January  7,  1883,  is  living  upon  the  old 
home  farm  in  New  Salem  township.  David  C, 
born  October  22,  1884,  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  New  Salem  township.  Samuel  K.,  born 
April  30,  1887,  is  living  at  home  and  attends  the 
high  school  in  Pittsfield.  Nora  E.,  born  May  19, 
1892,  and  Cloyd  W.,  February  2,  1897,  are  at 
home. 

Mr.  Dunham  is  a  democrat  who  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day 
but  has  never  been  active  as  an  office-seeker,  al- 
though he  has  served  as  school  trustee.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  New  Sa- 
lem and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  he  and  his  wife  and  their  children  are  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  church.  A  worthy 
representative  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
Pike  county,  the  name  of  Dunham  has  been  known 
here — and  honorably  so — for  many  years  and  Jo- 
seph M.  Dunham  of  this  review  is  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  the  family.  He  well  deserves  the 
success  which  has  come  to  him  and  which  enables 
him  now  to  live  in  well  earned  ease. 


WILLIAM   E.   JAMES. 

William  E.  James  is  conducting  a  profitable 
business  as  a  general  agriculturist,  horticulturist 
and  stock-raiser.  The  property  comprises  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  of  rich 
land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  im- 
proved with  the  buildings  and  equipments  which 
indicate  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 
There  is  upon  his  farm  an  apple  orchard  covering 
from  eighteen  to  twenty  acres,  also  a  fine  pear 
orchard  of  six  acres.  He  raises  the  various  ce- 
reals best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  he  also 
buys,  feeds  and  ships  cattle  and  hogs,  which  he 
sends  to  the  St.  Louis  market.  He  likewise  raises 
fine  horses  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  en- 
terprising farmers  and  stock-dealers  of  this  part 
of  the  county. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  occurred  in 
Adams  county  on  the  6th  of  October.  1856.  His 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


489 


father,  Allen  W.  James,  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
October  13,  1818,  and  was  married  in  that  state 
to  Miss  Matilda  Clardy,  who  was  also  born  there. 
They  had  two  children :  Frances  A.,  the  wife  of 
James  Thomas,  a  resident  farmer  of  .Tennessee ; 
and  Virginia,  the  deceased  wife  of  Williamson 
Bond,  a  Pike  county  farmer.  Following  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  Mr.  James  wedded  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Sartain,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  Janu- 
ary i,  1827.  They  became  the  parents  of  five 
sons  and  a  daughter,  of  whom  four  are  still  liv- 
ing :  Columbus  A.,  of  Butler,  Missouri ;  Harvey 
C.  of  Oxford,  Nebraska;  John  A.,  of  Perry, 
Pike  county;  and  William  E.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Those  deceased  are  Cordelia  and  Charles 
E.  In  the  year  1852  the  parents  removed  from 
Tennessee  to  Adams  county,  Illinois,  and  some 
years  later  Pike  county  became  the  family  home. 
In  1888,  however,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  removed 
to  Bates  county,  Missouri,  but  shortly  afterward 
returned  to  Pike  county,  where  they  remained  un- 
til the  death  of  Mrs.  James,  which  occurred  Octo- 
ber 3,  1895,  ner  husband  surviving  until  April  20, 
1898,  when  he  too  passed  away.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  were 
very  loyal  to  its  teachings.  Mr.  James  voted 
with  the  democratic  party. 

William  E.  James  was  a  young  lad  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Pike  county  and  in  the  public 
schools  here  he  acquired  his  education.  Reared 
to  the  occupation  of  farming,  he  has  made  it  his 
life  work  and  he  began  that  business  on  his  own 
account  soon  after  his  marriage,  which  occurred 
in  1 88 1.  In  1885  he  removed  to  Bates  county, 
Missouri,  where  he  spent  four  years,  farming  and 
dealing  in  stock.  In  1889  he  returned  to  Pike 
county  and  followed  farming  in  Montezuma 
township  near  Milton  until  1901,  when  he  sold  his 
property  and  came  to  Perry  township,  locating 
on  the  old  Smith  homestead. 

On  the  yth  of  December,  1881,  Mr.  James  was 
married  to  Miss  Ella  V.  Smith,  a  daughter  of 
William  W.  and  Frances  (Brown)  Smith.  Her 
father,  who  was  born  in  Page  cofmty,  Virginia, 
July  10,  1833,  died  January  12,  1901.  He  was 
married  in  Illinois,  August  21,  1860.  In  the 
family  were  five  children,  namely :  Mrs.  James ; 
George  M.,  who  is  sheriff  of  Pike  county;  Har- 


vey D.,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Detroit  township; 
and  Nettie  and  Ida  May,  who  both  died  when 
quite  young.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Life  In- 
surance Company  and  belong  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  of  Perry.  Both  take 
an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  church 
and  thus  exercise  a  strong  influence  for  good. 
Mrs.  James  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Presbyterian  College  at  Jackson- 
ville and  is  an  estimable  lady,  extending  to  her 
many  friends  the  gracious  hospitality  of  a  pleas- 
ant and  attractive  home.  Mr.  James  belongs  to 
Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  his 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democracy. 
The  family  has  long  been  known  in  this  part  of 
the  state  and  like  others  of  the  name  William  E. 
James  has  made  a  creditable  record  and  secured 
success  in  his  business  affairs. 


HENRY   GARD. 

Henry  Gard,  who  is  interested  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Pleasant  Vale  township, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres,  is  a  native  of 
Barry  township,  born  on  the  loth  of  December, 
1856.  His  parents,  Cyrenius  and  Nancy  (Kid- 
well)  Gard,  were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father 
was  born  near  Marietta,  that  state.  In  1833  he 
made  a  trip  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  but  it  was 
not  until  1839  that  he  located  permanently  here, 
becoming  identified  with  its  early  development  and 
improvement.  He  settled  in  Barry  township, 
where  he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
owning  and  operating  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land.  In  his  family  were  twelve  children, 
of  whom  six  are  yet  living:  Daniel,  born  March 
30,  1837,  died  September  8,  1859;  Charles,  born 
April  15,  1840,  is  living  near  his  brother  Henry; 
Lucinda,  born  Feoruary  28,  1842,  resides  in 
Pleasant  Vale  township;  Jasper,  born  February 
5,  1844,  died  in  St.  Louis,  while  serving  in  the 
army  on  the  nth  of  November,  1863;  Martha 
died  in  1902;  Mary,  twin  sister  of  Martha,  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Dodge  and  resides  in  New 


490 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


London,  Missouri ;  Joel,  born  December  5,  1848, 
is  living  near  Mexico,  Missouri;  Paulina,  born 
October  24,  1850,  died  October  9,  1852;  Paulina, 
born  September  5,  1852,  is  living  in  Nebraska; 
Jane,  born  September  5,  1854,  became  the  wife 
of  Wilson  P.  Cochran  and  both  are  now  de- 
ceased, the  former  having  died  March  18,  1899; 
Henry  is  the  eleventh  of  the  family ;  Nancy,  born 
January  22,  1861,  died  August  25,  1862.  The 
mother  passed  away  January  28,  1861,  and  the 
father  survived  until  June  24,  1875. 

Henry  Card  pursued  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  New  Canton  and  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1877.  Selling 
his  interest  in  the  old  homestead  property,  he 
purchased  where  he  now  resides  on  section  10. 
Pleasant  Vale  township,  and  has  here  since  made 
his  home.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  of  good  land,  a  part  of  which  is  bottom  land, 
while  a  part  lies  on  the  bluff.  It  is  located  about 
a  mile  from  New  Canton  and  is  a  good  farm  well 
developed.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  stock 
business  most  of  the  time  and  is  now  raising 
polled  Angus  cattle  and  a  good  grade  of  hogs, 
buying,  feeding  and  shipping  considerable  stock. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1878,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Card  and  Miss  Olive  Seybold, 
who  was  born  on  the  adjoining  farm,  July  6, 
1862,  her  parents  being  Jacob  and  Nancy  (Jef- 
fries) Seybold.  Her  father  was  born  in  this 
county,  where  her  grandfather  located  at  a  very 
early  day.  Jacob  Seybold  was  a  fanner,  de- 
voting his  life  to  general  agricultural  pursuits. 
In  his  family  were  three  children :  Edward,  a 
resident  of  Joplin.  Missouri ;  Mrs.  Card ;  and 
Jasper  M.,  who  was  born  February  27,  1865, 
and  died  April  12,  1892.  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven,  years. 

Mr.  Card  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  republican  men  and  measures  and  for 
three  years  filled  the  office  of  road  commissioner. 
He  belongs  to  Masonic  lodge,  Xo.  821,  at  New 
Canton,  and  to  camp  No.  1148.  M.  W.  A.  He 
is  highly  regarded  in  the  community  where  he 
resides  and  in  which  he  has  so  directed  his  efforts 
that  he  is  now  classed  with  the  successful  farm- 
ers. There  have  been  no  especially  advantageous 
circumstances  in  his  life  nor  has  he  received  anv 


great  assistance  through  inheritance,  but  with  a 
just  realization  of  the  value  of  unremitting  et- 
fort  he  has  so  labored  as  to  gain  valuaoie  and 
desirable  farming  interests  and  his  life  record 
is  an  exemplification  of  the  term  "dignity  of 
labor." 


ALBION  SHINN. 

Albion  Shinn  is  well  known  as  a  representative 
of  extensive  and  important  business  interests  in 
Pike  county,  where  he  is  largely  engaged  in  rais- 
ing sheep.  His  life  record  is  well  known  to  his 
fellow  townsmen,  for  he  is  a  native  son  of  Pike 
cc'imty,  having  been  born  in  Pittsfield  township 
on  the  2d  of  December,  1848.  He  has  since 
lived  in  this  part  of  the  state  and  has  so  directed 
his  energies  as  to  find  his  labors  a  good  source 
of  income.  His  parents  were  William  and  Mary 
Jane  (Lytle)  Shinn.  The  father  was  born  in  At- 
las township,  Pike  ctounty,  on  the  7th  of  January, 
1827,  his  parents  being  Daniel  and  Mary  (Hack- 
ett)  Shinn,  who 'were  natives  of  New  Jersey.  The 
family  is  of  English  descent,  having  been  founded 
in  America  by  three  brothers  who  came  from  Eng- 
land at  an  early  day.  The  grandparents  were 
married  in  New  Jersey  and  removed  from  there 
to  Ohio,  where  they  remained  for  seven  years, 
coming  to  Illinois  in  April,  1820,  only  two  years 
after  the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union. 
They  were  indeed  pioneer  residents  of  Pike  coun- 
ty, settling  within  its  borders  when  the  work  of 
improvement  and  progress  had  scarcely  been  be- 
gun. Daniel  Shinn  brought  with  him  the  first 
wagon  ever  in  Pike  county  and  he  had  to  cut  and 
make  a  road  for  forty  miles  in  order  to  reach  his 
destination.  On  arriving  here  he  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  12,  Atlas 
township,  and  built  thereon  a  log  cabin,  beginning 
life  in  true  frontier  style.  As  the  years  passed  by 
he  improved  the  place,  spending  his  remaining 
days  thereon.  The  country  was  wild  and  the 
seeds  of  civilization  had  scarcely  been  planted.  He 
helped  to  make  the  first  road  from  Pittsfield  to 
Atlas  and  assisted  in  building  the  first  courthouse 
and  jail  at  Atlas,  both  structures  being  made  of 
logs.  As  the  years  passed  by  success  attended  his 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


491 


efforts  and  he  became  the  owner  of  seven  hundred 
acres  of  land  and  was  recognized  as  a  wealthy 
man  and  farmer.  He  gave  all  of  his  children 
some  land  and  as  the  years  went  by  he  prospered 
in  his  undertakings  and  took  an  active  and  help- 
ful part  in  the  work  of  development,  so  that  he 
was  known  among  the  honored  and  valued  pioneer 
residents.  He  reared  thirteen  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living,  namely:  William  Shinn  and  a 
sister  who  resides  in  Iowa.  Daniel  Shinn  died  in 
March,  1852,  having  for  several  years  survived 
his  wife,  who  passed  away  about  1846. 

William  Shinn  was  reared  amid  the  environ- 
ments of  pioneer  life,  sharing  with  the  family  in 
all  the  hardships  and  difficulties  incident  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  home  and  the  development  of  a 
farm  upon  the  frontier.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  when  quite  young  began 
work  in  the  fields  and  was  but  a  youth  when  he 
provided  for  his  own  support  by  working  as  a 
farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood.  He  was  married 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years  to  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Lytle  and  lived  with  his  father  until  1850,  when 
•  he  went  to  California,  spending  one  year  upon  the 
Pacific  coast.  He  made  some  money  while  there 
and  then  returned,  after  which  he  began  farming 
on  his  own  account,  cultivating  different  farms  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  He  would  buy  and  after- 
ward sell  the  land  and  in  1856  he  invested  in  the 
farm  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies  and  which 
has  been  his  place  of  residence  continuously  since. 
He  has  been  engaged  in  the  sheep  industry  since 
1866  and  has  owned  from  six  hundred  to  two 
thousand  sheep.  He  now  has  about  five  hundred 
sheep  and  he  has  also  been  extensively  engaged 
in  raising  cattle  for  the  last  thirty-five  years,  keep- 
ing from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 
and  fifty  head  of  cattle  upon  his  farms  at  one 
time,  although  at  present  he  has  only  about  one 
hundred  head.  He  is,  however,  known  as  one  of 
the  prominent  stockmen  of  Illinois  and  has  be- 
come one  of  the  wealthiest  residents  of  Pike  coun- 
ty, a  position  to  which  he  has  attained  through 
well  directed  and  earnest  effort,  through  judicious 
investment  and  capable  management.  The  suc- 
cess that  has  come  to  him  is  well  merited  and  now 
in  the  evening  of  life  he  is  enabled  not  only  to 
enjoy  its  necessities  and  comforts  but  also  manv 


of  its  luxuries  and  his  example  should  well  serve 
as  a  source  of  emulation  and  inspiration  to  others, 
showing  what  may  be  accomplished  through  de- 
termined and  earnest  purpose.  In  the  year  1846 
William  Shinn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  Lytle,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  in  March,  1827,  and  who  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  with  her  father,  Andrew  Lytle, 
in  1832.  He  lived  in  Pike  county  and  owned 
eighty  acres  of  land,  but  later  removed  to  Cal- 
houn  county,  where  he  died.  The  death  of  Mrs. 
Shinn  occurred  December  24,  1904.  She  was  a 
woman  of  many  excellent  traits  of  heart  and  mind, 
well  liked  by  all  who  knew  her  because  of  a  gen- 
ial and  kindly  disposition  and  genuine  worth,  so 
that  her  death  was  deeply  deplored  by  her  friends 
as  well  as  immediate  family.  She  was  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  took  an  ac- 
tive and  helpful  interest  in  its  work.  Mr.  Shinn 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  at  New  Hartford  and  he,  too,  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  church.  His  life  has  been  per- 
meated by  his  belief  and  although  he  has  become 
one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  the  county  his  path 
has  never  been  strewn  with  the  wreck  of  other 
men's  fortunes  but  has  been  gained  in  the  legiti- 
mate channels  of  trade. 

Albion  Shinn  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools,  mastering  the  branches  of  learning  us- 
ually taught  therein  and  through  the  periods  of 
vacation  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm. 
He  remained  at  home  until  nearly  thirty  years  of 
age  and  has  always  had  the  strongest  attachment 
for  agricultural  life,  finding  in  it  a  pursuit  more 
congenial  to  him  than  any  other.  He  worked  for 
a  year  and  a  half  for  his  father  after  attaining 
his  majority  and  then  entered  into  partnership 
with  him  and  so  continued  until  his  marriage. 
His  first  purchase  of  land  comprised  a  farm  south- 
east of  New  Hartford  and  later  he  bought  where 
he  now  resides  on  section  36,  Eldara  township. 
He  and  his  son  now  own  two  hundred-  acres  of 
land  and  alone  he  owns  seven  hundred  ad  twenty- 
five  acres,  so  that  he  is  one  of  the  extensive  prop- 
erty holders  in  Pike  county.  For  thirty  years  he 
has  been  extensively  engaged  in  sheep-raising, 
keeping  about  thirteen  or  fourteen  hundred  head 
of  sheep.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  Southdown 


-492 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  Oxford  breeds  and  although  they  are  high- 
bred animals  they  are  not  registered,  but  he  buys 
registered  stock  for  breeding  purposes.  He  is 
also  keeping  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  for 
feeding  and  is  well  known  as  a  stockman. 

In  1878  Mr.  Shinn  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lucy  Wolfork,  of  Missouri,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Claude.  He  was  born  in  1881  and  after 
attending  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Union  Business  Col- 
lege at  Quincy,  Illinois.  He  is  now  associated 
with  his  father  in  business  and  the  parents  and 
son  are  all  members  of  the  Christian  church,  while 
the  latter  is  also  a  member  of  lodge,  No.  453,  A. 
F.  A.  M,.  at  New  Hartford.  Mr.  Shinn  is  a 
republican  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
business  affairs,  in  which  he 'has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. He  has  a  beautiful  residence  and  all  good 
buildings  and  improvements  upon  his  farm  and 
is  one  of  the  prosperous  and  influential  agricultur- 
ists and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  county,  energetic  in 
his  business,  thoroughly  reliable  in  his  dealings 
and  progressive  in  his  methods. 


JAMES  M.  GREENE. 

James  M.  Greene  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twelve  acres  in  Barry  town- 
ship and  is  well  known  as  a  breeder  of  Shetland 
ponies,  Chester-White  hogs  and  brown  Leghorn 
chickens.  A  native  of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  he 
was  born  June  13,  1845,  of  the  marriage  of  P.  D. 
S.  and  Lucinda  (Sweet)  Greene.  The  father 
was  born  in  Rensselear  county,  New  York,  De- 
.  cember  8,  1814,  and  was  a  son  of  James  Greene, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  the  Empire  state,  July 
ii,  1790.  He  came  to  Pike  county  in  early  pio- 
neer times  and  secured  a  tract  of  government 
land  near  Barry,  when  it  was  uncultivated  prai- 
rie and  uncut  timber.  There  he  developed  a 
good  farm,  being  one  of  the  energetic  and  capa- 
ble agriculturists  of  his  community  and  a  man 
who  was  much  respected  for  his  genuine  worth  as 
displayed  in  all  life's  relations.  He  reared  a  large 
family  of  children  and  died  September  8.  1875. 


His  first  wife,  Mrs.  Polly  Greene,  was  born  No- 
vember 2,  1793,  and  died  August  26;  1849.  His 
second  wife  passed  away  March  24,  1866,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years  and  twenty-six  days. 

P.  D.  S.  Greene  was  reared  amid  the  wild 
scenes  and  environments  of  pioneer  life  in  Pike 
county  and  was  married  in  the  vicinity  of  Barry 
to  Miss  Lucinda  P.  Sweet,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  April  12,  1824,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Job 
Sweet,  whose  birth  occurred  February  4,  1798. 
He  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois;  at  an  early  day, 
locating  near  Barry,  where  he  entered  govern- 
ment land.  At  that  time  it  was  covered  with 
native  timber  or  with  the  wild  prairie  grasses. 
Resolutely  he  set  to  work  to  transform  the  land 
into  cultivated  fields  and  was  recognized  through- 
out the  community  as  a  capable  and  energetic 
farmer,  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  reared  a  large  family  and  died  January  21, 
1852.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  D.  S. 
Greene  was  blessed  with  nine  children,  five  sons 
and  four  daughters :  Ackland,  who  was  born 
August  30,  1839,  and  is  now  living  in  Oklahoma; 
Artalisa  P.,  who  was  born  July  15,  1842,  and  is 
the  wife  of  J.  C.  Jackson,  a  resident  of  Roches- 
ter, New  York ;  James  M. ;  Mary,  who  was  born 
August  29,  1849,  and  is  deceased;  William,  who 
has  also  passed  away ;  Charles  E.,  who  was  born 
February  9,  1852,  and  is  deceased ;  Emma  L., 
who  was  born  October  18,  1856,  and  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  McDaniel,  of  Rochester,  New  York ; 
Clara  W.,  who  was  born  September  12,  1858,  and 
is  the  wife  of  John  D.  Miller,  of  Pittsfield ;  and 
John,  whose  birth  occurred  October  9,  1860,  and 
who  is  now  living  in  California.  The  father  was 
the  owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  adjoining  Barry  and  although  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed  he  became  well- 
to-do,  possessing  a  deeply  religious  nature.  He 
was  greatly  interested  in  all  matters  that  per- 
tained to  the  moral  development  of  his  commu- 
nity, took  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  in  which  he  held  membership  and 
for  many  years  served  as  one  of  its  elders.  He 
exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  republican  party.  He 
resided  in  Pike  county  until  1899  and  then  went 
to  Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  has  since 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


493 


lived.  His  wife  passed  away  on  the  i4th  of 
January  of  that  yeatfj 

Tames  M.  Greene,  having  acquired  his  prelimi- 
nary education  in  the  schools  of  Pike  county, 
entered  Lombard  University  at  Galesburg,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  pursued  his  studies  in  1862-63. 
When  his  education  was  completed  he  began 
business  life  as  a  farmer  and  soon  afterward 
turned  his  attention  to  buying  and  selling  stock, 
which  business  he  followed  for  many  years,  or 
until  his  health  became  impaired,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  living  more  quietly.  In  1895 
he  began  raising  Shetland  ponies  and  yet  has  a 
number  of  fine  animals.  He  first  bought  a  mare 
of  J.  Murray  Hogue,  of  Maquoketa,  Iowa.  She 
was  the  best  saddle  and  driving  pony  in  the  world 
and  won  the  blue  ribbon  at  the  World's  Colum- 
bian Exposition  in  Chicago  in  1893.  She  is  now 
twenty-three  years  old.  She  would  pace  a  mile 
in  three  minutes.  In  addition  to  breeding  Shet- 
land ponies  Mr.  Greene  is  also  breeding  and 
raising  Chester- White  hogs  and  brown  Leghorn 
chickens.  He  resides  upon  his  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  acres,  twenty-nine  acres  of  which 
are  included  within  the  corporation  limits  of 
Barry.  This  is  a  well  improved  property,  the 
greater  part  of  which  is  seeded  to  blue  grass.  He 
has  erected  a  fine  home  and  all  of  the  improve- 
ments and  equipments  upon  the  farm  have  been 
placed  there  by  Mr.  Greene,  who  is  practical  in 
all  of  his  methods,  systematic  in  his  work  and 
energetic  in  all  that  he  undertakes. 

On  the  ist  of  June,  1866,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Greene  and  Miss  Adda  Hollem- 
beak,  of  Ohio.  She  was  born  October  5,  1847,  a 
daughter  of  A.  C.  Hollembeak,  who  for  a  long 
period  was  postmaster  at  Barry.  He  was  very 
active  in  political  work  and  was  an  unfaltering 
advocate  of  republican  principles.  He  brought 
his  family  to  Pike  county  when  his  daughter. 
Mrs.  Greene,  was  a  young  girl.  By  her  mar- 
riage she  became  the  mother  of  two  children,  but 
Corinne.  who  was  born  May  21,  1867,  died  Sep- 
tember 4.  1871.  The  other  daughter,  Nora,  who 
was  born  September  8.  1869,  is  the  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Taylor,  a  resident  of  Trinidad.  Colorado. 
Mrs.  Greene  passed  away  on  the  I3th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1871.  Mr.  Greene  "has  since  married  Han- 


nah M.  Tilton,  of  Swanton,  Vermont,  who  was 
born  September  23,  1849,  an<^  came  to  Pike 
county  with  her  mother  and  sisters  about  1869. 
By  this  marriage  there  were  two  daughters : 
Gretta,  who  was  born  September  2,  1881,  and  was 
married  April  21,  1901,  to  G.  H.  Wike,  of  Barry ; 
and  Delia  M.,  who  was  born  July  27.  1887,  and 
is  at  home. 

For  many  years  Mr,  Greene  was  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  of  Amer- 
ica, while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Court  of 
Honor.  A  self-made  man  he  deserves  all  of  the 
praise  which  that  term  implies  for  his  persistent 
and  energetic  labor  has  been  the  basis  of  his 
success.  The  acquirement  of  wealth  has  not  been, 
however,  the  sole  end  and  aim  of  his  life,  for  he 
has  never  allowed  this  purpose  to  crush  out  the 
kindlier  elements  of  his  nature  and  his  considera- 
tion for  the  rights  of  others  but  on  the  contrary 
'his  character  has  developed  with  the  passing  of 
years  along  lines  that  at  all  times  command  re- 
spect and  regard  and  he  is  frequently  spoken  of 
in  terms  of  confidence  and  good  will. 


CHARLES  W.  WILLARD. 

Charles  W.  Willard,  devoting  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  giving  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  cultivation  and  development 
of  eighty-six  acres  of  land  which  he  owns  in 
Hardin  township  and  also  another  tract  of  forty 
acres,  was  born  in  this  township  which  is  still 
his  home,  his  natal  clay  being  November  23,  1877. 
His  father  was  Jasper  Willard,  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Pike  county, 
for  his  birth  occurred  here  about  1855.  The 
grandfather,  O.  L.  G.  Willard,  took  up  his  abode 
in  this  county  about  1839,  coming  to  Illinois  from 
Pennsylvania.  Few  improvements  had  been  made 
in  this  section  of  the  state  at  the  time  of  his  ar- 
rival. He  found  here  uncultivated  prairie  land 
and  uncut  forests.  The  streams  were  unbridged, 
much  of  the  land  was  unclaimed  and  the  work 
of  progress  and  development  seemed  scarcely 
begun.  In  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement 
he  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  and  has  always 


494 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


been  loyal  in  citizenship,  rejoicing  in  what  has 
been  accomplished  along  the  line  of  modern  im- 
provement and  progress  as  the  years  have  gone 
by.  He  is  now  a  hale  and  hearty  old  man  of  about 
seventy-four  years  and  is  respected  as  one  of  the 
venerable  and  worthy  pioneer  residents  of  the 
community 

His  son,  Jasper  Willard,  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  and  was  married  here  to  Miss  Ade- 
line Clark,  a  native  of  this  county  and  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Clark,  also  one  of  the  early  settlers 
here.  Jasper  Willard  remained  an  active  farmer 
and  business  man  of  Pike  county  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  here  in  1883.  His 
wife  survived  him  for  about  five  years.  In 
their  family  were  five  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  but  only  two  of  the  number  are  now 
living.  The  surviving  daughter  is  Irene,  now 
the  wife  of  David  G.  Claus,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Jacksonville.  Illinois,  by  whom  she  has 
three  children :  John  W.,  Esther  E.  and  Thelma 
L.  Claus. 

Charles  W.  Willard  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  remained  upon  his  grand- 
father's farm  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  working 
by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  for  five  years.  He 
was  married  December  15,  1897,  when  twenty 
years  of  age,  to  Miss  Lola  May  Cunningham, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Nellie  Cunningham,  who 
are  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work  in  connec- 
tion with  the  sketch  of  L.  L.  Cunningham.  The 
young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a 
farm,  where  they  lived  for  three  years  and  then 
with  the  capital  that  he  had  acquired  Mr.  Willard 
became  owner  of  eighty-six  acres  of  farm  land, 
upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  at  once  began 
the  further  development  and  improvement  of  this 
property  and  has  also  operated  other  land  and  has 
added  to  his  original  holdings  until  he  now  owns 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres.  He  likewise 
cultivates  land  belonging  to  others  and  is  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
having  high  grade  Hereford  cattle  and  pure 
blooded  Poland  China  hogs.  He  is  now  feeding 
a  carload  of  fine  steers  and  also  a  large  number  of 
hogs.  He  has  been  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
stockman  and  while  he  has  never  sought  to  figure 


in  any  public  light  he  has  so  conducted  his  busi- 
ness affairs  that  success  has  resulted  and  he  has 
won  a  creditable  position  in  business  circles. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mr.  Willard  have  been  born 
five  children :  Ilia  Lorene,  born  November  9, 
1898;  Leo  Bliss,  born  May  22,  1900;  Orland  C, 
who  was  born  February  26,  1902,  and  died  March 
10,  1904;  Mary  Edith,  born  August  26,  1903; 
and  Charles  Wayne,  born  August  10,  1905. 

Since  age  gave  to  him  the  right  of  franchise 
Mr.  Willard  has  been  a  stalwart  republican  and 
he  takes  an  active  interest  in  local  politics,  striving 
earnestly  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the 
success  of  his  party.  He  was  elected  and  served 
for  two  terms  as  assessor  of  Hardin  township 
and  is  now  one  of  the  board  of  directors.  The 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend 
and  he  has  done  effective  work  in  behalf  of  the 
schools.  He  is  now  serving  as  district  clerk  and 
has  frequently  been  chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the 
county  conventions  of  his  party.  In  the  review 
of  his  life  it  is  noted  that  with  him  diligence  and 
prosperity  have  gone  hand  in  hand  and  that  all  of 
his  dealings  have  been  characterized  by  a  tried 
integrity  and  worth  that  have  gained  for  him  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  the  communitv. 


LEVI  W.  McMAHAN. 

Levi  W.  McMahan,  whose  residence  in  Pike 
county  covers  a  half  century,  during  which  time 
he  has  not  only  been  a  witness  to  its  many  changes, 
its  progress  and  development,  but  has  also  been 
a  participant,  in  the  work  of  upbuilding  and  im- 
provement, is  now  a  leading  representative  of  in- 
dustrial life  in  Griggsville,  where  he  is  success- 
fuly  engaged  in  the  milling  business.  He  was  born 
in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  on  the  3ist  of  March, 
1841,  and  came  to  Griggsville  with  his  parents, 
William  and  Maria  (Thomas)  McMahan.  both 
of  whom  were  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The 
father  was  a  chairmaker  by  trade,  and  with  his 
family  came  to  Illinois  from  Indianapolis,  locating 
at  Griggsville  on  the  loth  of  May,  1856.  The 
journey  was  made  by  team,  and  they  left  Sidney 


MR.  AND  MRS.  L.  W.   McMAHAN 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


497 


in  the  morning  to  travel  a  distance  of  thirty  miles 
to  Sardorus  Grove.  They  had  remained  at  the 
former  place  over  night  so  as  to  make  a  daylight 
drive,  as  there  was  danger  of  being  lost  in  the 
wild  prairie  at  night,  there  being  not  a  single 
house  between  the  two  points  at  that  time.  '  Mr. 
McMahan  built  a  dwelling  near  the  town  and  fol- 
lowed the  business  of  chairmaking,  his  services 
being  in  demand  by  the  early  settlers.  He  held 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  his  life  was  in  consistent  harmony  with  his 
professions.  In  politics  he  was  a  Jackson  demo- 
crat until  1856,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the 
new  republican  party,  which  he  continued  to  sup- 
port until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Griggs- 
ville  when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  in  1808,  died  in  1869,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-one  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  sons  and  a  daughter :  Levi,  Harriet  and 
George  M. 

Levi  W.  McMahan  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Indiana,  and  was  a  youth  of 
fifteen  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
on  the  removal  to  Illinois.  When  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  opened  a  confectionery  store  in  Griggs- 
ville,  and  thus  became  an  active  factor  in  business 
interests  of  the  city.  Following  his  marriage, 
however,  he  sold  his  store  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  being  identified  with  agricultural 
pursuits  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he  began 
merchandising  in  Griggsville.  After  two  years 
however,  he  resumed  farming  operations  in 
Griggsville  township,  purchasing  two  hundred 
ten  acres  of  land  south  of  the  town.  When  he  dis- 
posed of  that  property  he  gave  his  attention  to  the 
grain  trade  in  connection  with  Mr.  Allen  for  about 
two  years,  and  in  1877,  in  connection  with  Bald- 
win Brothers,  he  built  a  flouring  mill  and  after 
some  time  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  since 
which  time  he  has  conducted  the  business  alone. 
The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
barrels  of  flour  every  twenty-four  hours.  At  the 
present  time  he  is  operating  the  mill  only  in  the 
day,  and  turning  out  one  hundred  barrels  of  flour 
each  day,  for  which  he  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the 
Chicago  market  and  in  the  south.  He  has  a  well 
equipped  milling  property  and  is  doing  a  good 
business  which  annually  returns  to  him  a  very  de- 
2=; 


sirable  income.  He  still  owns  and  operates  his 
farm,  on  which  he  makes  his  home. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1861,  Mr.  McMahan  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Harriett  Simmons,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  three  children ;  but, 
Harry  Edwin,  the  only  son,  died  when  thirteen 
years  of  age.  The  daughters  are :  Mrs.  Nellie 
Miller,  who  is  now  living  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri ; 
and  Alice,  wife  of  ProfessorT.  W.  Todd,a  resident 
of  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa.  After  losing  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  McMahan  married  Mrs.  Jennie  (Petrie) 
Clough,  and  following  her  death  he  wedded  Miss 
Mattie  Yates,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Maria 
(Hinman)  Yates,  a  granddaughter  of  Colonel 
George  Hinman,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Her  father 
was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Pike  county,  coming 
to  Illinois  in  1823,  at  which  time  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Grig"g*sv«Ue,  township.  When  the  Black 
Hawk  war-broke  'out  in  1832  he  was  one  of  the 
volunteers  who  hastened  ( to  the  front  to  suppress 
the  Indian  uprising.  He  improved  a  fine  farm  in 
Griggsville,  and  there  spent  his  remaining  days 
engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  hogs.  When  he 
died,  August  13,  1878,  a  venerable  pioneer  was 
removed — one  who  had  aided  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  county,  where  for  nearly  a 
half  century  he  made  his  home.  He  lived  to  see 
busy  towns  and  fine  farms  where  he  first  saw  a 
wilderness,  and  for  many  years  he  took  an  active 
and  helpful  part  in  the  work  of  public  improve- 
ment. His  wife  died  in  1867,  leaving  three  sons 
and  four  daughters. 

Mr.  McMahan  traded  his  home  in  town  for  a 
fine  farm  near  the  corporation  limits  of  Griggs- 
ville and  is  residing  upon  this  place,  so  that  he  is 
enabled  to  enjoy  the  privileges,  liberty  and  pleas- 
ure of  rural  life,  and  at  the  same  time  have  all 
the  benefits  of  town  life.  He  served  as  township 
supervisor  for  six  years  and  gave  a  practical  and 
helpful  administration  to  the  city  during  his  two- 
terms'  service  as  mayor.  He  served  on  the  board 
which  built  the  new  courthouse.  He  was  also 
president  of  the  school  board  for  several  years, 
and  the  system  of  public  education  in  Griggsville 
benefited  by  his  efficient  efforts  in  its  behalf.  He 
belongs  to  Pike  lodge,  No.  73,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in 
which  he  has  filled  all  of  the  different  chairs,  in- 
cluding that  of  noble  grand.  His  political  alle- 


PAST   AND.  PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


giance  is  given  to  the  republican  party;  and  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  His  wife  had 
the  honor  of  being  the  first  lady  elected  tO(the  con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  which 
was  held  in  Chicago.  She  declined  to  act  that 
time,  but  in  1904  was  elected  to  the  conference 
of  her  church  in  California  and  attended  as  a 
delegate.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMahan  are  people  of 
the  highest  respectability  and  their  many  excellent 
traits  of  heart  and  mind  have  won  for  them  the 
trust  and  deep  friendship  of  many  with  whom 
they  have  been  associated.  Mr.  McMahan  has 
made  consecutive  progress  in  his  business  career 
and  has  proven  that  prosperity  and  an  honored 
name  may  be  won  simultaneously. 


RICHARD   DUNHAM. 

Richard  Dunham,  whose  useful  and  active  life 
has  won  for  him  the  respect  of  his  fellowmen  and 
also  gained  for  him  a  most  gratifying  compe- 
tence, was  born  September  9,  1839,  in  Deersville, 
Ohio,  his  parents  being  Lewis  and  Sarah  Ann 
(Nelson)  Dunham.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  William  Dunham,  a  native  of  Maryland  and 
his  father  was  a  native  of  England,  becoming  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America.  William  Dun- 
ham was  reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Chancy,  also  a  native  of 
Maryland,  her  parents,  like  the  Dunhams,  hav- 
ing come  to  this  country  about  the  time  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.  On  leaving  Maryland,  Wil- 
liam Dunham  and  his  wife  became  residents  of 
Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  the  year  1845 
and  in  their  old  age  they  came  to  Illinois,  pur- 
chasing a  small  farm  in  Griggsville  township, 
where  the  death  of  Mr.  Dunham  occurred  when 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  three  score  years  and 
ten.  His  wife  survived  him  several  years  and 
then  she  too  passed  away  at  the  old  homestead 
farm  on  section  17,  Griggsville  township,  when 
more  than  eighty  years  of  age.  Both  were  ac- 
tive members  of  the  United  Brethren  church  and 
were  people  of  strong  religious  faith,  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  the  church  and  doing 
all  in  their  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  Chris- 


tianity.    They  reared  a  large  family  of  nineteen 
children. 

The  birth  of  Lewis  Dunham  occurred  in  Mary- 
land, September  12,  1802,  and  he  died  at  his  home 
in  New  Salem  township,  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
September  14,  1866.  He  had  spent  his  entire, life 
in  his  native  state,  acquiring  a  good  education 
there.  He  was  probably  married  in  Ohio,  how- 
ever, and  he  was  connected  with  business  inter- 
ests there  as  a  farmer  and  cooper.  In  1844  he 
removed  from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  arriving  in  Pike 
county  in  the  month  of  April.  Three  years  later 
he  settled  on  land  of  his  own  in  New  Salem 
township  and  there  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. During  the  years  which  followed  he  worked 
his  way  upward  from  a  humble  financial  position 
to  one  of  affluence  and  improved  a  valuable  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  was  a  use- 
ful citizen  of  his  township  and  an  active  and 
conscientious  worker  in  the  United  Brethren 
church,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  public 
progress  and  improvement  along  lines  of  mate- 
rial, social,  intellectual  and  moral  development. 
He  was  widely  known  for  his  integrity  and  other 
commendable  traits  of  character,  which  won  for 
him  the  esteem  of  the  entire  community.  In 
politics  he  was  a  stalwart  democrat  and  he  held 
some  local  offices,  discharging  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity.  In  fact  every  trust  that 
was  reposed  in  him  whether  of  a  public  or  private 
nature  was  faithfully  performed  and  his  life  was 
at  all  times  honorable  and  upright.  In  early  man- 
hood he  wedded  Sarah  Ann  Nelson,  also  a  native 
of  Maryland  and  a  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Mary 
(Stringer)  Nelson,  who  were  natives  of  Mary- 
land and  are  supposed  to  have  been  of  Scotch 
lineage.  They  were  farming  people  and  after 
their  marriage  resided  in  Maryland  for  a  time, 
while  later  they  became  residents  of  Harrison 
county,  Ohio,  there  remaining  until  1842,  when 
they  came  to  Illinois.  They  took  up  their  abode 
on  a  farm  in  New  Salem  township,  where  they 
spent  their  remaining  days  and  their  lives  were 
in  harmony  with  their  professions  as  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  church,  with  which  they 
were  connected  for  many  years.  Their  daughter 
Sarah  was  born  in  April,  1807,  was  reared  in 
Mar  viand  and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  husband. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


499 


whom  she  survived  for  several  years,  finally  pass- 
ing away  on  the  5th  of  September,  1887,  when 
more  than  eighty  years  of  age.  She,  too,  was  a 
consistent  and  helpful  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  church  and  she  was  the  mother  of 
nineteen  children,  of  whom  nine  are  still  living. 

Richard  Dunham  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Pike  count}-  and  spent  his  youth  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  no  event  of  special 
importance  occurring  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm 
work  for  him  in  his  minority.  He  aided  in  clear- 
ing his  father's  place  and  as  there  was  a  coal 
bank  upon  the  farm  he  and  his  brother  dug  coal, 
which  they  sold  in  Griggsville,  Maysville  and 
other  towns.  This  farm  is  now  the  property  of 
Mary  Ann  Dunham.  Richard  Dunham  first  be- 
came the  owner  of  land  in  1864,  at  which  time  he 
purchased  forty  acres  near  his  father's  place  east 
of  New  Salem.  He  sold  that  later  and  bought 
more  land  and  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and 
ninety-six  acres  on  sections  13  and  14,  New  Sa- 
lem township.  He  has  a  well  improved  farm, 
having  built  thereon  a  good  residence,  and  added 
all  modern  equipments  and  accessories  such  as 
are  found  upon  a  model  farm  property  of  the 
twentieth  century.  He  has  always  kept  his  place 
well  stocked  and  a  glance  at  fields  and  meadows 
would  indicate  to  the  passerby  the  careful  super- 
vision of  a  painstaking  and  progressive  owner. 
He  continued  to  reside  upon  his  farm  until  April, 
1904.  when  he  removed  to  Xew  Salem,  while  his 
sons  leased  the  land.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
and  his  brother  Joshua  operated  a  threshing  ma- 
chine. They  owned  several  machines  and  made 
considerable  money  in  that  way. 

In  1861  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Dun- 
ham and  Miss  Julia  Esther  Hubbard,  who  was 
horn  July  20.  1838,  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  and 
came  to  Pike  county,  locating  near  Pittsfield  in 
an  early  day.  Ten  children  were  born  of  this 
marriage,  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living.  Ruth 
America  became  the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Carnes 
and  by  that  marriage  has  three  living  children  : 
Fred  X..  the.  eldest,  married  Minnie  Bridgeman. 
resides  in  Salem  township  and  has  one  child. 
Veda  L. :  Mina  May  is  the  wife  of  William 
H.  Rheinhart  and  has  one  child:  Orville  Fay. 
their  home  being  in  Xew  Salem  township; 


and  Fay  Roy  is  living  in  this  county.  Mr. 
Carnes,  the  father,  died  in  1893  and  Mrs.  Carnes 
was  married  in  1895  to  M.  F.  Shaffner,  their 
home  being  now  in  New  Salem.  George  Nelson, 
the  second  child  of  Richard  Dunham,  married 
Myrtle  Shuey,  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  Percy  H. 
He  died  in  September,  1903,  and  his  widow  now 
resides  in  Argenta,  Illinois.  He  was  educated  at 
Westfield.  Illinois,  and  taught  school  for  five 
years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  for  a  time.  Subsequently  he  resumed 
school-teaching  and  later  became  editor  of  the 
Argenta  Hustler.  James  Abel,  the  third  mem- 
ber of  the  Dunham  family,  lives  upon  the  home 
farm.  He  married  Alice  Wheeler  and  they  have 
four  children:  Floyd,  Carl,  Ralph  and  George. 
William  Fred,  the  fourth  member  of  the  family 
and  a  resident  of  Pike  county,  married  Anna 
Wilson,  who  died  leaving  three  children :  Earl, 
Andy  and  Richard.  Ida  May  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Hooper,  of  New  Salem  township  and  has 
three  children:  Neal,  and  Winifred  and  Helen, 
twins.  Arthur  L.  married  Eura  B.  Starkey,  re- 
sides near  Baylis  and  has  three  children :  Fern, 
Clesson  and  Ruth  Marie.  Bert  N.  married  Cora 
Manker  and  resides  at  Stonington,  Illinois,  where 
he  is  a  telegraph  operator.  Harry  Herman,  liv- 
ing upon  the  home  farm,  married  Ida  Rheinhart 
and  has  one  child,  Lloyd.  In  1904  Mr.  Dunham 
was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  on  the  Qth  of  September  of  that  year. 
They  had  long  traveled  life's  journey  together, 
sharing  with  each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its 
adversity  and  prosperity  and  the  many  good 
traits  of  character  which  Mrs.  Dunham  displayed 
won  her  the  kindly  regard  and  good  will  of  many 
friends  as  well  as  of  her  immediate  family. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Dunham  is  a  stal- 
wart democrat  and  has  served  for  two  terms  as 
township  commissioner.  He  belongs  to  the  United 
Brethren  church  and  the  qualities  of  good  citizen- 
ship, of  reliability  in  business  and  faithfulness  in 
friendship  have  long  been  manifest  in  him.  More- 
over he  has  displayed  in  his  business  career 
marked  integrity  as  well  as  energy  and  through 
his  well  directed  efforts  has  won  a  competence, 
being  today  the  owner  of  a  fine  home  ;n  New 
Salem  as  well  as  a  farm.  He  is  now  living  in 


5oo 


FAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


retirement  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  ease, 
his  capital  being  sufficient  to  supply  him  with  all 
of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 


JOHN  R.  GICKER. 

John  R.  Gicker,  county  clerk  of  Pike  county, 
who  since  1898  has  filled  the  position  to  which  he 
was  elected  as  a  democratic  candidate,  is  a  native 
of  Germany,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the 
town  of  Dodenau,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  on  the  gth  of 
February,  1855.  His  parents  were  John  and  Cath- 
erine (Klein)  Gicker.  The  father  was  engaged  in 
blacksmithing  in  Germany  and  died  in  his  native 
land  many  years  ago,  passing  away  in  1868,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight.  The  mother's  death 
occurred  when  she  was  sixty-six  years  of  age. 
One  son,  John  Gicker,  is  a  farmer  residing  in 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
Kathrine  Muller,  is  living  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany. 

John  R.  Gicker  when  a  youth  of  sixteen  years 
came  alone  to  the  new  world.  He  has  previously 
learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  and  in  Upper  San- 
dusky,  Ohio,  he  spent  about  a  year,  after  which 
he  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  August,  1872. 
As  a  respresentative  of  the  shoe  trade  in  Pitts- 
field,  he  entered  the  employ  of  A.  Sittler,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  two  years,  when  he  secured  a 
position  with  Joseph  Hunter,  again  working  at 
the  shoemaker's  trade.  When  four  years  had 
passed  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account 
and  Weis  alone  for  a  period  of  four  years,  after 
which  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  employ  of  F. 
W.  Neibur,  of  Pittsfield,  until  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  clerk.  He  had  previously  served  as 
town  clerk  for  a  period  of  seven  years  and  his 
capability  and  fidelity  in  that  office  led  to  his  se- 
lection for  the  superior  orhce,  in  which  he  is  now 
serving.  He  was  chosen  county  clerk  by  popu- 
lar suffrage  in  1898,  and  on  the  expiration  of  a 
four  years'  term  was  re-elected  so  that  his  present 
incumbency  will  continue  until  1906. 

Mr.  Gicker  was  married  in  Pittsfield  to  Miss 
Anna  R.  Heck,  of  this  city,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Heck,  a  resident  of  Pike  couhty  for  many  years, 


but  now  deceased.  His  wife  has  also  passed  away. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gicker  have  two  sons  both  born  in 
Pittsfield:  Julius  R.,now  a  resident  of  KansasCity, 
Missouri ;  and  Otto  D.,  deputy  county  clerk  of 
Pittsfield.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  about  a 
block  and  a  half  west  of  the  public  square  in  Pitts- 
field  and  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social 
circles  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Gicker  is  a  valuable  respresentative  of  the 
Masonic  lodge,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Knights  of  .Pythias,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Pike  County  Mu- 
tual Life  Association,  of  which  he  is  a  director. 
His  political  affiliation  has  always  been  with  the 
democracy ;  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  His  is  not  an  exceptional  career,  and  yet 
it  is  one  worthy  of  commendation,  from  the  fact 
that  he  came  to  America  when  young  and  empty- 
handed,  and  through  the  utilization  of  opportuni- 
ties, through  close  application  and  earnest  pur- 
pose he  has  worked  his  way  upward,  enjoying  the 
confidence  and  good  will  of  his  fellowmen  as  is 
evidenced  by  his  long  continuance  in  public  office. 


JOB  DIXON. 

Job  Dixon,  now  seventy-eight  years  of  age,  is 
the  owner  of  a  splendidly  improved  farm  on  sec- 
tion 6,  Perry  township.  He  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account  when  but  twelve  years  of  age 
and  has  since  worked  his  way  upward.  He  has 
overcome  difficulties  and  obstacles  and  in  the 
legitimate  channels  of  trade  has  won  the  success 
which  he  is  now  enjoying,  being  today  one  of  the 
extensive  landowners  of  the  county.  He  was. 
born  June  u,  1828,  in  Lincolnshire,  England. 
His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Mary  (Barker) 
Dixon,  also  natives  of  England,  the  former  born 
January  31,  1785,  and  the  latter  April  18,  1795. 
The  death  of  the  father  occurred  January  31, 
1846,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1870  on  the 
seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  In  their 
family  were  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  but 
'  only  two  are  now  living.  Job  and  Thomas.  The 
latter  was  born  November  19,  1831,  and  is  now  re- 
siding in  Lincolnshire,  England,  while  Job  is  the 


JOHN  R.  GICKER 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


503 


representative  of  the  family  in  the  new  world.  He 
never  attended  a  day  school  save  through  one  win- 
ter season.  His  parents  were  in  limited  financial 
circumstances  and  it  was  necessary  that  he  began 
to  provide  for  his  own  support  when  but  twelve 
years  of  age.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  through 
his  own  labor  he  paid  six  months'  tuition  in  a 
night  school  and  he  also  attended  a  night  school 
for  two  winters  after  his  marriage.  He  thus 
learned  to  write  a  fair  hand  and  also  became  fa- 
miliar with  business  principles.  He  had  become 
a  good  reader  in  his  early  youth  and  experience, 
reading  and  observation  in  later  years  have 
brought  to  him  broad  information,  making  him 
a  well  informed  man. 

On  Monday,  the  4th  of  October,  1858,  Job 
Dixon  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ann  Steph- 
ensoa,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  born 
December  6,  1834.  The  wedding  ceremony  was 
performed  by  William  Pierce  in  the  Episcopal 
church  at  West  Ashby,  England,  with  Thomas 
Barton  and  Elizabeth  Stephenson  as  witnesses 
and  on  the  following  Monday  the  young  couple 
started  for  the  United  States,  sailing  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York,  whence  they  made  their  way 
westward  to  Adams  county,  Illinois.  They  not 
only  were  without  capital,  but  Mr.  Dixon  had  in- 
curred an  indebtedness  of  one  hundred  and  five 
dollars  for  their  passage,  which  he  paid  back  the 
second  summer  after  his  arrival.  During  the  first 
winter,  1860-1,  he  and  his  wife  worked  for  eleven 
dollars  per  month.  He  was  afterward  able  to  ob- 
tain higher  wages  and  his  economy  and  industry 
at  length  brought  him  capital  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  purchase  a  farm.  He  invested  in  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Perry  township, 
Pike  county,  and  with  renewed  impetus  began  the 
development  of  his  land,  which  in  course  of  time 
was  transformed  into  a  very  productive  tract.  As 
the  years  have  passed  by  and  his  financial  re- 
sources have  increased  he  has  added  to  his  prop- 
erty from  time  to  time  until  his  realty  holdings 
now  embrace  eight  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres 
divided  into  five  farms,  all  of  which  are  occupied 
by  his  children.  Three  lie  in  Perry  township, 
one  in  Fairmount  township  and  one  in  Elkhorn 
township,  Brown  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon  have  been  born  the 


following  named:  John  Thomas  born  January  9, 
1861,  married  Sarah  Boothby,  October  29,  1890, 
and  is  now  living  on  one  hundred  and  forty-three 
acres  of  land,  which  is  a  part  of  the  home  place, 
belonging  to  his  father.  Mary  Ann,  born  Septem- 
ber 8,  1862,  was  married  December  13,  1887,  to 
Perry  Zimmerman  and  resides  in  Elkhorn  town- 
ship. Emma,  born  February  22,  1864,  became  the 
wife  of  Henry  Smith  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1889,  and  they  now  occupy  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres  belonging  to  her  father.  William,  born 
November  19,  1865,  was  married  February  28, 
1894,  to  Carrie  Stewart  and  occupies  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  belonging  to  his 
father.  Samuel  S.,  who  was  born.  August  5,  1868, 
is  living  on  the  home  farm.  JobJEJenry,  born  Jan- 
uary 19,  1872,  was  married4  Airgus-ti  2/3,  .1898,  to 
Daisy  Seaborn,  who  was  born  December  36,"  &74, 
and  they  now  reside  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  with  his  father. 
Rebecca  E.,  born  October  30,  1869,  became  the 
wife  of  Oscar  Rusk,  March  20,  1894,  and  they  are 
living  upon  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Perry  township  belonging  to  her  father. 
Frederick,  born  April  12,  1874,  died  February  21, 
1884.  George  A.,  born  October  7,  1875,  is  now 
living  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
•irrres,  which  is  his  father's  property.  He  was 
Married  October  14,  1903,  to  Lena  Turnbull.  Mrs. 
Dixon,  the  mother  of  these  children,  died  Decem- 
ber 25,  1895. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Dixon's  first  purchase  of 
land  comprised  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
where  he  now  resides.  Upon  the  place  was  a  log 
cabin  enclosed  by  a  rail  fence  and  a  few  logs  had 
been  piled  up  and  covered  with  straw  in  order  to 
afford  shelter  for  the  team.  With  characteristic 
energy  Mr.  Dixon  began  the  improvement  of  the 
property  and  is  today  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  Perry  township.  When  his  fine 
residence,  erected  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  dol- 
lars, was  destroyed  by  fire  when  it  had  been  com- 
pleted only  a  few  years  he  immediately  set  to 
work  and  erected  an  even  more  commodious  and 
finer  residence  than  before  and  his  home  is  now 
one  of  the  attractive  features  in  the  landscape.  He 
has  large  barns  and  sheds  upon  his  place  and  the 
farm  is  a  splendidly  improved  property.  He  has 


504 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


placed  the  greater  part  of  his  land  under  cultiva- 
tion and  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of 
Shropshire  sheep,  shorthorn  cattle  and  good 
horses  and  swine.  In  all  of  his  work  he  has  been 
persistent  and  energetic,  never  brooking  any  ob- 
stacles that  could  be  overcome  by  determined 
purpose  and  although  his  advantages  in  early  life 
were  extremely  few  he  has  made  steady  progress 
and  is  today  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers 
of  his  county.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to  re- 
gret his  determination  to  seek  a  home  in  America 
but  has  felt  proud  that  he  became  an  American 
citizen,  for  he  found  here  the  business  opportu- 
nities he  sought  and  in  this  land,  unhampered  by 
caste  or  class,  he  has  made  for  himself  an  honor- 
able name  and  a  very  desirable  fortune. 


ROBERT  FRANKLIN. 

Robert  Franklin,  living  on  section  23,  Spring 
Creek  township,  is  one  of  the  active  and  progres- 
sive farmers  and  business  men  of  his  part  of  the 
county  and  his  landed  possessions  aggregate  five 
hundred  acres,  which  he  cultivates  according  to 
modern  methods,  producing  the  best  results  from 
field  and  pasture.  He  is  a  native  of  England, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Gloucestershire  on 
the  22d  of  March,  1849.  His  father,  Jacob  Frank- 
lin, was  also  born  and  reared  in  England,  where 
he  learned  the  stone-mason's  trade,  which  he 
followed  in  order  to  provide  for  his  family.  Rob- 
ert Franklin  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  his  nineteenth  year  and  with  his  father 
learned  the  stone-mason's  trade.  He  enjoyed 
good  common-school  advantages  and  'in  his  nine- 
teenth year  he  and  his  brother  John  sailed  from 
Liverpool  to  America,  landing  in  New  York.  He 
then  began  life  in  a  strange  country,  but  hoped 
to  find  better  business  opportunities  in  tne  new 
world,  having  heard  favorable  reports  concern- 
ing its  business  conditions.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  at  different  places  in  New  York,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland  and  Ohio.  He  was  employed  on 
the  Powers  block  in  Rochester  and  helped  to  build 
the  government  lighthouse  on  Lake  Ontario  near 
Niagara  Falls.  He  worked  at  various  places  in 


the  eastern  and  middle  states  and  for  five  years 
made  his  home  in  Cleveland,  during  which  time 
he  acted  as  foreman  on  the  construction  of  the 
courthouse  in  that  city. 

Mr.  Franklin  was  married  in  Connecticut  be- 
fore coming  to  the  west,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated in  New  Haven,  on  which  occasion  he  made 
Miss  Eliza  Smith  his  wife.  She  was  born  in 
England  and  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Smith,  a 
native  of  that  country.  She  made  the  trip  to 
America  in  order  to  meet  her  prospective  hus- 
band, their  troth  having  been  plighted  in  their 
native  country.  They  were  married  on  the  2ist 
of  November,  1871,  and  Mrs.  Franklin  has  al- 
ways traveled  with  her  husband,  maintaining  a 
pleasant  home  for  him  in  the  different  cities  to 
which  his  business  interests  have  called  him. 
While  living  in  Cleveland  he  traded  his  town 
property  for  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  constituting  a  part  of  what  is  now  the  old 
home  place.  He  then  came  to  the  farm  and  began 
to  clear  and  improve  the  land,  upon  which  he 
erected  a  frame  residence  and  barn.  He  also 
began  to  cultivate  the  fields  and  from  time  to 
time  he  purchased  more  land  until  he  now  has 
a  large  and  well  improved  place.  He  has  done 
much  work  at  his  trade  in  addition  to  carrying 
on  agricultural  pursuits  and  was  active  in  the 
building  of  the  Alton  Railroad  through  Pike 
county  and  also  has  been  identified  to  some  ex- 
tent with  building  operations  in  Greene  county. 
He  has  erected  upon  his  farm  a  good  stone  resi- 
dence which  is  two  stories  in  height  and  which 
was  built  in  1887.  He  quarried  his  own  stone  and 
constructed  the  building  entirely  unaided.  It  has 
in  front  a  beautiful  portico  unlike  anything  else 
to  be  seen  in  the  county.  This  home  is  one  of  the 
beautiful  features  of  the  landscape  and  stands 
in  the  midst  of  a  well  kept  lawn.  At  places  the 
stone  has  been  adorned  with  fine  carving  and  al- 
together the  residence  is  a  credit  to  the  builder 
and  to  the  community  at  large.  Mr.  Franklin 
also  assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  present  court- 
house in  Pittsfield,  which  is  built  entirely  of 
stone,  much  of  which  was  quarried  in  this  county. 
In  fact  he  was  the  only  stone  workman  employed 
on  the  building  from  Pike  county.  He  is  prac- 
tically, however,  retired  from  mason  work,  but 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


505 


does  some  monumental  work  and  assists  his  sons 
in  Nebo,  who  have  an  establishment  in  that  place. 
They  carry  a  fine  line  of  marble  and  monument 
goods.  The  sons,  William,  Walter  and  Edward 
Franklin,  are  partners  in  this  enterprise,  which 
was  established  in  1900  and  they  have  built  a 
brick  store  building  in  Nebo. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Franklin  have  been  born 
six  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  are  William,  who  is  married  and  resides 
in  Nebo ;  Henry,  who  is  married  and  operates  the 
home  farm;  Walter,  who  is  connected  with  the 
monument  business  in  Nebo ;  Herbert,  who  aids 
in  the  farm  work ;  and  Edward,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  Nebo.  Henry  wedded  Verna  Bunn, 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  Bunn,  a  native  of  Calhoun 
county,  Illinois,  and  they  now  reside  upon  the 
old  homestead,  but  have  a  separate  residence. 
Two  children  have  been  born  unto  them,  Owen 
and  Linn. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Franklin  are  liberal  in  their  re- 
ligious views,  attending  different  churches  and 
contributing  to  their  support.  Politically  he  is  a 
democrat,  loyal  in  his  advocacy  of  the  party,  but 
he  has  neither  time  nor  inclination  for  public 
office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies  upon 
his  business  affairs.  He  raises  some  graded  cat- 
tle, making  a  specialty  of  Herefords  and  has  a 
thoroughbred  bull.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  best 
improved  properties  in  this  part  of  the  state  and 
upon  it  he  has  now  a  good  orchard  and  much 
small  fruit.  There  are  also  ample  buildings  for 
the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock,  which  taken  in 
addition  to  the  handsome  residence  makes  this 
one  of  the  finest  farms  of  Pike  countv. 


EDWARD  STONE. 

Edward  Stone,  deceased,  who  was  identified 
with  agricultural  interests,  was  born  in  Pleasant 
Hill  township,  Pike  county,  February  22,  1852, 
and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Llewellyn  and  Mary 
(Jewel)  Stone.  His  education  was  acquired  in 
the  common  schools  and  in  the  high  school  of 
Pittsfield  and  he  was  thus  well  equipped  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties.  In  his  youth  he 
became  familiar  with  all  the  labors  that  fall  to  the 


lot  of  the  agriculturist.  In  1879  Mr.  Stone  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Phoebe  Davis,  a  na- 
tive of  Pittsfield,  her  marriage  being  celebrated 
in  the  house  in  which  she  was  born.  Her  par- 
ents were  James  and  Mary  (Yates)  Davis,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for 
many  years,  capably  directing  his  labors  so  that 
he  won  a  comfortable  competence  and  in  later  life 
lived  retired  in  Pittsfield.  He  had  accumulated  a 
large  capital  and  engaged  in  loaning  money.  He 
died  in  the  year  1889,  having  for  two  years  sur- 
vived his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  December, 
1887.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  six  are  yet  living :  Mrs.  Ruth  Thomp- 
son, who  resides  in  Mechanicsburg,  Illinois ;  Mrs. 
Eliza  Lisk,  who  is  living  in  Kansas:  Maria,  the 
wife  of  James  Newport,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield ; 
William  Davis,  who  is  also  living  in  Pittsfield; 
Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Shaw,  who  resides  in  Summer 
Hill,  Illinois;  and  Mrs.  Stone. 

The  last  named  pursued  her  education  in  the 
schools  of  Pittsfield  and  was  carefully  trained  in 
the  work  of  the  household,  so  that  she  was  well 
equipped  for  caring  for  a  home  of  her  own  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  Three  daughters  were 
born  of  this  union  and  are  all  yet  living,  namely : 
Bessie,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
Washington;  May, who  is  living  with  her  mother; 
and  Luella,  who  is.  a  student  in  the  Pittsfield  high 
school.  The.  elder  two  daughters  are  also  grad- 
uates of  the  high  school  of  Pittsfield.  The  death 
of  Mr.  Stone  occurred  on  the  28th  of  July,  1900, 
and  his  remains  were  interred  in  South  cemetery 
at  Pittsfield.  He  led  a  busy,  useful  and  active  life, 
always  devoting  his  energies  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  by  the  assistance  of  his  estimable  wife 
he  acquired  most  of  the  property  which  is  now  in 
possession  of  his  family.  He  worked  earnestly 
and  persistently  and  his  integrity  stood  as  an  un- 
questioned fact  in  his  career.  His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  democracy  and  he  held 
some  local  offices,  including  that  of  township  as- 
sessor. In  community  interests  he  always  mani- 
fested a  desire  for  progress  and  improvement  and 
gave  his  co-operation  to  many  measures  for  the 
general  good.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  mem- 


5o6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


bers  of  the  Christian  church,  to  which  her  par- 
ents also  belonged,  and  Mr.  Stone  served  as  dea- 
con in  the  church  for  a  number  of  years,  while 
his  father  was  an  elder.  His  interest  in  various 
church  activities  was  deep  and  sincere  and  he  also 
contributed  generously  according  to  his  means  to 
its  support.  His-  death  was  deeply  regretted  by 
many  friends  as  well  as  his  immediate  family  for 
his  life  was  such  as  commanded  the  good  will  and 
confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  was  associated. 
Mrs.  Stone  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
fine  land  and  has  a  beautiful  home  where  she  re- 
sides a  mile  south  of  Pittsfield.  She  leases  most 
of  the  land,  but  she  keeps  forty  head  of  cattle, 
some  hogs  and  horses.  She  has  always  been  a 
very  industrious  woman  and  her  labors  were  of 
great  benefit  to  her  husband  in  his  active  business 
career. 


J.  SMITH  THOMAS,  M.  D. 

Dr.  J.  Smith  Thomas,  a  member  of  the  medical 
fraternity  and  one  of  the  oldest  practitioners  of 
Pike  county,  having  been  located  at  Pleasant  Hill 
for  thirty-four  years,  has  resided  in  this  village 
for  a  much  longer  period,  having  taken  up  his 
abode  here  in  1849.  He  was  born  in  Pike  county, 
Missouri,  near  Louisiana,  on  the  26th  of  August, 
1845.  His  father,  Dr.  John  A.  Thomas,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  born  April  8,  1818,  while  the 
grandfather,  Cornelius  Thomas,  was  likewise 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  was  a  son  of 
Charles  Thomas,  who  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Revolution.  The  family  is  of  Welsh  descent,  and 
from  the  same  ancestry  is  descended  General 
George  H.  Thomas,  who  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent commanders  of  the  Union  forces  in  the  Civil 
war. 

Dr.  John  A.  Thomas  came  to  the  Mississippi 
valley  with  his  father,  Cornelius  Thomas,  about 
1833,  and  settled  in  Pike  county,  Missouri.  He 
was  then  a  young  man,  and,  taking  up  the  study 
of  medicine,  he  afterward  engaged  in  practice  in 
Pike  county,  Missouri,  for  a  few  years.  In  1849, 
however,  he  moved  across  the  river  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  settling  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where 
he  continued  in  the  active  prosecution  of  his  pro- 


fession for  a  considerable  period.  He  had  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice  and  was  recognized  as  one 
of  the  prominent  physicians  of  this  county,  his 
business  extending  for  miles  around.  In  many  a 
household  he  was  the  loved  family  physician, 
whose  aid  could  always  be  counted  upon  and 
whose  labor  was  an  efficient  and  potent  element  in 
checking  the  ravages  of  disease  and '  restoring 
health.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  union  be- 
ing with  Miss  Sarah  E.  Griffith,  whom  he  wedded 
in  Missouri.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Pike  county, 
that  state,  her  parents  being  Joel  and  Mary 
(Smith)  Griffith,  who  had  removed  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Missouri.  Mrs.  Thomas  died  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill,  Illinois.  Four  children  had  been  born 
of  that  union.  Subsequently  Dr.  John  A.  Thomas 
married  Miss  Sophia  Blair,  of  Barry,  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Ex-Senator  Blair,  of  Pike  county,  Il- 
linois. She  was  educated  in  Jacksonville  (Illi- 
nois) Female  College,  from  which  she  was  gradu- 
ated, and  later  she  became  one  of  the  teachers  and 
afterward  professor  of  mathematics  in  that  insti- 
tution, which  position  she  held  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage to  Dr.  Thomas.  Of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
Dr.  Thomas  was  a  leading  representative  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill.  He  was  also  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  -and  his  life  was  ever  honorable 
and  upright.  He  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
cause  of  prohibition,  fearlessly  expressing  his 
opinions,  and  doing  much  good  along  this  line, 
the  effects  of  which  are  still  preceptible  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill.  An  active  and  useful  career  was  termi- 
nated by  his  death  on  the  25th  of  February.  1888, 
his  remains  being  interred  in  Pleasant  Hill  ceme- 
tery. Great  regret  was  felt  throughout  the  com- 
munity, because  he  had  so  endeared  himself  to 
many  patrons  and  friends  as  to  make  his  demise 
the  occasion  of  a  feeling  of  personal  loss  to  all 
who  knew  him.  His  widow  still  survives  him, 
and  now  resides  with  her  son,  C.  C.  Thomas,  upon 
the  old  homestead. 

Dr.  J.  Smith  Thomas  is  the  eldest  of  the  family 
of  four  children  born  of  his  father's  first  marriage. 
The  others  are :  Lizzie,  who  became  the  wife  of 
T.  J.  Shultz  and  died  in  1905  ;  Mary,  who  became 
the  wife  of  H.  C.  Moore  and  died  in  1905  ;  and 
C.  J.  Thomas,  of  Pleasant  Hill.  By  the  father's 
second  marriage  there  were  three  children :  A. 


DR-  J.  SMITH  THOMAS 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


509 


T.  Thomas,  living  in  Pleasant  Hill ;  W.  S.,  a  busi- 
ness man  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  and  Clarence  C., 
who  is  cashier  of  the  Citizens'  Bank  of  Pleasant 
Hill. 

Dr.  J.  Smith  Thomas  was  reared  in  the  village 
of  Pleasant  Hill  and  took  up  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  his  father  as  his  preceptor.  Later  he 
pursued  courses  of  lectures  in  college,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cin- 
cinnati with  the  class  of  1872.  When  he  had  com- 
pleted his  studies  he  returned  home  and  joined 
"his  father  in  practice.  In  1876-7  he  pursued  a 
post-graduate  couse  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
he  took  a  second  post-graduate  course  in  New 
York  city  in  1900-1.  In  1884,  Dr.  Thomas  spent 
the  winter  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  practice,  returning  home  in  the  follow- 
ing spring.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
medical  profession  of  this  locality  for  nearly 
thirty-five  years,  and  during  that  period  a  number 
of  young  men  have  studied  under  him,  and  later 
engaged  in  practice  with  him.  At  this  writing  a 
-nephew,  Dr.  Wells,  who  was  reared  and  educated 
by  Dr.  Thomas,  is  now  in  partnership  with  him 
and  the  firm  is  a  strong  and  capable  one. 

Dr.  Thomas  was  married  in  Pike  county  on  the 
24th  of  November,  1874,  to  Miss  Molly  S.  W'ells, 
a  daughter  of  Perry  S.  Wells,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent farmers  and  early  settlers  of  Pike  county, 
formerly  from  Kentucky,  whence  he  removed  to 
Missouri,  and  later  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois. 
Unto  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  been  born  five 
children:  Grace,  who  married  Frank  Darrow, 
and  is  now  living  in  East  St.  Louis ;  Blanche,  the 
wife  of  W.  T.  Waugh,  of  Pleasant  Hill ;  Lizzie, 
at  home;  Jessie,  the  wife  of  Scott  Galloway,  a 
business  man  of  Pleasant  Hill ;  and  Leslie,  at 
home. 

Politically  Dr.  Thomas  was  formerly  a  repub- 
lican but  now  votes  with  the  democratic  party,  and 
is  the  only  member  of  his  family  thus  affiliated. 
Religiously  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  He  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  and  his  pojitior.  in 
social  circles  and  as  a  citizen  is  a  creditable  one ; 
but  he  is  best  known  as  a  representative  of  the 
medical  fraternity.  His  efforts  have  been  of  last- 
ing and  permanent  good,  and  he  enjoys  the  high- 


est respect  of  his  professional  brethren,  because  of 
his  close  adherence  to  an  advanced  standard  of 
professional  ethics.  His  study  and  reading  have 
been  comprehensive  and  his  investigation  has  led 
to  more  thorough  and  accurate  knowledge  result- 
ing in  greater  proficiency  in  his  practice. 


HARVEY  W.  SWEETING. 

Harvey  W.  Sweeting,  in  early  manhood  a  farm 
hand  and  now  a  prosperous  farmer,  owning  a 
valuable  property  in  Griggsville  township,  was 
born  May  10,  1869,  his  parents  being  Richard  and 
Dorothy  (Marshall)  Sweeting,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  England.  The  father,  for  many 
years  an  enterprising  agriculturist  of  Perry  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Knaresbofo,  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, near  the  castle  of  the  sartie'.na.me  and  was  a 
son  of  Jonathan  Sweeting,  a  native  of  West  Rid- 
ing, Yorkshire,  where  his  childhood  and  youth 
were  passed.  Having  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  he  followed  that  pursuit  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  in  his  ninetieth 
year.  Richard  Sweeting,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  also  of  English  lineage  and 
made  his  home  in  Yorkshire,  where  he  followed 
the  occupation  of  shoemaking  and  passed  away 
when  nearly  ninety  years  of  age.  He  was  twice 
married,  while  Jonathan  Sweeting,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  married  three  times, 
his  first  union  being  with  Miss  Mary  Greenough, 
who  was  born  and  reared  in  Yorkshire  but  in  one 
ancestral  line  came  of  Scotch  lineage.  She  died 
when  her  son,  Richard  Sweeting,  was  only  six 
years  of  age. 

Richard  Sweeting  remained  in  his  father's 
home  after  the  latter's  second  marriage  and  mas- 
tered the  trade  to  which  his  father  and  grand- 
father had  given  their  attention,  becoming  an  ex- 
cellent shoemaker.  He  afterward  learned,  the 
baker's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  England  un- 
til September,  1846,  when,  attracted  by  the  op- 
portunities and  privileges  of  the  new  world,  he 
sailed  for  America  on  the  General  Park  Hale,  a 
merchant  ship  bound  for  New  Orleans.  After  a 
voyage  of  seven  weeks  he  landed  at  the  Crescent 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


city  and  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  river  to 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  on  to  Griggsville  Land- 
ing on  the  Illinois  river.  For  three  years  he 
made  his  home  with  his  uncle,  William  Thackery, 
in  Flint  township,  and  after  seven  years  he  re- 
turned to  England,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Dorothy  Marshall,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Knaresboro  in  1834,  her  parents  being  James  and 
Ann  (Sly)  Marshall,  also  natives  of  Yorkshire, 
although  the  Sly  family  is  of  Scotch  descent. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  lived  to  an  advanced 
age,  remaining  residents  of  England  and  the 
former  was  a  prominent  educator  for  forty-five 
years,  while  for  more  than  a  half  century  he 
served  as  parish  clerk.  Mrs.  Sweeting  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  in  his  family  of  three 
daughters  and  four  sons  and  was  carefully  edu- 
cated in  her  father's  school.  Mr.  Sweeting  re- 
turned with  his  bride  to,  the  new  world  and  in 
1853  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Perry 
township,  where  for  many  years  he  made  his 
home,  becoming  one  of  the  prominent  and  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  that  community.  He  died 
January  10,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years 
and  four  months,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
July  29,  1902.  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years, 
six  months  and  twelve  days. 

In  their  family  were  eleven  children,  of  whom 
the  following  are  now  living,  namely:  Jennie, 
who  married  Frank  MoVey ;  Mrs.  Anna  Rush ; 
Mrs.  Vina  E.  Irving ;  Arthur,  who  married  Mary 
Dorsey :  Frederick,  who  married  Clementina 
Ham;  and  George,  who  wedded  Cora  Greiwe. 
When  Richard  Sweeting  arrived  in  this  country 
he  had  but  three  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents 
and  from  a  humble  financial  position  he  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward  to  one  of  affluence  and 
for  many  years  was  a  prosperous  and  respected 
agriculturist  of  Perry  township. 

Harvey  W.  Sweeting,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  was  reared  to  farm  life.  He  carried  on 
farming  on  his  own  account  for  four  years  prior 
to  his  marriage  and  throughout  the  period  of  his 
youth,  as  his  age  and  strength  permitted,  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  old  home- 
stead. He  now  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to 
general  fanning  and  stock-raising,  having  one 


hundred  acres  of  well  improved  land,  which  he 
has  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
raises  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  head  of  hogs  each 
year  and  he  also  breeds  and  raises  good  horses, 
having  from  five  to  seven  head.  In  his  business 
he  allows  no  outside  influences  to  interfere  with 
his  faithful  performance  of  each  day's  duties  and 
in  the  control  of  his  property  and  the  care  of  his 
fields  as  well  as  in  stock-raising  he  has  shown  a 
thorough  understanding  of  his  work  and  has  won 
a  goodly  success. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1894.  Mr.  Sweeting 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margaret 
Van  Zandt,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in 
Pittsfielcl.  Her  parents  were  Joseph  P.  and 
Caroline  (Brower)  Van  Zandt  and  as  the 
name  indicates,  the  family  is  of  German  origin, 
its  early  representatives  in  America  being  resi- 
dents of  Pennsylvania.  John  Van  Zandt,  grand- 
father of  Mrs.  Sweeting,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  followed  farming  and  carpenter- 
ing. He  there  married  a  Miss  Niece,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Pennsylvania  and  who  died  in  her 
native  state,  leaving  three  children,  all  of  whom 
have  now  passed  away.  After  losing  his  first 
wife  John  Van  Zandt  wedded  Miss  Lydia  Uttley 
in  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents  were  English  and 
following  their  marriage  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  United  States,  settling  in  Mifflin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  passed  away  at  sn  ad- 
vanced age.  Following  his  second  marriage  Mr. 
Van  Zandt  resided  in  Pennsylvania  until  called 
to  his  final  rest.  Joseph  Van  Zandt,  father  of 
Mrs.  Sweeting,  was  born  in  Mifflin  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  June,  1831,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
millwright  and  carpenter.  In  June,  1858,  he 
came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  residing  in 
Fairmount  township  was  connected  with  building 
operations  until  1880,  when  failing  health  forced 
him  to  retire  from  carpentering  and  he  afterward 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  management  of  a 
farm  of  five  hundred  acres  on  section  23,  Perry 
township.  He  was  a  very  prosperous  man  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  property  and  capital  were 
secured  after  his  removal  to  Pike  county.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  in 
August.  1862.  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illinois  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Mat- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


thews.  Later  he  was  transferred  to  Company  H 
of  the  same  regiment  under  Captain  Hill,  and 
with  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  he  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Hartsford,  but  was  thrown  from  a 
wagon  and  sustained  severe  injuries  that  caused 
his  honorable  discharge.  His  wife,  whom  he 
wedded  in  Mount  Sterling,  Illinois,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Delight  (Smith)  Brower,  who 
were  natives  of  New  York  and  were  of  Holland 
lineage.  Mrs.  Van  Zandt  was  born  in  Madison 
county.  New  York.  February  10,  1837,  ar>d  m 
1839  her  parents  removed  to  Missouri,  whence 
they  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  the  father  be- 
coming owner  of  a  small  farm  on  section  14, 
Fairmount  township,  where  he  and  his  wife  spent 
their  remaining  days.  They  were  members  of  the 
church  of  Latter  Day  Saints.  In  the  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Zandt  were  seven  children, 
including  Mrs.  Sweeting,  who  by  her  marriage 
has  become  the  mother  of  two  children :  Dorothy 
C.,  born  February  10,  1895 ;  and  William  H., 
born  October  n,  1899. 

Mr.  Sweeting  gives  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  republican  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Farm- 
ers' Alliance,  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  connected  with  the  Rathbone 
Sisters.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  Anti- 
Horse  Thief  Association  and  at  the  present  writ- 
ing he  is  serving  as  a  school  director.  In  com- 
munity affairs  he  is  deeply  interested,  the  cause 
of  education  finding  in  him  a  warm  friend,  while 
all  matters  of  public  progress  receive  his  endorse- 
ment and  many  times  his  active  co-operation. 


GEORGE  U.  McCOMAS,  M.  D. 

Dr.  George  U.  McComas,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  in  New  Canton, 
was  born  in  Harford  county,  Maryland,  May  2, 
1858,  his  parents  being  Joshua  and  Rebecca  J. 
(Maul)  McComas.  The  parents'  birth  also  oc- 
curred in  Harford  county,  Maryland,  and  they 
were  married  there  in  1856.  The  father  was  a 
wheelright  by  trade,  and  in  connection  with  other 
pursuits  he  carried  on  farming  to  some  extent. 
His  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Methodist 


Episcopal  church,  while  in  his  political  views 
he  was  a  stalwart  republican.  He  died  November 
28,  1896,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years  and  is  still 
survived  by  his  widow  who  is  now  living1  in 
Adams  county  in  her  seventieth  year.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely : 
George  U.,  of  this  review;  William  M.,  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  residing  in  Adams  county ; 
Charles  H.,  who  is  a  train  dispatcher  on  the 
Northern  Central  Railroad  in  Baltimore ;  Marion, 
a  blacksmith  at  Plainville,  Adams  county;  James 
B.,  who  is  in  the  postoffice  at  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land; and  Mary  Edith,  who  is  living  with  her 
mother  and  brother  in  Adams  county,  Illinois. 

Dr.  McComas  pursued  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  and  in 
1876  came  to  Illinois,  being  at  that  time  about 
seventeen  years  of  age.  He  worked  at  farming 
about  three  summers  and  then  returned  to  Mary- 
land, where. he  read  dentistry  under  the  direction 
of  J.  W.  Barton,  at  Blackhorse,  Maryland,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  two  years.  In  1880  he 
returned  to  Illinois  and  registered  as  a  dentist 
at  Mendon,  Adams  county,  where  he  spent  a  year 
and  a  half,  after  which  he  came  to  Barry  in  1882. 
There  he  engaged  in  dental  practice  for  six 
years,  but  in  the  meantime,  believing  that  he 
would  find  the  practice  of  medicine  more  con- 
genial, he  devoted  his  leisure  hours  from  1884 
until  1888,  inclusive,  to  reading  medicine  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  G.  McKinney,  passing  the 
state  board  examination  on  the  I3th  of  August, 
1888.  On  the  7th  of  November  of  the  same  year 
he  located  for  practice  in  New  Canton,  where  he 
has  remained  continuously  since.  He  has  been 
an  earnest  student  of  his  profession  and  in  the 
winter  of  1892-3  he  attended  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  Reading 
research  and  experiment  have  also  broadened 
his  knowledge  and  promoted  his  efficiency  and 
he  now  has  a  good  business  and  is  well  thought 
of  throughout  the  county.  He  belongs  to  the 
Pike  County  Medical  Society,  the  Illinois  State 
Medical  Association  and  the  American  Medical 
Association. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1884,  Dr.  McComas  was 
joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Davis,  who 
was  born  April  8,  1859,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Perry 


512 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


H.  and  Eliza  (Johnson)  Davis.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana,  February  10, 
1826,  and  was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Amanda 
(Blair)  Davis,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky 
and  the  latter  of  Indiana.  The  family  comes  of 
Scotch  ancestry  and  in  1829  the  grandparents  of 
Mrs.  McComas  came  to  Pike  county,  settling  in 
Kinderhook,  where  her  father  acquired  his  edu- 
cation. In  1851  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza  Ship- 
man,  who  was  born  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  March  6, 
1828.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  children. 
In  the  year  of  their  marriage  they  removed  to 
New  Canton,  where  Mr.  Davis  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising until  1862,  when  he  was  elected 
county  sheriff,  serving  for  two  years  in  that  of- 
fice. He  then  resumed  business  as  a  merchant, 
continuing  in  that  line  until  1878,  when  he  sold 
out.  He  also  practiced  law  to  some  extent  and  was 
successful  as  a  representative  of  the  profession. 
His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democ- 
racy. As  a  pioneer  settler  he  saw  the  country 
in  its  primitive  condition,  when  wolves  and  other 
wild  animals  were  numerous  and  when  deer  and 
lesser  kinds  .of  game  could  be  had  in  abundance. 
He  died  January  27,  1887,  and  is  still  survived 
by  his  widow,  who  now  resides  in  New  Canton, 
where  she  has  lived  continuously  since  1845. 
She  was  twice  married,  her  first  husband  being  . 
James  Shipman,  who  died  in  1849,  after  which, 
in  1851,  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr. 
Davis.  By  her  first  union  she  had  three  sons: 
Philander,  who  was  born  October  23,  1845,  and 
died  after  attaining  manhood;  Pulaski,  who  was 
born  August  3,  1847,  and  is  living  in  New  Can- 
ton; and  James,  who  was  born  August  13,  1849, 
and  resides  in  the  state  of  Washington.  By  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  there  were  five 
children  but  only  two  are  now  living :  Mrs.  Mc- 
Comas; and  Charles  J.,  who  was  born  May  16, 
1861,  and  now  resides  in  Portland,  Oregon. 

Dr.  McComas  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  being  affiliated  with  New  Canton  lodge, 
No.  821,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  also  belongs  to 
Pleasant  Vale  lodge,  No.  381,  Knights  of  Py- 
thias, and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he 
is  a  republican  but  is  without  aspiration  for 
office,  as  his  time  and  attention  are  fully  occu- 


pied by  his  professional  duties.  His  native  intel- 
lectual strength,  his  unfaltering  determination 
and  laudable  ambition  have  been  the  salient  feat- 
ures in  a  successful  professional  career,  and  cons- 
tantly growing  business  is  indicative  of  the  trust 
reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen  who  find 
in  his  capable  work  the  best  justification  of  their 
trust  and  confidence. 


MARK  S.  BRADBURN. 

Mark  Shackelford  Bradburn,  member  of  the 
Pike  county  bar  and  state's  attorney  at  Pittsfield, 
was  born  in  Randolph  county,  Missouri,  August 
5,  1860.  His  parents  were  Alexander  M.  and 
Emily  E.  (Jamison)  Bradburn.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  September  10, 
1890.  He  served  for  three  years  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  war,  advocating  the  Union  cause.  He  came 
of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry. 

Mark  S.  Bradburn  spent  his  boyhood  days  un- 
der the  parental  roof  and  supplemented  his  early 
education  acquired  in  the  common  schools  by 
study  in  the  Central  Normal  College  at  Danville, 
Indiana,  where  he  pursued  a  scientific  course. 
After  attaining  his  majority  he  worked  by  the 
month  in  the  summer  seasons  for  several  years 
upon  various  farms  of  the  county.  He  was  al- 
ways of  a  studious  nature,  of  quiet  disposition  and 
industrious  habits  and  his  personal  worth  as  well 
as  his  industry  won  him  the  unqualified  confidence 
and  respect  of  those  by  whom  he  was  employed. 
When  about  nineteen  years  of  age  he  began  teach- 
ing school,  which  he  followed  in  both  district  and 
village  schools  in  Pike  county,  giving  his  attention 
largely  to  the  profession  until  1894.  In  the  mean- 
time he  had  taken  up  the  study  of  law,  which  he 
pursued  assiduously  and,  having  mastered  the 
chief  principles  of  jurisprudence,  he  was,  upon  ex- 
amination, admitted  to  the  bar  in  1894.  He  has 
since  practiced  with  good  success.  In  the  court- 
room he  presents  his  cause  in  clear  and  logical 
manner,  being  seldom  at  fault  in  his  deductions, 
but  like  all  truly  successful  lawyers,  his  greatest 
work  is  done  in  his  office,  where  he  prepares  his 
cases  with  great  thoroughness  and  care.  On  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


9th  of  April,  1904,  he  was  nominated  for  states  at- 
torney of  Pike  county  on  the  democratic  ticket  and 
at  the  election  in  the  succeeding  November  was 
found  to  be  the  popular  choice  for  the  office,  which 
he  is  now  capably  filling,  discharging  his  duties 
without  fear  or  favor.  In  his  private  practice  his 
devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  is  proverbial,  yet 
he  never  forgets  that  he  owes  a  higher  allegiance 
to  the  majesty  of  the  law. 

Mr.  Bradburn  was  for  three  years,  from  1894 
to  1897,  a  member  of  the  Illinois  National  Guard. 
Since  1893  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church,  having  joined  the  organization  in  Barry 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Mutual 
Protective  League.  In  manner  he  is  entirely  free 
from  ostentation  and  display,  yet  possesses  that 
genuine  personal  worth  which  commands  regard 
and  good  will.  He  has  ever  been  of  studious 
habits,  displaying  a  strict  conformity  to  the  high 
moral  principles  which  he  has  ever  entertained 
and  developing  a  well  rounded  nature  through 
the  exercise  of  the  latent  talents  with  which  na- 
ture, endowed  him.  He  is  in  his  present  office 
proving  a  capable  official  and  in  his  chosen  life 
work  has  met  with  a  fair  measure  of  success. 


JOHN  KENDRICK. 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  New  Canton 
is  located  the  well  improved  farm  of  John  Ken- 
drick  who  is  a  self-made  man,  owing  his  success 
entirely  to  earnest  and  unremitting  toil.  He  is 
today  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  rich  and  arable  land.  He  was  born  in  Kildare, 
Ireland,  on  the  24th  of  June,  1855,  and  in  his 
business  career  has  exemplified  the  versatility 
and  diligence  characteristic  of  the  Irish  race.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Maria  (Heffron)  Ken- 
drick,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
where  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. They  resided  in  the  land  of  their  birth  until 
May,  1866,  when  they  took  passage  on  a  sailing 
vessel  bound  for  America  and  after  five  weeks 
and  three  days  on  the  ocean  landed  at  Castle 


Garden,  New  York.  They  had  a  very  rough 
voyage  and  in  the  storm  one  night  all  the  masts 
were  broken.  After  reaching  the  eartern  metrop- 
olis Mr.  Kendrick  at  once  made  his  way  to  Quin- 
cy,  Illinois,  whence  he  drove  to  Pike  county 
with  a  one-horse  wagon,  locating  near  the  head 
of  Kiser  creek.  After  a  period  of  about  three 
years  spent  here  he  passed  away  in  1869.  His 
widow  afterward  married  Joseph  McFarland  and 
her  death  occurred  in  March,  1902.  By  the  first 
marriage  there  were  born  six  children,  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely :  John ;  Mrs.  Belle 
Barnett,  now  deceased ;  Mrs.  Jane  Feshe,  of  Wash- 
ington, also  deceased ;  Ed ;  Mrs.  Mary  Smading, 
of  Washington;  and  Mrs.  Kate  Gogsdill,  also  of 
the  same  state. 

John  Kendrick  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  land  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  the  new  world. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  common 
schools  and  when  a  youth  of  fifteen  he  started  out 
to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  fighting  life's 
battles  unaided  but  coming  off  victor  in  the  strife. 
He  was  first  employed  by  the  month  at  farm  labor 
and  saving  his  earnings  he  was  finally  enabled 
to  purchase  a  farm  south  of  New  Canton,  which 
he  cultivated  for  a  time  and  then  sold.  He  first 
invested  in  two  hundred  acres  of  land  where  he 
now  lives  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  and  this 
is  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the  county.  It  is  lo- 
cated both  on  the  bluff  and  on  the  bottom  and  is 
conveniently  situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
north  of  New  Canton,  so  that  the  privileges  of 
urban  life  are  readily  acquired.  The  fields  are 
well  tilled  and  through  the  rotation  of  crops  and 
the  use  of  fertilizers  are  kept  in  good  bearing 
condition,  so  that  he  annually  harvests  large  crops. 

Mr.  Kendrick  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Wheelan,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Isabelle 
(Brown)  Wheelan.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ire- 
land in  1837  and  came  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
with  his  mother  in  1848.  He  was  a  son  of 
Richard  and  Mary  (Scully)  Wheelan  and  the 
former  died  in  1846,  after  which  his  mother 
crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her  son,  making  the 
voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel,  which  was  six  weeks 
and  four  days  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Atlantic 
before  dropping  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Orleans.  They  remained  in  St.  Louis  until  1855, 
when  Mr.  Wheelan  came  to  Pike  county  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Horace  Palmer,  a  black- 
smith. Later  he  followed  the  same  pursuit  upon 
his  own  account  until  1873,  when  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  and  in  1877  he  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  farm,  which  he  had  purchased  in 
1870,  and  on  which  he  has  resided  continuously 
since.  He  has  here  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  fine  land  on  section  i,  Pleasant  Vale  township, 
improved  with  a  beautiful  home  and  substantial 
buildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  He 
was  married  in  1857  to  Miss  Isabelle  Brown,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  of  their  seven  children  four 
are  yet  living,  namely :  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Ken- 
drick;  Belle,  the  wife  of  Warren  S.  Spencer,  of 
Pleasant  Vale  township;  William,  who  resides 
with  his  father,  having  lost  his  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Brammel  and  who  at 
her  death  left  three  children,  John  B.,  James  S. 
and  George  S. ;  James  G.,  who  also  lives  with  his 
father.  He  married  Anna  Hoverland,  who  has 
departed  this  life.  One  daughter,  Ella,  became 
the  wife  of  John  Likes  and  at  her  death  left  a 
son,  Alexander  H.  Rebecca  married  Ed  Fesler. 
and  both  are  now  deceased.  They  left  two  chil- 
dren, James  W.  and  Ella  M.  Richard  was  the 
other  member  of  the  Wheelan  family.  The 
mother  died  in  1873  and  in  1877  Mr.  Wheelan 
married  Eliza  Brown.  He  is  a  democrat  and  a 
Royal  Arch  Mason. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendrick  have  been  born 
ten  children :  William,  who  married  Mabel  New- 
man and  is  living  in  Washington ;  Belle,  the  wife 
of  Will  Card,  who  resides  near  the  Kendrick 
farm  ;  James  ;  Charles ;  Harry ;  Kate ;  Samuel ; 
Mary;  Eliza;  and  Johnnie. 

The  family  have  a  pleasant  home  upon  the  farm 
and  with  the  assistance  of  his  sons  Mr.  Kendrick 
is  carefully  conducting  his  business  interests.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising  and 
is  quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock-dealing.  He 
has  both  Angus  cattle  and  shorthorns,  and  he  also 
raises  a  large  number  of  hogs.  He  buys,  feeds 
and  ships  cattle,  and  annually  sends  large  numbers 
to  the  city  market.  This  branch  of  his  business 
is  proving  a  very  profitable  source  of  income  to 
him  and  indicates  that  he  is  an  excellent  judge 


of  stock,  making  judicious  purchases  and  remu- 
nerative sales. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Kendrick  is  an  earn- 
est and  unfaltering  republican,  deeply  interested 
in  the  growth  and  success  of  his  party.  He  has 
held  some  local  offices,  being  school  director,  road 
commissioner  and  chairman  of  the  board  of  town- 
ship trustees  at  different  times.  He  belongs  to 
the  Masonic  lodge,  No.  821,  of  New  Canton,  and 
camp,  No.  1148,  M.  W.  A.  His  life  work  might 
be  summed  up  in  the  phrase  "through  struggles 
to  success."  He  has  triumphed  over  difficulties 
and  obstacles  such  as  any  man  may  encounter  in 
a  business  career  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by, 
he  has  wrested  prosperity  from  the  hand  of  fate. 


JACOB  TURNBAUGH. 

Jacob  Turnbaugh,  deceased,  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington sounty,  Kentucky,  May  22,  1818,  and  was 
a  son  of  George  and  Nancy  Turnbaugh,  so  well 
known  in  the  pioneer  days  of  Pike  county.  In 
infancy  the  subject  of  our  sketch  emigrated  with 
his  parents  to  Lincoln  county,  Missouri,  where 
they  lived  until  March  6,  1827,  when  they  were 
lured  to  the  rich  soil  of  Pike  county,  settling  on 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Donevan  farm  near  the 
Stockland  schoolhouse. 

The  country  being  new,  they  had  to  undergo 
untold  suffering.  The  county  at  this  early  period 
of  its  history  was  sparsely  settled,  and  they  had 
none  of  the  conveniences  of  modern  times,  while 
the  native  savages  and  ferocious  animals  were 
numerous.  At  this  early  day  where  the  village 
of  Pleasant  Hill  now  stands  was  a  dense  wilder- 
ness known  as  "Bear  Thicket,"  and  just  one  mile 
west  of  this,  surrounded  by  an  almost  impene- 
trable forest,  was  a  small  one-roomed  log  house — 
-the  home  of  the  boy  whose  life  we  here  record, 
and  who  grew  to  the  pure  and  noble-hearted 
man  widely  known  as  one  of  the  landmarks  in 
the  early  history  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Turnbaugh's  early  educational  advantages 
were  very  limited,  not  having  enjoyed  the  free 
schools,  as  do  the  boys  of  the  present  day.  While 
he  was  deprived  of  such  opportunities  himself, 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


S'5 


he  never  failed  to  realize  the  worth  of  an  educa- 
tion, and  always  advised  the  young  that  it  was 
the  best  investment  of  their  lives. 

In  this  wilderness  home  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  grew  to  manhood,  residing  continuously 
within  three  miles  of  town,  much  of  the  time  on 
the  Mississippi  bottom.  He  was  the  second  of  a 
family  of  ten  children,  of  whom  one  brother  and 
one  sister  are  still  living.  On  the  2d  of  July, 
1836,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Abigail  Col- 
lard,  and  to  this  union  were  born  eight  children, 
two  boys  and  six  girls:  Jonathan,  Cotel,  Nancy 
Jane,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Margaret  Eliza,  Ruth  Em- 
ily, Sarah  Samantha,  Amanda  Melvina  and 
George  Washington.  Mrs.  Abigail  Turnbaugh 
departed  this  life  in  July,  1869. 

Mr.  Turnbaugh  was  married  again  on  the  22d 
of  February,  1871,  this  time  to  Samantha  Jane 
Simpson.  To  this  union  two  children  were  born : 
William  Edward  and  Viola  Belle ;  the  sister  hav- 
ing crossed  the  river  of  death  February  3,  1899. 

In  the  early  '505  the  deceased  united  with  the 
Baptist  church  at  Martinsburg,  six  miles  north 
of  Pleasant  Hill,  and  was  one  of  the  fifty-three 
petitioners  who  later  asked  the  mother  church  at 
Martinsburg  for  letters  of  dismissal,  that  they 
might  constitute  an  independent  church  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill,  and  which  were  granted  May  4,  1857. 

While  a  young  man  he  learned  the  carpenter 
trade,  but  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  industrious 
pioneer  farmers  of  Pleasant  Hill  township.  Up 
to  the  time  of  the  war  he  had  owned  three  differ- 
ent farms,  and  finally  bought  a  farm  one  mile 
south  of  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  spent  the  closing 
years  of  his  life,  and  where  his  death  occurred 
January  n,  1903,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years, 
seven  months  and  nineteen  days.  The  funeral, 
conducted  by  Rev.  William  Gaither,  of  Medora, 
took  place  in  the  Baptist  church,  of  which  he  had 
been  so  long  a  faithful  member. 

He  was  the  last  of  the  old  settlers  of  Pleasant 
Hill  township ;  was  a  member  of  the  Old  Settlers' 
Association  of  Pike  county,  and  helped  erect  the 
first  building  ever  put  up  in  Pleasant  Hill,  being 
near  where  the  Baptist  church  now  stands. 

Another  event  noticeable  is  that  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  was  born  in  the  same  year  the  grand 
old  state  of  Illinois  was  admitted  to  the  Union. 


Politically  he  was  a  democrat,  and  never  voted 
anything  but  that  ticket.  He  never  held  office 
of  any  kind  either  socially  or  politically,  believing 
.  his  plain  duty  to  be  that  of  a  hard-working,  hon- 
est and  honorable  citizen.  He  lived  to  see  the 
country  change  from  its  wild  state  to  a  fertile 
field  of  plenty — a  living  monument  to  the  noble 
work  of  the  sturdy  pioneers  with  whom  he  cast 
his  lot  in  life. 

Mr.  Turnbaugh  loved  to  talk  with  his  friends, 
children  and  grandchildren  of  his  early  life  in 
this  new  country.  It  would  require  a  volume  to 
record  his  recollections  of  those  early  days  of 
pioneer  hardships,  but  he  looked  back  to  them 
with  happy  recollections  and  liked  to  recall  them 
and  talk  about  them. 

"Uncle  Jake,"  as-  he  was  familiarly  called  by 
both  old  and  young,  was  a  man  of  Christian  in-; 
tegrity,  high  moral  principle,  good  judgment,  be- 
loved and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  He 
was  plain  and  unostentatious  in  his  manners,  a 
kind  neighbor,  a  pleasant  conversationalist,  a  lov- 
ing father,  and  a  kind  friend  with  strong  religious 
convictions,  undeviating  honesty — a  fit  and  hon- 
orable representative  of  his  worthy  ancestors. 


CHARLES  E.  BOLIN. 

Charles  E.  Bolin  is  one  of  the  prominent  and 
representative  business  men  of  Pike  county,  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Milton,  where  he  is  now  conduct- 
ing the  Exchange  Bank,  of  which  he  is  sole 
owner.  He  is  also  engaged  extensively  in  the 
live-stock  business,  and  has  large  landed  interests. 
His  recognition  of  business  opportunities,  his  ca- 
pable use  of  each  situation  and  his  unfaltering 
pei  severance  and  diligence  constitute  the  salient 
elements  in  a  successful  career.  He  is  a  native  of 
Dewitt  county,  Illinois,  born  April  29,  1843, 
his  parents  being  Myrus  F.  and  Rebecca  A.  Bo- 
lin. both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  the  father 
having  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years, 
while  the  mother's  death  occurred  when  she  was 
eighty-one  years  of  age.  They  were  long  resi- 
dents of  Dewitt  county,  Illinois,  where  they  ar- 
rived in  1838.  thus  casting  in  their  lot  with  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


early  settlers  who  aided  in  the  reclamation  of 
that  district  for  the  purposes  of  cultivation  and 
civilization.  There  they  continued  to  reside  until 
called  to  their  final  rest. 

Charles  E.  Bolin  was  reared  upon  the  old  home 
farm  there,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
country  schools,  wherein  he  mastered  the  usual 
branches  of  learning  taught  in  such  institutions. 
Through  the  summer  months  he  aided  in  the  la- 
bors of  the  farm,  becoming  familiar  with  the 
work  of  cultivating  the  fields  and  raising  stock. 
When  twenty-five  years  of  age,  realizing  the  ne- 
cessity and  value  of  further  education,  he  en- 
tered Eureka  College  in  Woodford  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  for  six  months.  He  then 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  continuing  ac- 
tively in  that  work  until  the  fall  of  1868. 

Mr.  Bolin  was  married  on  the  22d  of  October, 
1868,  to  Mrs.  Harriet  N.  Bolin,  a  daughter  of 
Nathan  and  Elizabeth  Tucker,  early  settlers  of 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  but  both  are  now  deceased.' 
Nathan  Tucker  died  in  1847,  an<^  n's  wife*  ^°nS 
surviving  him,  passed  away  at  an  advdnc'ecf  age 
in  1894.  Their  daughter  first  married  Charles 
Colburn  Bolin,  now  deceased.  There  was  one 
child  by  that  marriage,  Caddie  Colburn  Bolin, 
who  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  ten  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Bolin  became  the  parents  of  six 
children :  Estella  B.,  Artie  L.,  Charles  E.,  Hat- 
tie,  Jewel  and  Myrtie  D.  Bolin.  Of  the  living 
Estella  B.  is  now  the  wife  of  O.  C.  Hoover,  and 
has  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living :  Bede 
Bolin  and  Myrrell  Bolin  Hoover.  Artie  L., 
Charles  E.  and  Myrtie  D.  Bolin  are  all  at  home 
with  their  parents. 

The  year  following  his  marriage  Mr.  Bolin  re- 
moved to  Milton,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
in  the  live-stock  business,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  and  prominent  dealers  in  this  line  in 
the  county.  He  is  now  associated  with  his  son, 
Charles  E.  Bolin,  Jr.,  and  their  sales  of  cattle 
and  swine  bring  a  most  gratifying  financial  return 
annually.  In  July,  1875,  in  connection  with  W. 
E.  Butler  and  L.  J.  Frank,  Mr.  Bolin  established 
the  Exchange  Bank  of  Milton  which  was  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Butler  until  October, 
1878,  at  which  date  Mr.  Butler  retired  and  Mr. 
Bolin  succeeded  him  as  manager,  the  business  be- 


ing continued  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  E.  Bolin 
&  Company  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Frank  in  Au- 
gust, 1898,  since  which  time  Mr.  Bolin  has  been 
sole  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  bank,  which  is 
a  reliable  financial  concern,  of  much  value  to  the 
community  as  well  as  a  source  of  individual  profit. 
As  opportunity  has  offered  Mr.  Bolin  has  also 
made  investment  in  real  estate,  until  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  about  one  thousand  acres  of  rich  and 
fertile  land  in  Montezuma  and  Detroit  townships. 
He  is  alert  and  enterprising,  quickly  notes  a 
good  business  opportunity,  and  through  his  well 
directed  efforts  has  worked  his  way  upward  to 
success.  He  is  indeed  a  self-made  man,  owing 
his  prosperity  entirely  to  his  own  labors ;  and  his 
life  record  should  serve  as  an  inspiration  and 
encouragement  to  others,  showing  what  may 
be  accomplished  through  personal  effort  guided 
by  sound  judment  and  supplemented  by  laud- 
able ambition.  In  community  affairs  he  has 
been  deeply  and  helpfully  interested,  and 
at  rvtfridus  times  through  a  period  of  ten  years 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors. His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
democratic  party;  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church,  having  served  as  one  of  the 
elders  at  Milton  since  1872.  He  has  probably  at- 
tended and  officiated  at  more  funerals  than  any 
other  man  in  the  county.  In  an  analyzation  of  his 
life  record  it  will  be  seen  that  while  he  has  pros- 
pered, his  methods  have  ever  been  such  as  would 
bear  close  investigation  and  scrutiny.  He  has 
never  taken  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his 
fellowmen  in  any  business  transaction  but  through 
the  legitimate  channels  of  trade  has  won  his 
prosperity,  while  at  the  same  time  his  course  has 
excited  the  admiration  and  won  the  respect  of 
all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  H.  LEWIS. 

William  H.  Lewis,  who  since  1883  has  resided 
upon  his  present  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  on 
section  5,  Pleasant  Vale  township,  was  born  on 
the  ist  of  June.  1836,  in  this  township,  his  par- 
ents being  John  W.  and  Caroline  (Ward)  Lewis. 


MRS.  WILLIAM  H.  LEWIS 


WILUAM  H.  LEWIS 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


521 


The  father  was  born  in  Lincoln  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  removed  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  when 
about  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  mother's  birth 
occurred  in  the  Empire  state,  and  she  came  with 
her  parents  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  day,  when 
deer  were  frequently  seen  in  large  numbers,  when 
wolves  made  the  nights  hideous  with  their  howl- 
ing, and  when  the  Indians  were  still  frequent  visi- 
tors to  this  locality.  John  W.  Lewis  and  Caro- 
line Ward  were  married  in  this  county,  and  with 
one  exception  their  children  were  all  born  here. 
In  1846  they  went  to  Texas,  where  they  remained 
until  March,  1847,  an^  'it  was  on  their  return 
journey  that  their  youngest  child,  Abelleno  D., 
was  born  in  the  Indian  Territory.  The  other 
members  of  the  family  were :  William  H.,  of  this 
review  ;  Ardelia,  the  widow  of  Green  Baston,  and 
a  resident  of  Oklahoma;  Addison  B.,  who  resides 
in  Macon  City,  Missouri ;  and  Mary  F.,  deceased. 
The  youngest  member  of  the  family,  Abelleno  D., 
is  now  a  resident  of  California.  From  the  time  of 
his  arrival  in  Pike  county  in  the  early  '205,  John 
W.  Lewis  was  a  farmer  in  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship, securing  a  wild  -tract  of  land,  which  he  trans- 
formed into  richly  cultivated  fields,  carefully  con- 
ducting his  farming  interests  in  accordance  with 
the  most  progressive  methods  of  his  day.  In  poli- 
tics he  was  a  democrat,  and  his  first  presidential 
ballot  was  cast  for  Andrew  Jackson.  For  some 
time  he  served  as  constable  in  this  county,  and  in 
all  matters  of  citizenship  he  manifested  a  public 
spirit  and  devotion  to  the  general  good  which 
was  above  question.  His  death  occurred  in  this 
county  when  he  was  sixty-four  years  of  age,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1855,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
six  years.  Her  brother,  Hiram,  carried  the  mail 
from  Quincy  to  Atlas  when  there  was  only  one 
house  on  all  that  road.  Mrs.  Frances  (Smith) 
Ward,  the  maternal  grandmother  of  our  subject, 
came  to  Pike  county  with  the  Ross  family  in 
1817.  She  was  born  in  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  in  1796,  and  died  when  ninety-six  years  of 
age.  Her  father  came  to  this  county  in  1816.  It 
will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Lewis  is  descended 
from  early  and  worthy  pioneer  residents  of  this 
part  of  the  state,  and  the  representatives  of  the 
family  have  taken  an  active  and  helpful  part  in 
the  development  of  a  frontier  region. 
26 


In  the  primitive  log  schoolhouse  of  early  days 
William  H.  Lewis  pursued  his  education,  but  his 
privileges  in  that  direction  were  very  meagre,  as  it 
was  necessary  that  he  provide  for  his  own  sup- 
port from  early  youth.  He  was  a  lad  of  but  twelve 
years  when  he  began  working  out  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand.  Later  he  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  time,  and  then  re- 
sumed agricultural  pursuits.  He  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  1883  and  is  now  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  acres  of  very  rich  land,  of  which  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  are  under  cultivation. 
His  home  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located 
about  a  mile  north  of  New  Canton,  and  here  he 
carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock- 
raising.  The  farm  is  well  improved  with  good 
buildings,  is  well  fenced  and  is  equipped  with 
modern  accessories,  and  the  latest  improved  farm 
machinery.  He  is  practical  in  all  that  he  does  and 
systematic  in -his.,  work,  and  moreover,  his  busi- 
ness integ-rk}'  stands  as  an  unquestioned  fact  in 
his  life  record'.  r:..m 

On  the  I4th  of  February,  1858,  Mr.  Lewis  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lucinda  Card,  who 
was  born  two  miles  southwest  of  Barry,  February 
28,  1842,  her  parents  being  Cyrenius  and  Nancy 
(Kidwell)  Card.  Both  were  natives  of  Ohio,  and 
at  an  early  day  they  came  to  Pike  county,  settling 
in  Barry  township,  where  the  father,  who  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  owned  and  improved  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  being  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  his  com- 
munity. In  his  family  were  twelve  children :  Dan- 
iel, deceased;  Charles,  who  is  living  in  Pleasant 
Vale  township;  Mrs.  Lewis;  Jasper  and  Martha, 
both  deceased;  Mary,  a  twin  sister  of  Martha, 
and  now  a  resident  of  New  London,  Missouri; 
Joel,  who  is  living  near  Mexico,  Missouri ;  Pau- 
lina, deceased;  Paulina,  the  second  of  the  name, 
now  residing  in  Nebraska ;  Jane,  who  has  passed 
away ;  Henry,  living  in  Pleasant  Vale  township ; 
and  Nancy,  who  has  departed  this  life.  The  fa- 
ther died  June  24,  1875,  and  the  mother's  death 
occurred  on  the  28th  of  January,  1861.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lewis  have  lost  their  only  child,  Alice,  who 
was  born  March  8,  1860,  and  died  in  August, 
1865. 

Mr.  Lewis  manifested  his  loyalty  to  his  coun- 


522 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


try  in  the  darkest  hour  of  her  history,  for,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  rebellion  in  the  south,  he  enlisted  in 
1862  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Infantry.  After  serving  for  one  year, 
however,  he  was  discharged  at  Vicksburg  on  ac- 
count of  physicial  disability  on  the  nth  of  June, 
1863.  He  held  membership  in  the  Amos  Moore 
post,  No.  684,  G.  A.  R.,  of  New  Canton.  In  his 
political  views  he  was  a  republican,  and  for  many 
years  he  served  as  school  director,  and  has  also 
been  road  commissioner.  His  life  exemplifies  the 
term,  "dignity  of  labor."  Starting  out  upon  his 
own  account  when  only  twelve  years  of  age,  he 
has  worked  diligently  and  persistently  year  after 
year.  There  have  been  discouragements  and  ob- 
stacles in  his  path,  but  as  he  has  overcome  these 
•  by  his  determination  and  energy  and  by  the  care- 
ful husbanding  of  his  resources  he  was  at  length 
enabled  to  purchase  land  for  himself  and  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  As  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  prospered  and  is  to-day  one  of  the 
substantial  agriculturists  of  his  community  who 
has  gained  not  only  a  good  farm  property  but  also 
an  honorable  name. 


CHARLES  M.  INGALLS. 

Charles  M.  Ingalls,  who  since  the  5th  of  March, 
1901.  has  occupied  the  farm  in  New  Salem  town- 
ship which  he  now  owns  and  operates,  being  very 
extensively  engaged  in  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of 
Cotswold  sheep,  was  born  in  Perry  township 
on  the  20th  of  December,  1851,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Dexter  school  near  his  father's  home. 
His  parents  were  William  M.  and  Rebecca  (El- 
ledge)  Ingalls,  and  are  represented  on  another 
page  of  this  work  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of 
D.  W.  Ingalls,  a  brother  of  our  subject. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to 
vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Charles  M. 
Ingalls  in  his  boyhood  days,  for  when  not  occu- 
pied with  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom  he  was 
busy  in  the  fields  and  thus  gained  a  practical 
knowledge  of  the  best  method  of  farming.  He 


continued  in  active  work  upon  the  old  farm 
homestead  until  twenty-three  years  of  age  and 
then  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  The 
occupation  to  which  he  was  reared  he  chose  as 
a  life  work  and  after  carrying  on  farming  for  three 
years  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  butchering 
business,  opening  a  meat  market  in  Perry,  where 
he  conducted  his  trade  for  two  years.  He  then 
returned  to  farming  in  Perry  township,  where  he 
continued  until  1883  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  went  to  Hall  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  wild  prairie  land.  Not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made 
upon  the  farm,  but  he  commenced  its  cultivation 
and  continued  its  improvement  until  the  fall  of 
1890.  In  the  autumn  of  1884  he  built  a  good 
house  upon  his  farm  and  there  lived  for  six  years, 
during  which  time  he  placed  his  fields  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  added  many  of  the 
equipments  and  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  In 
the  year  mentioned,  however,  he  sold  his  property 
there  and  bought  a  quarter  section  of  land  in 
the  same  county.  That  tract  was  also  wild  and 
uncultivated  and  in  the  fall  of  1891  he  built 
another  dwelling  which  he  continued  to  occupy 
until  the  autumn  of  1895.  He  then  rented  his 
land  in  Nebraska  and  returned  to  Perry,  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  living  in  the  town  for  a  year. 
He  then  resumed  farming,  in  which  he  continued 
for  four  years,  when,  having  disposed  of  his 
property  in  Nebraska  in  February,  1900,  he  once 
more  took  up  his  abode  in  Perry,  but  in  June 
of  the  same  year  he  bought  the  farm  upon  which 
he  now  lives  and  located  thereon  on  the  5th  of 
March,  1901.  Here  he  carries  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  also  devotes  considerable 
attention  to  stock-raising,  having  good  grades 
of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs  upon  his  place  and  in 
the  year  1905  he  added  a  fine  drove  of  Cotswold 
sheep. 

On  the  1 3th  of  February,  1879,  Mr.  Ingalls  was 
married  to  Miss  Anna  R.  Parks,  who  was  born 
May  8,  1853,  in  New  Salem  township  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Jesse  and  Mary  Jane  (Cochran)  Parks. 
Her  father,  who  was  born  in  Clermont  county. 
Ohio,  in  October,  1822,  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
two  years.  Her  mother,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  January  27,  1827,  is 


MRS.   FRANCES  SMITH  WARD 

CAME  TO    PIKE  COUNTY    IN   1817 


MISS  ALICE  LEWIS 

DIED,   AGE  FIVE  YEARS 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


525 


still  living.  This  worthy  couple  were  married  in 
Griggsville,  Illinois,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1848, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  yet  survive,  namely :  Josephine,  who 
was  born  March  24,  1849,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Eli  Morgan,  a  resident  of  Carthage,  Missouri ; 
Anna  R.,  now  Mrs.  Ingalls;  William,  who  was 
born  May  17,  1855,  and  married  Rosa  Johnson, 
their  home  being  in  Canada ;  Elizabeth  E.,  who 
was  born  September  10,  1857,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Edward  McGee,  of  Oklahoma;  Stephen  D.,  who 
was  born  March  13,  1860,  and  married  Carrie 
Nickles,  their  home  being  in  Barry;  Emma  E., 
born  February  19,  1873;  U.  Franklin,  of  Mis- 
souri, who  was  born  April  n,  1865,  and  married 
Anna  Barnhart ;  and  John  R.,  who  was  born 
August  23,  1868,  and  wedded  Emma  White. 
They  reside  in  Lincoln,  Illinois. 

It  was  in  the  year  1848  that  Mr.  Parks,  father 
of  Mrs.  Ingalls,  began  farming  in  Griggsville 
township,  which  pursuit  he  continued  until  1861 
with  a  fair  degree  of  success.  The  following  year 
in  response  to  the  first  call  for  three  months' 
troops  to  aid  in  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion 
in  the  south,  he  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  Union 
cause,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  F,  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war  and  his  health  was 
impaired  by  the  hardships  and  exposure  meted 
out  to  the  soldier.  Following  his  return  there- 
fore he  did  not  resume  farming,  but  served  as 
marshal  of  the  village  of  Perry  for  four  years, 
and  his  last  days  were  passed  in  Quincy,  Illinois. 
He  voted  with  the  republican  party,  having  firm 
faith  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  its  principles 
and  he  held  membership  in  Perry  lodge.  I.  O. 
O.  F.  and  in  the  Christian  church. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingalls  have  been  born 
four  children:  Walter  R..  born  March  9,  1880, 
married  Nellie  Herbster  and  is  living  in  Mount 
Sterling;  Daisy  L.,  born  October  13,  1882,  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  J.  Stoner,  a  resident  of  Perry; 
Nina  C,  born  April  18,  1883,  died  September  2, 
1900;  Mary  E.  born  June  26,  1886,  is  the  wife 
of  Webber  Hill. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingalls  are  members  of  the 
Pike  County  Mutual  Insurance  Company  and  he 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  his 


membership  being  in  Percival  lodge,  No.  428, 
at  Perry.  Since  age  gave  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise he  has  been  a  stalwart  republican,  always 
voting  for  the  men  who  are  pledged  to  support 
the  principles  of  the  party,  yet  never  seeking 
or  desiring  office  for  himself.  He  has  led  a  busy 
and  useful  life  characterized  by  unfaltering  dili- 
gence and  his  labors  have  been  of  a  character  that 
bring  success  .  He  is  well  known  in  the  county 
where  much  of  his  life  has  been  passed  and  is 
best  liked  wherever  best  known. 


SYLVESTER  W.  THOMPSON. 

Sylvester  W.  Thompson,  who  followed  farm- 
ing in  Pike  county  but  is  now  deceased,  was  born 
in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  September  29,  1846, 
his  parents  being  William  and  Mary  Ann 
(Brooks)  Thopipson.  The  father  came  with  his 
family -tQ,  Pike-^ouflty  in  1849,  settling  in  Milton, 
where  they  lived  .for  fifteen  years,  on  the  expira- 
tion of  which  perfoft"J'M1c.  and  Mrs.  William 
Thompson  removed  to  Kansas,  spending  their 
remaining  days  there.  The  father  was  a  contrac- 
tor and  builder,  and  throughout  his  life  followed 
building  operations. 

Sylvester  W.  Thompson  was  educated  at  Mil- 
ton, and  after  attaining  his  majority  began  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account.  He  was  reared  to  that 
occupation,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  best 
methods  of  tilling  the  soil,  caring  for  the  crops 
and  raising  stock.  After  starting  out  in  life  upon 
an  independent  business  career  he  rented  land 
for  a  time  and  then  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Kansas.  He  later  bought  a  quar- 
ter section  additional,  which  his  wife  now  owns. 
It  was  wild  land  ;  and  in  addition  to  this  he  owned 
two  lots  in  Arkansas  City,  Kansas,  which  are  now 
in  possession  of  his  widow. 

In  1874  Mr.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Lottie  Allen,  a  native  of  Detroit  township. 
Pike  county,  born  February  23,  1853.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Francis  and  Sarah  (Burlend)  Al- 
len. Her  father  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1829, 
and  came  to  America  when  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  settling  in  Detroit  township,  Pike  county. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


The  mother  was  born  in  England  in  1828,  and 
crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her  parents,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  Detroit  township  in 
1831,  so  that  Mrs.  Thompson  is  descended  from 
two  of  the  worthy  pioneer  families  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  Her  grandfather  was  John  Allen, 
an  honored  early  settler,  who  purchased  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  near  Bethel.  It  was  wild  and 
unimproved,  and  was  largely  covered  with  heavy 
timber,  but  he  at  once  began  to  clear  away  the 
trees,  letting  in  the  sunlight  upon  fields  which 
he  plowed  and  planted,  and  which  in  course  of 
time  became  very  productive.  In  the  midst  of  the 
forest  he  built  a  log  cabin,  which  was  later  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  was  then  replaced  by  another 
log  house.  Pioneer  conditions  existed  on  every 
hand.  Herds  of  wild  deer  were  frequently  seen, 
and  the  wolves  were  so  numerous  that  he  had  to 
shut  his  sheep  and  hogs  into  pens  in  order  to 
keep  them  from  the  ravages  of  the  wild  animals. 
He  carried  on  farming  on  quite  an  extensive  scale 
for  those  days,  and  became  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  prominent  agriculturists  of  his  community. 
He  aided,  too,  in  the  early  pioneer  development 
of  this  part  of  the  state,  and  his  efforts  were  of 
value  in  bringing  about  modern  conditions  of 
improvement  and  progress.  In  his  family  were 
eight  children.  He  died  in  Detroit  township  at 
the  venerable  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  sev- 
enty-eight years. 

Francis  Allen,  father  of  Mrs.  Thompson,  spent 
the  entire  period  of  his  manhood  in  Pike  county, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Detroit  township, 
where  he  owned  and  operated  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land.  He  was  a  democrat  in  his 
political  views ;  and  he  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  church.  They  were  people  of 
genuine  personal  worth,  esteemed  for  their  many 
good  qualities,  for  he  was  reliable  in  business 
transactions,  progressive  in  citizenship  and  loyal 
to  the  ties  of  home  and  friendship. 

Mrs.  Thompson  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Pike  county,  and  by  her  marriage  be- 
came the  mother  of  one  son,  Jesse  Thompson, 
who  was  born  March  12,  1881.  After  mastering 
the  elementary  branches  of  learning  he  continued 
his  studies  in  the  high  school  of  Pittsfield  and  in 


Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1902  as  a  member  of  a  class  of 
twenty-one.  He  was  thus  well  equipped  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties ;  and  he  is  now 
operating  the  home  farm,  carrying  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising.  The  farm 
is  pleasantly  located  and  comprises  a  tract  of  rich 
and  productive  land  of  eighty-six  and  a  half 
acres  on  section  35,  Pittsfield  township.  It  is 
only  about  a  mile  and  three-quarters  south  of 
Pittsfield,  and  is  very  advantageously  located. 
They  also 'own  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Martins- 
burg  township,  and  all  of  this  property  was  left 
to  Mrs.  Thompson  by  her  mother.  Mr.  Thomp- 
son was  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp 
of  Pittsfield  and  at  his  death  left  to  his  widow  an 
insurance  of  two  thousand  dollars.  He  was  en- 
ergetic and  enterprising  in  his  business  affairs, 
and  at  all  times  was  strictly  straightforward  in  his 
dealings,  so  that  he  won  not  only  a  gratifying 
measure  of  success  but  also  a  good  name,  thus 
leaving  to  his  family  a  priceless  heritage,  for  as 
the  Psalmist  has  said,  "A  good  name  is  rather  to- 
be  chosen  than  great  riches."  He  passed  away 
April  18,  1894.  Mrs.  Thompson  attends  the 
Methodist  church;  and  she  and  her  son  still  re- 
side upon  the  homestead  farm.  They  have  a  wide 
and  favorable  acquaintance  in  the  county ;  and 
Mrs.  Thompson  is  one  of  the  native  daughters, 
having  spent  her  entire  life  here.  She  repre- 
sents two  of  the  prominent  pioneer  families  of  this 
section  of  the  state  who  in  the  early  days  were 
closely  associated  with  early  development  and 
progress. 


JOHN  R.  WALKER. 

John  R.  Walker,  well  known  as  a  breeder  and 
raiser  of  fine  sheep,  was  born  in  Griggsville  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  in  January,  1847,  anc'  is  of 
English  lineage.  His  father,  Robert  Walker, 
was  born  in  England,  and  came  alone  from  that 
country  to  America,  when  seventeen  years  of  age, 
crossing  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing  vessel,  which 
dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans. 
He  remained  for  ten  years  in  the  Crescent  city 
and  vicinity,  rafting  logs  from  up  the  river  down 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


527 


to  New  Orleans  and  employing  a  number  of 
negroes,  whom  he  secured  by  buying  their  serv- 
ices from  their  masters.  When  a  decade  had 
passed  he  removed  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and 
entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  from 
the  government  northeast  of  Griggsville.  Here 
he  built  a  home  and  sent  for  his  married  sister, 
Mrs.  Wilson,  to  join  him.  Beginning  at  once  the 
work  of  developing  and  improving  his  property, 
he  broke  the  wild  prairie  and  cultivated  his  land. 
Later  he  sold  the  property  to  his  sister  and  en- 
tered one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  his 
original  claim  on  the  north.  This  was  also  wild 
and  unimproved.  He  erected  thereon  another 
residence ;  and  he  built  the  first  barn  with  a  cellar 
in  the  community.  As  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  life's  journey  he  chose  a  Miss  Wade, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Thomas,  Elizabeth  and  Rebecca,  all  of  whom  are 
yet  living.  After  a  time  he  sold  his  second  farm 
vand  bought  two  hundred  acres  of  land  south  of 
Perry,  on  which  a  part  of  the  village  of  Perry 
now  stands,  and  after  selling  that  property  to 
William  Ward  he  bought  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  acres  of  prairie  land  and  eighty  acres  of  tim- 
ber land.  He  owned  at  one  time  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land ;  and  he  was  extensively 
engaged  in  breeding  and  raising  hogs  and  horses, 
being  a  lover  of  fine  animals.  He  retired  from 
the  farm  in  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Perry, 
where  he  spent  his  last  years  in  honorable  re- 
tirement from  further  labor.  He  never  sought 
or  desired  public  office,  but  was  a  stanch  repub- 
lican and  a  liberal  and  earnset  supporter  of  the 
party.  He  cut  from  his  land  a  Lincoln  flagstaff 
and  assisted  in  raising  it  in  Perry.  In  1857  he 
joined  the  Christian  church,  of  which  he  contin- 
ued a  loyal  member  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise, 
which  occurred  in  1861,  when  he  was  in  the  six- 
ty-sixth year  of  his  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Hannah  Scott,  was  born  in  Ten- 
nessee, and  died  in  1874,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of 
her  age.  They  were  married  in  Griggsville  town- 
ship ;  and  in  their  family  were  six  children,  of 
whom  two  are  living,  John  and  James. 

The  brothers  were  educated  in  the  public 
schools ;  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  John 
R.  Walker  and  his  brother  James  began  farming 


for  themselves  on  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  land.  They  continued  in  business  together 
until  1873,  when  they  dissolved  partnership,  each 
taking  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Upon 
this  tract  John  R.  Walker  has  since  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  addition  to 
his  farm  in  Fairmount  township  he  has  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  in  Perry  township.  He  and 
his  brother  brought  to  Pike  county  the  first 
polled  Angus  cattle,  and  also  engaged  quite  ex- 
tensively in  breeding  fine  horses.  Mr.  Walker 
of  this  review  sent  to  England  for  four  Oxford 
Down  sheep,  and  has  since  made  a  specialty  of 
breeding,  raising  and  selling  registered  sheep. 
He  has  also  displayed  his  sheep  at  different  fairs, 
where  he  has  won  a  number  of  prizes ;  and  he  is 
one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Illinois  Valley  Fair 
Association.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  fine 
stock,  his  judgment  rarely,  if  ever,  being  at  fault 
in  determining  the  value  of  an  animal ;  and 
through  his  stock-raising  interests  he  has  done 
much  to  improve  the  grade  of  cattle,  sheep  and 
horses  raised  in  this  part  of  the  state,  thereby 
contributing  to  the  general  prosperity. 

On  the  2ist  of  November,  1869,  Mr.  Walker 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  F.  Barlow,  who  was 
born  May  n,  1848,  a  daughter  of  Frank  B.  and 
Elizabeth  (Walker)  Barlow,  both  natives  of 
Robinson  county,  Kentucky.  They  were  mar- 
ried there,  and  with  two  children  they  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  first  near  Farmington  in  Fulton 
county  in  1847.  There  Mr.  Barlow  carried  on 
general  farming  until  1860,  when  he  removed 
to  Pike  county,  settling  near  Fish  Hook,  where 
he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  passed  away  Novem- 
ber 26,  1862,  and  his  wife  died  September  28, 
1860.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  five  are  now  living:.  Mrs.  Martha  J. 
Greenleaf,  Mrs.  Walker,  Tabitha  E.,  James  A. 
and  Margaret. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  have  four  children :  Nel- 
lie F.,  who  was  born  September  16,  1870,  and  is 
the  wife  of  Alec  Chenoweth ;  Robert  L.,  who  was 
born  August  i.  1872;  Ila  M.,  who  was  born  April 
5,  1875.  and  was  married  February  5,  1893,  to 
Harvey  Withain,  her  death  occurring  November 
ii.  1898;  and  Charles  A.,  born  May  26,  1884. 


528 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Mr.  Walker  has  served  as  supervisor  of  Fair- 
mount  township  for  two  terms,  and  was  road 
commissioner  for  fifteen  years,  while  his  son  Rob- 
ert has  become  his  successor  in  that  office.  The 
father  was  also  township  treasurer  for  four  years, 
and  the  son  is  now  filling  that  position  at  the 
present  time.  Mr.  Walker  belongs  to  Perry  lodge, 
No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  been  identified 
with  the  craft  since  attaining  his  majority.  He 
also  belongs  to  Periy  chapter,  No.  165,  R.  A.  M., 
and  has  been  president  of  the  Anti-Horse  Thief 
Association.  He  always  votes  with  the  repub- 
lican party;  and  he  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Christian  church.  In  matters  of  citizen- 
ship he  is  deeply  interested,  and  any  movement 
or  plan  for  the  public  good  receives  his  endorse- 
ment and  co-operation.  His  business  interests 
have  been  capably  managed  and  his  keen  sagacity 
and  unfaltering  diligence  have  been  resultant  fac- 
tors in  winning  for  him  the  confidence  which  he 
now  enjoys. 


EDWIN  W.  BRISCOE. 

Edwin  W.  Briscoe,  of  Pleasant  Hill,  is  a 
veteran  of  the  great  Civil  war,  in  which  he  val- 
iantly fought  for  the  old  flag  of  the  Union.  He  is 
a  native  son  of  Pike  county,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Martinsburg  township,  January  31, 
1843.  His  father,  Edward  Briscoe,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  born  in  1810.  He  came  to  Illinois 
when  a  young  man  in  1828,  and  was  married  in 
McDonough  county  to  Miss  Nancy  Ann  Hardin, 
a  native  of  Kentucky.  Later  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county,  following  the  occupation  of 
farming  in  Martinsburg  township,  where  he 
reared  his  family  and  spent  his  last  years,  passing 
away  on  the  27th  of  August,  1855,  when  in  the 
prime  of  life.  In  the  family  were  three  sons  and 
a  daughter:  H.  H.  Briscoe,  of  Martinsburg;  E. 
W.,  of  this  review;  and  Tom  I.  Briscoe,  of  Colo- 
rado. The  daughter  is  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Ste- 
ward. 

Edwin  W.  Briscoe  was  reared  in  the  county  of 
his  nativity  and  remained  with  his  mother  until 
twenty  years  of  age.  On  the  8th  of  October, 
1864,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 


troops,  enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  regiment  he  went  to  the  south.  Not  long 
afterward  he  was  taken  ill  and  was  in  the  hos- 
pital at  Memphis  with  measles.  Later  pneumonia 
set  in,  and  he  came  near  to  death,  but  eventually 
he  recovered  and  rejoined  his  regiment  in  April, 
1865,  at  Mobile,  Alabama,  continuing  -with  the 
command  until  the  succeeding  autumn,  when  he 
was  honorably  discharged  at  New  Orleans.  He 
was  a  faithful  soldier,  always  found  at  his  post 
of  duty  save  when  ill  in  the  hospital ;  and  he  never 
wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  stars  and  stripes. 

Following  his  return  te  the  north,  Mr.  Briscoe 
engaged  in  work  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand 
for  several  years.  In  1869  he  went  to  southwest- 
ern Missouri,  where  he  operated  a  farm,  and  in 
1870  he  removed  to  Kansas,  where  he  followed 
the  same  pursuit.  He  was  married  in  the  Sun- 
flower state  on  the  2ist  of  May,  1874,  to  Miss 
Clementine  Beasley,  a  native  of  Marion  county, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Wesley  and  Rachel 
Beasley,  the  former  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
and  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  Following  their 
marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Briscoe  located  in  Greene 
county,  Missouri,  where  they  remained  for  a  year 
and  then  removed  to  Chautauqua  county,  where 
they  resided  until  1880.  In  that  year  they  went 
to  Eureka  Springs,  Arkansas,  for  the  benefit  of 
Mr.  Briscoe's  health,  continuing  at  that  point 'for 
four  years,  after  which  they  returned  to  Spring- 
field, Missouri,  where  for  six  years  and  seven 
months  he  was  employed  in  the  railroad  shops  of 
the  Frisco  Company.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  again  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
settling  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  purchased  a 
lot  and  built  a  residence. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Briscoe  have  been  born 
three  children :  Maude,  who  is  a  proficient  nurse 
and  resides  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  Daisy,  the 
wife  of  William  Cragmiles,  of  Pleasant  Hill, 
by  whom  she  has  three  children,  Maudie,  Claudie 
and  Lawrence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Briscoe  also  lost 
a  son,  Claude,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Briscoe  is  a 
republican,  having  given  stalwart  support  to  the 
party  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  while  on  a  furlough 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


529 


home.  He  and  his  wife  and  daughters  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church;  and  he 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  post.  He  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  church  work,  and  also  in  the  fra- 
ternal organization  with  which  he  is  connected 
and  is  an  esteemed  representative  of  both.  His 
good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind  have  won  him 
the  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  has  come  in 
contact,  and  he  enjoys  in  large  measure  the  warm 
esteem  of  manv  friends. 


WILLIAM   S.   BARKLEY. 

William  S.  Barkley,  deceased,  was  well  known 
in  agricultural  circles  in  Pike  county  for  many 
years.  The  broad  prairies  of  Illinois  have  offered 
splendid  opportunities  to  the  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  and  many  fortunes  have  been  won  through 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  or  through  pasturing 
large  herds  upon  the  rich  meadow  lands  of  Illi- 
nois. Mr.  Barkley  is  among  the  number  who 
in  this  line  of  activity  have  won  success.  He 
was  a  native  of  Ross  county,  Ohio,  born  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1842,  and  his  parents  were  Henry 
J.  and  Mary  (Snyder)  Barkley,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  was  born  in 
1816  and  the  mother  October  29,  1812.  They 
became  residents  of  Pike  county  in  1850,  at  which 
time  their  son  William  was  but  a  small  lad.  Their 
first  home  was  about  two  miles  north  of  Barry, 
and  later  they  removed  to  a  farm  two  and  a  half 
miles  northeast  of  Barry,  where  they  lived  for 
about  forty  years,  being  well  known  as  early  and 
representative  citizens  of  the  community.  When 
four  decades  had  passed  they  left  Illinois  and 
went  to  Bentonville,  Arkansas,  where  the  father 
lived  retired  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Janu- 
ary 27,  1892,  when  he  was  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year.  His  widow  survived  him  for  about  nine 
years,  passing  away  on  the  7th  of  February,  1901. 
He  was  a  stone-cutter  by  trade,  but  after  coming 
to  Illinois  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the  owner 
of  three  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land 
in  Pike  county.  While  living  in  this  county  he 
successfully  and  extensively  engaged  in  stock- 


raising,  making  a  specialty  of  shorthorn  Durham 
cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  Politically  he  was 
a  stanch  republican ;  and  served  as  school  di- 
rector for  many  years,  and  was  also  supervisor 
of  his  township.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  de- 
voted members  of  the  Baptist  church.  In  their 
family  were  four  children,  but  only  two  are  now 
living :  Margaret  and  Sarah  L.,  the  latter  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Schwab,  a  resident  of  Windsor, 
Missouri. 

William  S.  Barkley  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army,  becoming 
a  member  of  Company  D,  Ninty-iHnth  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteers,  on  the  5th  of  August, 
1862,  to  serve  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war. 
He  was  mustered  out  July  31,  1865,  after  active 
field  service,  in  which  he  took  part  in  many  im- 
portant engagements  that  led  up  to  the  final  tri- 
umph of  the  Union  arms.  When  the  war  was  over 
he  returned  to  his  home  and  gave  his  attention  to 
farming  and  stock-raising, — the  pursuits  to  which 
he  had  been  reared, — so  that  he  had  a  practical 
knowledge  of  the  best  methods  of  carrying  on 
both  branches  of  the  business.  He  also  dealt  in 
stock  as  a  buyer  and  shipper,  and  his  careful 
control  of  his  business  affairs  led  to  very  gratify- 
ing success. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  1867,  Mr.  Barkley  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Doran, 
who  was  born  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  March  27, 

1849,  and    ls  a   daughter  of  James    and    Jane 
(Moore)  Doran.     The  father's  birth  occurred  in 
Waynesville,    Ohio,    March    3,     1812,    and    the 
mother  was  born  in  Waynesville,  September  10, 
1815.     They  came  to  Adams  county,  Illinois,  in 
1846,   settling  in   Quincy,   where  they  lived  for 
four  years,  and  then  removed  to  Pike  county  in 

1850.  The  father  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  follow- 
ing that  pursuit  in  his  early  life;  and  on  coming 
to    Illinois,   turned   his   attention    to   agricultural 
interests.     He  lived  on  the  Blanchard  farm,  now 
included  within  the  corporation  limits  of  the  city 
of  Quincy.     At  one  time  he  owned  about  four 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  Pike  county  land;  and 
he  made  many  improvements  upon  his  property, 
which  was  a  tract  of  prairie,  arable  and  produc- 
tive.   He  placed  his  fields  under  a  very  high  state 


53» 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  cultivation ;  and  he  built  upon  his  farm  a  good 
residence.  He  made  a  specialty  of  the  breeding 
and  raising  of  fancy  horses,  which  he  exhibited 
at  many  fairs,  winning  various  premiums  on  his 
fine  stock.  His  political  allegiance  was  given 
to  the  republican  party,  and  for  many  years  he 
served  as  school  director,  the  cause  of  education 
finding  in  him  a  warm  friend  by  reason  of  the 
able  work  which  he  did  for  the  schools.  He  died 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  on  the  3ist  of  May, 
1863.  His  widow,  a  Baptist  when  she  died,  long 
survived  him,  and  departed  this  life  March  28, 
1903.  In  their  family  were  nine  children,  of  whom 
five  are  now  living :  Milton,  who  married  Jane 
Woosley,  and  resides  a  mile  and  a  half  northeast 
of  Barry;  Mary  A.,  the  wife  of  Hiram  B.  Sperry, 
who  is  living  in  Nokomis,  Illinois ;  Theodore,  a 
resident  of  Barry ;  James  M. ;  and  Mrs.  Barkley. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barkley  was 
blessed  with  two  children.  Roy  D.,  born  July 
24,  1868,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
in  the  Gem  City  Business  College  at  Quincy.  He 
is  now  living  upon  the  old  homestead  which  was 
owned  by  his  grandfather  and  comprises  four 
dred  and  eighty  acres  of  fine  land.  He  is  now 
farming  three  hundred  and  thirty  acres ;  and  he 
.  also  engages  in  stock-raising,  having  from  forty 
to  fifty  head  of  cattle  upon  his  place  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  He  is  now,  however,  making  arrange- 
ments preparatory  to  removing  to  Scott  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  owns  eight  hundred  acres  of  ex- 
cellent land.  He  has  recently  returned  from  that 
farm,  where  he  built  a  barn.  He  expects  to  move 
to  the  Sunflower  state  in  March,  1906.  He  was 
married  November  2,  1892,  to  Miss  Allie  Beadle, 
who  was  born  in  Pike  county,  July  i,  1872,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Lucy  Beadle,  both 
of  whom  are  natives  of  Virginia.  In  their  family 
are  five  children :  Lillian  P.,  Isla  M.,  Harry  w', 
Letha  I.,  and  Ross  R.  Maggie  M.  Barkley,  the 
second  member  of  the  family,  was  born  May  23, 
1872,  and  was  married  May  13,  1900,  to  Frank 
M.  Beard.  They  reside  four  miles  north  of 
Barry. 

In  politics  Mr.  Barkley  was  an  earnest  repub- 
lican, and  took  a  deep  and  active  interest  in  the 
work  of  his  party.  He  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  and  assessor,  and  was  a  member  of  the 


school  board  for  twenty  years  or  more.  He  be- 
longed to  Hope  lodge,  No.  55,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of 
Barry,  and  was  a  member  of  John  McTucker  post. 
No.  154,  G.  A.  R.,  and  when  the  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Regiment  held  its  annual  reunion  in  1905 
he  served  as  president  on  that  occasion.  Not 
long  afterward,  on  the  I4th  of  April,  1905,  he 
was  called  to  his  final  rest,  responding  to  the  last 
roll  call  that  indicates  that  the  warfare  of  life  is 
over.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church; 
and  gave  a  willing  hand  to  all  public  interests, 
and  to  the  assistance  of  his  friends.  His  nature 
was  kindly  and  generous,  and  the  poor  and  needy 
never  appealed  to  him  in  vain.  He  stood  for  all 
that  is  upright  and  just  in  man's  relations  with  his 
fellowmen,  and  was  a  believer  in  the  true,  the 
good  and  the  beautiful ;  and  through  his  genial 
nature  and  generous  disposition  he  shed  around 
him  much  of  the  sunshine  of  life.  Mrs.  Barkley 
now  resides  in  Barry  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady, 
who  has  an  extensive  circle  of  friends.  She  owns 
three  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  in  Hadley 
township. 


JUDGE  N.  B.  WILLIAMS. 

Judge  N.  B.  Williams,  who  died  on  the  9th 
of  February,  1896.  was  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  and  merchants  of  Pike  county. 
having  for  more  than  forty  years  been  actively 
connected  with  commercial  interests  of  Pleasant 
Hill.  He  settled  there  at  an  early  day  and  con- 
tributed in  large  measure  to  general  progress 
and  prosperity  in  his  home  locality.  He  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  on  the  I2th  of  August. 
1832.  His  father  was  Harvey  Williams,  who  re- 
moved to  Tennessee  with  the  family,  and  it  was 
there  that  N.  B.  Williams  was  reared.  In  1851 
he  became  a  resident  of  Missouri,  settling  in 
Newton  county,  and  on  the  I3th  of  June  of  that 
year  he  was  married  there  to  Miss  Seeney  Rich- 
ards, who  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  but  was 
reared  in  Tennessee.  Her  father,  Valentine 
Richards,  was  a  native  of  the  former  state  and, 
having  arrived  at  vears  of  maturity,  was  mar- 
ried there  to  Elizabeth  Clifford,  who  was  born 
in  North  Carolina,  where  her  girlhood  days  were 


N.  B.  WILLIAMS 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


533 


passed.  They  remained  residents  of  that  state 
until  after  the  birth  of  four  or  five  of  their  chil- 
dren, at  which  time  they  removed  to  Missouri. 
settling  in  Newton  county,  where  they  remained 
for  six  years,  and  then  went  to  Clarksville,  Pike 
county,  Missouri,  where  Mr.  Richards  contin- 
ued to  reside  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  war.  He 
had  survived  his  wife  for  several  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
four  sons  and  two  daughters  reached  adult  age. 
but  the  only  ones  now  living  are  Mrs.  Williams 
and  her  brother,  Samuel  V.  Richards,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Quincy,  Illinois. 

Following  his  marriage  Judge  Williams 
worked  at  the  cabinetmaker's  and  carpenter's 
trades,  being  thus  engaged  for  some  years.  In 
1860  he  came  to  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  began 
blacksmithing,  carrying  on  a  shop  for  a  few 
years,  while  subsequently  he  engaged  in  the 
hardware  and  undertaking  business.  He  then 
conducted  his  store  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
carrying  a  well  selected  line  of  goods  and  enjoy- 
ing, a  liberal  patronage.  He  was  strictly  honor- 
able in  all  his  business  dealings  and  his  methods 
were  such  as  might  well  serve  as  a  source  of 
emulation,  leading  both  to  success  and  the  ac- 
quirement of  an  honored  name.  He  never  made 
engagements  that  he  did  not  meet  nor  incurred 
obligations  that  he  did  not  fulfill,  and  he  thus 
commanded  the  unqualified  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  was  associated.  He  built  a  busi- 
ness house  and  also  several  residences  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill  and  thus  contributed  to  the  improve- 
ment of  this  village  as  well  as  to  the  promotion 
of  its  commercial  activity. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  held  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  he 
served  in  several  church  offices,  but  he  would 
hold  no  positions  of  political  preferment,  giving 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  the 
enjoyment  of  his  home  and  to  his  church  duties. 
He  was  well  known  in  both  Pike  and  Calhoun 
counties  and  his  many  sterling  traits  of  charac- 
ter endeared  him  to  those  with  whom  he  was  as- 
sociated. His  connection  with  business  affairs 
in  Pleasant  Hill  covered  a  long  period  and 
throughout  the  entire  time  he  sustained  an  unas- 


sailable reputation.  Men  admired  him  because 
of  his  success,  respected  him  because  of  his  fidel- 
ity to  duty  and  gave  him  their  friendship  because 
of  his '  kindly  genial  nature  and  freedom  from 
ostentation  or  display.  Mrs.  Williams  still  sur- 
vives her  husband  and  resides  at  the  old  home- 
stead, being  now  a  well  preserved  lady  of  sev- 
enty-two years.  She  is  well  known  and  has  a 
host  of  warm  friends  in  Pleasant  Hill. 


SAMUEL  B.  PEACOCK,  M.  D. 

Samuel  B.  Peacock,  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Baylis,  whose  skill  and  ability  have  gained  him 
more  than  local  reputation,  having  become  quite 
well  known  through  his  contributions  to  medical 
journals,  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois, 
April  14,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  S.  J.  and  Elizabeth 
A.  (France)  Peacock.  The  father  was  born  in 
Davidson  cpunty,  North  Carolina,  in  1827,  and 
the  mother's  birth  'occurred  in  New  Wheeling, 
Virginia,  in  1832.  It  was 'in 'the  year  1851  that 
S.  J.  Peacock  became  a  resident  of  Brown  county, 
Illinois,  whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Adams 
county,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is  a  farmer, 
owning  and  operating  one  hundred  and'  sixty 
acres  of  land  which  constitutes  a  well  improved 
and  highly  cultivated  property.  His  political  al- 
legiance is  given  to  the  democracy  and  for  twenty- 
four  years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace,  his  long- 
continued  service  indicating  that  his  decisions 
were  strictly  fair  and  impartial.  He  held  various 
other  offices,  such  as  assessor  and  collector  and  as  a 
private  citizen  he  has  done  valuable  service  for 
the  community  in  the  line  of  general  progress. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 
In  their  family  were  ten  children,  of  whom  seven 
are  now  living.  Dr.  Peacock,  like  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  household,  attended  the  common 
schools  in  his  boyhood  days  and  he  prepared  for 
the  practice  of  medicine  as  a  student  in  Keokuk 
Medical- College,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years, 
on  the  3d  of  March,  1896,  as  a  member  of  a 
class  of  forty-eight.  He  practiced  medicine  for 
two  years  with  Dr.  R.  J.  McConnell  and  in  1898 


534 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  Chicago  on 
surgery  and  the  diseases  of  women.  In  1902  he 
again  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  pursued  a  gen- 
eral course  called  the  special  course  of  practice. 
His  attention  is  now  given  to  his  professional 
duties  and  he  practices  along  modern  scientific 
lines.  He  is  a  close  and  earnest  student  and  is 
quick  to  adopt  new  and  modern  methods,  not, 
however,  supplanting  the  old  and  time-tried  meth- 
ods of  practice  but  supplementing  them  instead. 
He  is  well  known  as  a  contributor  to  several  med- 
ical journals. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1903,  Dr.  Peacock  was 
married  to  Miss  Frances  Miller,  who  was  born  in 
Baylis,  April  7,  1877,  and  is  a  daughter  of  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Carnes)  Miller.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1839,  and  was  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Nancy  Miller,  early  settlers 
of  Pike  county,  having  come  to  Illinois  from 
Pennsylvania  in  pioneer  days.  In. 1863  Mr.  Mil- 
ler wedded  Elizabeth  Carnes,  who  was  born  in 
1846.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church.  In  their  family  are  three 
children  who  yet  survive. 

Dr.  Peacock  is  a  democrat  and  was  elected  su- 
pervisor of  New  Salem  township  in  April,  1904 
so  that  he  is  the  present  incumbent  in  the  office. 
He  belongs  to  Baylis  lodge,  No.  834,  I.  O.  O.  F. ; 
to  New  Salem  lodge,  No.  218,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.: 
the  Modern  Woodmen  camp ;  the  Pike  County 
Mutual  Association,  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
League.  He  keeps  six  horses  and  vehicles  in 
order  that  he  may  at  any  time  respond  quickly  to 
the  call  of  those  in  need  of  professional  service 
and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent 
young  men  as  well  as  successful  practitioners  o^ 
Pike  county. 


JOSHUA  T.  INGRAM. 

Joshua  T.  Ingram,  a  representative  farmer  of 
Perry  township,  was  born  May  25,  1849,  'n  tne 
township  where  he  now  makes  his  home,  and  is 
a  son  of  Isom  L.  and  Perlina  (Rusk)  Ingram,  na- 
tives of  Tennessee  and  Illinois  respectively.  The 
father  was  born  June  12,  1822,  and  the  mother 


June  15,  1825;  and  they  were  married  in  Ver- 
sailks,  this  state.  The  paternel  grandparents 
were  Joshua  P.  and  Susanna  (Lenox)  Ingrain, 
and  the  family  is  believed  to  be  of  Scotch-Irish 
lineage.  The  great-grandfather,  John  Ingram, 
was  born  in  Ireland,  and  in  his  early  childhood 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration  to 
Tennessee,  where  he  was  reared.  He  wedded 
Rachel  Blanton,  who  was  of  Irish  parentage,  and' 
her  birth  probably  occurred  on  the  Emerald  Isle. 
In  1833  John  Ingram  came  with  his  family  to 
Pike  county  and  secured  government  land.  He 
afterward  improved  two  or  three  farms  and  be- 
came recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  en- 
terprising agriculturists  of  his  day.  He  lived 
to  an  advanced  age,  gave  his  political  support 
to  the  democracy;  and  both  he  and  his  wife  en- 
dorsed the  Methodist  faith.  Their  family  num- 
bered seven  sons,  who  reached  adult  age  and 
reared  families  in  Illinois.  This  number  included 
Joshua  P.  Ingram,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
who  was  born  in  Tennessee,  January  26,  1802.  He 
married  Susanna  Lenox,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Tennessee,  November  7,  1800,  and  who  died  De- 
cember 7,  1858.  The  marriage  was  celebrated 
April  13,  1821,  and  they  had  one  son,  Isom  L. 
Following  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Joshua  P. 
Ingram  was  married  to  Marinda  Nunn,  whose 
death  occurred  January  15,  1879,  while  he  passed 
away  on  the  3ist  of  March  of  the  same  year. 
Their  only  daughter  is  deceased. 

Isom  L.  Ingram  came  to  Illinois  with  his  par- 
ents when  eleven  years  of  age,  the  journey  being- 
made  after  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times,  in 
a  two-wheeled  cart  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen  with 
a  horse  in  the  lead.  The  grandparents  brought 
with  them  all  of  their  earthly  possessions  and  be- 
gan life  in  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  shar- 
ing in  various  hardships  and  privations  incident 
to  the  settlement  of  the  frontier.  Isom  L.  Ingram 
being  an  only  son,  inherited  the  home  property, 
upon  which  he  remained  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  with  the  exception  of  a  brief 
period  of  three  years  spent  in  Brown  county.  His 
original  home  in  Pike  county  was  a  log  cabin ; 
and  he  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  clearing 
away  the  timber  and  developing  the  fields.  He 
also  attended  the  early  subscription  schools  of  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


county,  and  after  his  marriage  he  began  farming 
on  his  own  account  on  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Brown  county,  which  he  purchased,  and  on  which 
he  built  a  log  cabin.  Later,  however,  he  returned 
to  section  2,  Perry  township,  whereon  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  devoting  his  energies  to 
general  farming  and  to  raising  graded  cattle, 
hogs  and  horses.  He  also  worked  at  the  cooper's 
trade  for  a  number  of  years,  having  mastered 
that  business  when  a  boy,  under  the  direction  of 
Buck  Johns.  He  likewise  followed  carpentering 
to  some  extent  and  built  the  house  in  which  his 
last  years  were  passed.  He  served  as  road  com- 
missioner, as  school  director  and  as  trustee,  oc- 
cupying the  last  named  position  for  many  years. 
The  marriage  of  Isom  L.  Ingram  and  Perlina 
Rusk  was  celebrated  October  25,  1843.  She  was 
one  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters 
born  unto  John  and  Nancy  (Swegett)  Rusk,  who 
were  natives  of  Kentucky,  and  subsequent  to  their 
marriage,  which  occurred  in  that  state,  they  came 
to  Illinois  in  1820,  settling  in  Morgan  county. 
For  twenty  years  they  resided  there,  and  then 
took  up  their  abode  on  a  farm  in  Brown  county, 
where  Mr.  Rusk  died  October  8,  1844,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-three  years.  His  widow  afterward  lived 
with  her  children,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Ingram,  in  1866,  when  more  than 
four  score  years  of  age.  Like  her  husband,  she 
was  an  earnest  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isom  Ingram  had  a 
family  of  nine  children :  Isaac  N.,  born  January 
28,  1845,  married  Ellen  Ledgett.  Susan,  born 
May  8,  1846,  is  the  wife  of  James  York.  Joshua 
T.  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Benjamin  F.  born 
December  22,  1850,  married  Henrietta  Hannah. 
Nancy  A.,  born  May  9,  1853,  is  the  wife  of 
George  Walling.  Martha  J.,  born  July  23,  1855, 
is  the  wife  of  Alexander  Collter.  Henry  W., 
born  June  27,  1857,  follows  farming.  Louisa, 
born  April  9,  1862,  died  July  23,  1878.  Marinda 
Ella,  born  August  22,  1867,  is  the  wife  of  Gary 
Harelson. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to 
vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Joshua  T.  In- 
gram in  his  boyhood  days.  He  was  reared  upon 
the  old  homestead  farm  in  Perry  township  which 
his  grandfather  had  entered  from  the  government. 


When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  started  upon  an 
independent  business  career  by  operating  a  por- 
tion of  the  James  Johns  farm.  In  February,  1905, 
he  removed  to  his  present  farm  in  Perry  town- 
ship, and  here  he  is  carrying  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  an  energetic  and  successful 
manner. 

He  has  been  married  twice.  On  the  2d  of  No- 
vember, 1868,  he  wedded  Miss  Sarah  E.  Ban- 
ning, who  was  born  February  12,  1848,  and  died 
December  14,  1872.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  children:  Stephen  A.  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember i,  1869,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  five  months  and  eleven  days ;  Lizzie  C.  and 
Lillie  E.,  twins,  born  March  31,  1875,  and  both 
are  now  deceased ;  and  Addie,  who  was  born 
July  29,  1872,  and  died  in  infancy.  For  his  sec- 
ond wife  Mr.  Ingram  chose  Rhoda  Banning,  a 
sister  of  his  first  wife.  She  was  born  in  Cham- 
bersburg  township,  March  25,1846,  and  they  were 
married  July  31,  1873.  Her  parents  were  Stephen 
and  Elizabeth  D.  (Rigg)  Banning,  the  former 
born  in  Ohio,  May  15,  1814,  and  the  latter  in 
Kentucky,  November  16,  1821.  Their  marriage 
occurred  in  Chambersburg  township,  December 
19,  1838.  Mr.  Banning  lost  his  parents  when  a 
young  child,  and  later  came  to  Illinois.  Fol- 
lowing his  marriage  he  located  a  mile  and  a  half 
west  of  Chambersburg  on  eighty  acres  of  timber 
land,  and  he  and  his  bride  carried  their  wedding 
effects  to  a  new  log  cabin.  A  bedstead  was  made 
by  boring  holes  in  the  logs  in  a  corner  of  a  room 
and  inserting  poles  into  these,  and  resting  the 
other  end  upon  posts.  Mr.  Banning  made  three 
log  stools  for  chairs  and  a  box  served  for  a  table. 
There  was  a  big  open  fireplace,  and  the  young 
couple  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  usual 
manner  of  the  pioneer  settler.  In  1869  they  re- 
moved from  their  original  farm  to  Perry  town- 
ship, settling  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land;  and  Mr.  Banning  improved  his  house,  and 
cultivated  his  farm.  In  early  days  he  also  worked 
at  coopering,  but  his  later  years  were  devoted 
entirely  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  for  a 
long  period  a  devoted  and  faithful  member  of 
the  Christian  church ;  and  his  political  support 
was  given  to  the  democracy.  He  died  March  8, 
1888,  having  long  survived  his  wife,  who  passed 


536 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


away  May  10,  1860.  In  their  family  were  nine 
children :  Z.  R.,  who  was  born  September  18, 
1839,  died  on  the  2ist  of  December  of  the  same 
year.  Martha  A.,  born  January  14,  1841,  died 
July  3,  1871.  Nancy  J.,  born  April  24,  1843, 
is  the  wife  of  T.  B.  Dunn,  of  Perry  township. 
Mrs,  Ingram  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Sarah 
was  the  first  wife  of  Mr.  Ingram.  Thomas  L., 
born  August  25,  1850,  died  August  8,  1851.  Ara- 
belle  D.,  born  May  28,  1852,  died  October  9, 
1870.  Isadore  C.  born  September  27,  1854,  died 
March  20,  1857.  Octavia  O.,  born  October  7, 
1857,  is  the  wife  of  George  Piper,  of  Kansas,  and 
has  four  children. 

Mr.  Ingram  exercises  his  franchise  right  in 
support  of  the  democracy.  He  has  served  as 
school  director  for  one  term,  but  has  cared  for  no 
public  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  his  business  pursuits,  in  which  he  is 
meeting  with  signal  success.  He  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  this  county  and  he  has  carried  forward  the 
work  which  was  instituted  by  his  grandfather 
and  continued  by  his  father.  The  name  of  In- 
gram has  been  associated  with  the  development 
and  agricultural  progress  of  Pike  county  from 
pioneer  times,  and  has  ever  stood  as  a  synonym 
for  integrity  in  business  and  worth  in  citizenship. 


ISAAC  N.  WINANS. 

Isaac  N.  Winans,  a  representative  of  agricul- 
tural interests,  was  born  in  Pittsfield  township  on 
the  25th  of  February,  1858,  and  was  a  son  of 
Isaac  and  Sarah  (Webster)  Winans.  The  fam- 
ily, originally  spelling  the  name  Winans,  is  de- 
scended from  the  ancient  Holland  nobility,  trac- 
ing the  ancestry  back  to 'the  sixteenth  century. 
Wearied  by  the  oppressions  and  desirous  of  es- 
caping religious  persecutions  of  that  age  and 
being  of  an  independent  and  liberal  character, 
John  Winans  departed  for  America  in  1630.  In 
1664,  with  other  "associates,"  as  pioneers  were 
called  in  those  days,  he  bought  from  the  Indians 
the  land  between  the  Raritan  and  Passaic  rivers 


in  New  Jersey,  a  tract  seventeen  miles  wide  and 
thirty-four  miles  long.  He  married  Susanna 
Melyn,  a  daughter  of  Cornelius  Melyn,  a  patroon 
of  Staten  Island.  Their  children  were  Samuel, 
Johannes,  Conradus,  Jacob,  Isaac,  Elizabeth  and 
Johanna. 

Isaac  Winans  was  born  in  1685  ar"d  died  in 
1723.  To  him  and  his  wife  Hannah  were  born 
Hannah,  Phebe,  Isaac,  Abraham,  William  and 
Elias. 

Isaac  Winans  (2d),  born  in  1710,  died  in  1780, 
his  death  being  caused  from  cruelties  while  con- 
fined as  a  prisoner  in  the  sugar  house  in  New 
York,  where  he  had  been  placed  because  of  his 
loyalty  to  the  colonies.  To  him  and  his  wife 
Magdaline  were  born  Sarah,  Moses,  Mathias, 
Abigal,  Margaret,  Jane,  Susanna  and  Elizabeth, 
and  of  these  Isaac,  Moses  and  Mathias  served  in 
the  Colonial  army  during  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Moses  Winans,  born  November  9,  1755,  died 
January  28,  1822.  He  married  Ruth  Wood,  who 
was  born  August  5,  1758,  and  died  January  26, 
1817.  Their  children  were:  Isaac,  who  was  born 
January  6,  1780,  and  died  May  26,  1846;  Sarah, 
who  was  born  December  7,  1781,  and  died  May 
20.  1848;  Deborah,  who  was  born  May  29,  1784. 
and  died  April  29,  1817;  Magdaline,  who  was 
born  March  8,  1787,  and  died  February  10,  1796; 
Moses,  who  was  born  December  7.  1789,  and 
died  April  30,  1823 ;  Meline,  who  was  born  Oc- 
tober 27,  1793,  and  died  November  17,  1859; 
Magdaline,  who  was  born  March  12,  1798,  and 
died  March  31,  1851  ;  and  Jonas  Wood,  who  was 
born  January  19,  1802. 

.The  last  named,  Jonas  Wrood  Winans,  was 
married  December  20,  1827,  to  Sarah  Stiles, 
who  was  born  July  23,  1806,  and  died  Jan- 
uary 8,  1858,  while  his  death  occurred  Octo- 
ber i,  1878.  Her  grandfather,  Jacob  Crane,  was 
a  colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  his  wife, 
Phebe  Crane,  had  six  brothers,  all  of  whom 
served  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  including 
William,  who  attained  the  rank  of  general.  Two 
of  the  number  were  killed  in  service.  The  chil- 
dren of  Jonas  and  Sarah  (Stiles)  Winans  are: 
Isaac;  Ebenezer.  who  was  born  May  5,  1830,  and 
married  Margaret  B.  Rose,  October  29,  1857; 
Maline,  who  was  born  February  15,  1833,  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


537 


died  January  12,  1845;  William  Parkhurst,  who 
was  born  January  28,  1836,  and  was  married 
October  6,  1869,  to  Lida  Moore,  who  died  De- 
cember 4,  1876,  after  which  he  was  married  No- 
vember 20,  1879,  to  Christie  McRac ;  Sarah  Jane, 
who  was  born  July  7,  1838,  and  on  the  3Oth  of 
November,  1866,  became  the  wife  of  Augustus 
Dow,  while  her  death  occurred  May  17,  1870; 
Jonas  Wood,  who  was  born  November  n,  1840, 
and  married  Alice  E.  Jones,  September  13,  1876, 
his  death  occurring  September  2,  1899;  Elizabeth 
Magdaline,  who  was  born  June  3,  1843,  an^  on 
the  26th  of  May,  1868,  became  the  wife  of  Wil- 
liam A.  Hubbard,  who  died  March  21,  1895; 
Mary  Stiles,  who  was  born  January  23,  1846, 
and  on  the  3ist  of  January,  1877,  became  the 
wife  of  Dories  Bates,  who  died  August  15.  1880, 
while  on  the  25th  of  February,  1896,  she  became 
the  wife  of  Augustus  Dow. 

Isaac  Winans,  son  of  Jonas  W.  and  Sarah 
(Stiles)  Winans,  was  born  October  20,  1828,  in 
Essex,  now  Union  county.  New  Jersey,  and  was 
married  December  20,  1805,  and  with  his  father's 
family  came  to  Pike  county  in  1846,  settling 
south  of  Pittsfield,  where  Mrs.  Sarah  Winans 
departed  this  life.  Jonas  Winans,  however,  sur- 
vived for  about  twenty  years.  It  was  on  the  2Oth 
of  December,  1851.  that  Isaac  Winans  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Webster,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
eight  children.  The  father  was  the  owner  of 
about  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Pike 
county  and  was  numbered  among  its  most  enter- 
prising, energetic  and  capable  agriculturists,  so 
managing  his  business  affairs  as  to  win  therefrom 
a  handsome  competence.  He  gave  his  political 
support  to  the  republican  party  and  throughout 
the  community  was  held  in  high  esteem.  In  the 
year  iom  he  and  his  wife  removed  to  Walla 
Walla.  Washington,  where  they  now  reside.  In 
their  family  were  eight  children,  of  whom  six 
are  living,  three  being  residents  of  this  county. 
namely :  Isaac  N. :  William  Winans,  who  makes 
his  home  near  Summer  Hill,  Illinois ;  and  Emma, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Marshall  Hoskins  and  resides 
in  Derry  township. 

Isaac  N.  Winans  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  thus  became  well  equipped  for  teach- 


ing, which  profession  he  followed  for  two  terms. 
In  the  periods  of  vacation  he  had  worked  upon 
the  home  farm  and  after  1881  he  concentrated 
his  entire  time,  energies  and  attention  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  operating  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  When  his  labors  had 
brought  to  him  sufficient  capital  he  made  pur- 
chase of  the  place,  becoming  owner  in  1892,  and 
in  1900  he  further  extended  the  boundaries  of 
his  property  by  the  purchase  of  an  additional 
tract  of  fifty-five  acres.  In  his  farm. work  he  is 
progressive,  practical  and  methodical.  He  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land 
and  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon  this 
place.  He  has  a  comfortable  residence,  splendid 
barns  and  sheds  for. the  shelter  of  grain,  farm 
machinery  and  stock.  He  raises  the  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  also  gives  consid- 
erable attention  to  stock-raising,  having  now 
upon  his  place  fifty  head  of  cattle,  seventy  head 
of  hogs  and  several  horses. 

Mr.  Winans  was  married  in  1882  to  Miss  Isa- 
dore  Wills,  of  Pittsfield,  who  resided  in  the  same 
school  district  as  her  husband,  they  being  play- 
mates in  childhood.  She  was  born  in  1861,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Jester)  Wills, 
further  mention  of  whom  is  made  in  connection 
with  the  sketch  of  W.  R.  Wills  on  another  page 
of  this  work,  Mr.  Wills  being  a  brother  of  Mrs. 
Winans.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  three  children :  Fay,  who  was  born  in 
1884  and  is  now  aiding  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm ;  Ada,  born  in  1890;  and  Fred,  on  the 
27th  of  December,  1893. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Winans  is  a  republi- 
can and  keeps  in  touch  with  the  questions  and 
issues  which  divide  the  two  great  parties.  He 
has  served  as  school  director  of  his  district  but 
otherwise  has  held  no  office,  as  he  does  not  seek 
political  preferment  as  a  reward  for  party  fealty. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  No.  453. 
of  New  Hartford,  having  attained  the  Master 
degree,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp.  No.  532,  of  Pittsfield.  He  is  in  hearty 
sympathy  with  the  teachings  and  tenets  of  these 
organizations,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  devoted 
members  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Winans 
is  truly  a  self-made  man,  having  made  every  cent 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


which  he  possesses,  and  his  life  record  proves 
what  may  be  accomplished  through  determined 
and  earnest  effort.  He  has  worked  persistently 
and  diligently  as  the  years  have  gone  by  and  his 
labors  have  made  him  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  Pittsfield  township.  Moreover  his  busi- 
ness methods  are  such  as  neither  seek  nor  require 
disguise,  for  he  has  been  straightforward  in  all 
his  dealings,  purposeful  and  reliable,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  prominent  and  valued  farmers  of  the 
county. 


BELA  S.  WRIGHT. 

Bela  S.  Wright,  a  farmer  residing  in  Hadley 
township,  was  born  in  Barry  township,  Pike 
county,  on  the  2ist  of  March,  1847,  his  parents 
being  Abiah  and  Catherine  (Fisher)  Wright. 
The  father,  who  was  born  November  i,  1809, 
came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  from  Ohio  about 
1846  and  located  in  Barry  township.  He  made 
the  journey  in  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times, 
driving  overland  with  a  team.  He  was  a  stone 
mason  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  in  this, 
locality,  while  his  sons  attended  to  the  active 
work  of  the  farm,  for  when  his  earnings  had 
brought  him  sufficient  capital  he  made  investment 
in  real  estate.  For  a  time  he  leased  land  but  as 
soon  as  possible  made  purchase  of  his  farm.  In 
politics  he  was  a  whig  in  his  early  political  alle- 
giance and  on  the  dissolution  of  the  party  he 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  republican  party. 
In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Miss  Catherine 
Fisher,  who  was  indeed  a  faithful  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  journey.  Both  were  de- 
voted members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
Mr.  Wright  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  passing  away  on  the  I3th  of  March, 
1884,  while  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
March  24,  1813,  died  December  30,  1896.  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three  years.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  ten  children :  Joe  and  Robert,  both  de- 
ceased ;  James,  who  is  now  living  in  Pittsburg, 
Kansas;  Bela  S.,  of  this  review;  John  and  Alex- 
ander, residents  of  Kansas;  Edwin  and  Eliza 
Jane,  both  deceased;  Barbara,  who  is  the  widow 
of  Ed  Bowers  and  lives  in  Barrv ;  and  Marv, 


who  has  also  passed  away.  Three  of  the  sons 
were  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War,  James  of  Company 
F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  '  Illinois 
Volunteers,  while  Rob  served  in  the  Tenth  Illi- 
nois Cavalry  and  Joe  as  a  member  of  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Illinois  Regiment.  The  last  named  died 
while  defending  the  Union  cause. 

Bela  S.  Wright  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pike  county  and  remained  at  home  un- 
til twenty-one  years  of  age,  assisting  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  from  the  time  of  early  spring  plant- 
ing until  crops  were  harvested  in  the  late  au- 
tumn. On  attaining  his  majority  he  went  to 
Kansas,  where  he  farmed  with  his  brother-in- 
law  for  a  time,  while  later  he  began  working  by 
the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  a  year  and  a  half,  after  which  he  went 
to  the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  spent  one  year. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned 
home  and  soon  afterward  purchased  seventy 
acres  of  land  near  his  father's  farm,  but  event- 
ually he  sold  that  property  in  1892  and  bought 
one  hundred  and  forty-seven  acres  where  he  now 
resides,  the  place  being  pleasantly  and  conve- 
niently located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of 
Barry  in  Hadley  township.  .  Here  he  carries  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
His  farm  is  well  improved  and  fenced  and  the 
buildings  are  in  good  repair. 

On  the  isth  of  September,  1878,  Mr.  Wright 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Met- 
calf,  who  was  born  in  Barry  township,  March 
21,  1847.  She  was  reared  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood as  her  husband  and  they  were  school-mates 
in  early  life.  Her  parents  were  Chauncey  A. 
and  Sarah  M.  (Leggett)  Metcalf.  The  father 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  August  18,  1813, 
and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Ohio,  March 
9,  1818.  In  1837  he  came  to  Pike  county  and 
for  many  years  lived  in  Barry,  where  he  followed 
the  wagonmaker's  trade,  conducting  for  a  long 
period  a  shop  of  his  own.  In  November,  1838. 
Sarah  M.  Leggett  arrived  in  Pike  county  and 
they  were  married  on  the  3ist  of  March,  1842. 
In  1857  they  removed  to  a  farm,  Mr.  Metcalf  be- 
coming the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  two  acres 
of  land,  which  he  tilled  and  cultivated,  bringing 
it  up  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness.  In  the 


PAST    AXI)    I'KF.SKXT   ( )!•    PIKE   COUNTY. 


539 


family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  eight  children, 
of  whom  the  following  reached  years  of  matu- 
rity and  are  now  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Rose 
Smith,  who  resides  in  Polk  county,  Arkansas; 
Mary  Jane ;  Bela  S. ;  Mrs.  Zoa  Coleman,  who 
resides  at  Oceanside,  California ;  Mrs.  Sadie  Hoi- 
man,  living  at  Riverside,  California ;  and  George 
W.  Metcalf,  whose  home  is  in  Barry  township. 
The  father  died  May  15,  1898,  and  the  mother's 
death  occurred  on  the  i7th  of  August,  1883. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  have  been  born 
four  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living. 
Sarah  E.,  born  August  28,  1879,  became  the  wife 
of  William  Glecker  and  died  November  19,  1903, 
leaving  one  child,  Jennie  E.,  who  was  born  in 
San  Juan  county,  New  Mexico,  August  26,  1903, 
and  is  now  being  reared  by  her  grandparents. 
Chauncey  A.,  born  March  16,  1882,  and  now  liv- 
ing near  his  father,  married  Orpha  Dunham  and 
they  have  one  child,  Dallas.  Lester  A.,  born 
March  i,  1885,  died  December  26,  1904.  George 
A.,  born  December  3,  1887,  is  living  at  home. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
church  at  Barry  and  Mr.  Wright  has  been 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  for  many  years.  He  and  his  wife  are 
social  genial  people,  whose  friendly  spirit  is  man- 
ifest in  their  generous  hospitality.  Mr.  Wright 
has  never  joined  in  any  wild  search  for  wealth, 
but  is  now  comfortably  situated,  content  to  pro- 
vide his  family  with  a  good  living  and  have  leis- 
ure time  for  the  enjoyment  of  some  of  the  pleas- 
ures of  life. 


WILLIAM  H.  GARRISON.  M.  D.,  Ph.  G. 

The  name  of  Garrison  has  long  been  found 
on  the  roll  of  the  representatives  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  Pike  county,  and  in  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  Dr.  Garrison  of  this  re- 
view has  made  an  excellent  reputation  that  has 
been  the  means  of  securing  to  him  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage. He  was  born  January  23,  1869,  in  Har- 
din  township.  Pike  county,  a  son  of  Dr.  George 
P..  and  Sarah  (Cox)  Garrison.  The  father  is 
one  of  Pike  county's  pioneer  physicians,  but  has 
now  retired  from  the  active  practice  of  medicine, 


turning  his  business  over  to  his  son.  He  was  born 
in  Dearborn  county,  Indiana,  August  5,  1839. 
Among  his  ancestors  in  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  line  were  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Dr.  George  B.  Garrison  was  reared  to  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools.  For  twelve  years  he  engaged 
in  teaching  school  in  Pike  county  and  has  ever 
been  a  warm  friend  of  the  cause  of  education. 
While  engaged  in  teaching  he  read  medicine  and 
attended  lectures  at  the  Bennett  Medical  College 
in  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  also  attended  the  Amer- 
ican College  at  St.  Louis  and  following  his  grad- 
uation from  the  college  he  entered  at  once  upon 
the  active  practice  of  medicine.  He  has  resided 
in  the  village  of  Pearl  since  1884  and  for  many 
years  he  enjoyed  an  extensive  practice,  but  is 
now  retired.  He  is  an  active  Mason  and  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  his  life  having  been  actuated  by  the  be- 
neficent principles  of  the  former  and  the  teach- 
ings of  the  latter.  On  the  7th  of  February, 
1864,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Cox  and  un- 
to this  union  were  born  three  children,  of  whom 
William  H.  of  this  review  is  the  eldest.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  June  21,  1876,  and  Dr.  Garri- 
son afterward  wedded  Lucinda  Forkner,  by 
whom  he  had  four,  children.  Dr.  Garrison  is  a 
very  strong  temperance  man  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  uplift  humanity  and  inculcate  honor- 
able principles  among  his  fellowmen.  He  com- 
mands the  unqualified  respect  and  trust  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated  and  is  one  of 
the  honored  and  prominent  residents  of  Pike 
county. 

His  son,  Dr.  William  H.  Garrison,  acquired 
his  preliminary  education  in  the  country  schools 
and  afterward  attended  the  graded  schools  of 
Pearl.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  entered 
the  State  Normal  high  school  at  Normal,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  as  a  student  for  two 
years.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  for  one 
year  in  Montezuma  township,  but  prior  to  that 
time  he  had  assisted  Dr.  C.  E.  Thurmon,  who 
was  conducting  a  drug  store  in  Pearl.  In  1890 
he  entered  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy,  in 
which  he  completed  a  course,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Pearl  and  bought  the  drug  business 


540 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  Dr.  Thurmon.  In  1891  he  again  went  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  completed  his  course  in  phar- 
macy in  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1891. 
During  his  senior  year  in  college  he  served  as 
assistant  to  the  chair  of  pharmacy  and  also  spent 
his  evenings  as  a  clerk  in  a  Chicago  drug  store, 
the  salary  received  from  these  two  positions  en- 
abling him  to  meet  the  expenses  of  his  collegiate 
course.  Following  his  graduation  he  returned 
to  Pearl  and  continued  in  the  drug  business 
until  1894,  when  he  entered  the  Marion  Sims 
Medical  College  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where 
he  pursued  a  course  of  lectures.  He  next  en- 
tered the  Missouri  Medical  College,  now  the  de- 
partment of  medicine  of  Washington  University 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  honors  in  the  class  of  1897  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  He  won  the  first  prize  in  chem- 
istry, also  special  honors  in  surgery  and  receive^! 
honorable  mention  for  his  general  excellence  in 
all  the  branches  of  medical  science.  Returning 
to  Pearl  he  has  since  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  and  he  still  retains  an 
interest  in  the  drug  store  with  his  brother,  H.  D. 
Garrison,  this  being  one  of  the  best  and  most 
up-to-date  drug  stores  of  any  in  the  smaller 
cities  of  Illinois. 

Dr.  Garrison's  practice  is  not  confined  to  Pearl 
and  vicinity,  but  extends  also  to  Calhoun,  Scott 
and  Greene  counties  as  well  as  to  Pike  county, 
Missouri.  He  is  continually  broadening  his 
knowledge  through  research  and  investigation 
and  thus  his  efficiency  is  advanced,  his  labors 
proving  of  the  utmost  value  to  his  fellowmen  in 
checking  the  ravages  of  disease.  He  is  local 
surgeon  for  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  and 
has  held  the  position  for  four  years.  While  en- 
gaged actively  in  pharmacy  he  became  a  member 
of  the  State  Pharmaceutical  Association  and  was 
active  in  all  lines  of  its  work  connected  with  the 
progress  of  pharmacy.  He  held  various  posi- 
tions in  the  association  up  to  and  including  that 
of  vice  president.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Pike  County  and  the  Illinois  State  Medical  Soci- 
eties and  he  keeps  in  touch  with  the  most  mod- 
ern scientific  investigation  along  the  line  of  his 
chosen  life  work. 


On  the  ist  of  October,  1893,  Dr.  Garrison  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Laura  L.  French,  a 
daughter  of  H.  C.  and  Sarah  (Long)  French. 
Her  father  is  a  native  of  Vermont  and  has  re- 
sided in  Pike  county  for  about  forty  years.  He 
served  for  four  years  in  the  Union  army  and, 
being  captured,  was  confined  in  Libby  Prison 
for  several  months.  He  is  now  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  Montezuma  township.  His  wife  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  they  yet  reside.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Garrison  have  four  children :  Frank  Har- 
old, George  H.,  William  H.  and  Sarah  R.  Fra- 
ternally Dr.  Garrison  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  devoted 
members  of  the  Christian  church  and  are  ac- 
tively associated  with  its  work.  He  has  been 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  for  the  past 
fifteen  years  and  has  contributed  in  substantial 
measure  to  ite -upbuilding  and  also  the  extension 
of  church  influence.  Like  both  his  father  and 
grandfather,  he  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the 
cause  of  temperance  and  had  the  honor  of  serv- 
ing as  a  member  of  the  first  temperance  board 
of  the  village  of  Pearl.  He  maintains  a  high 
standard  of  professional  ethics  and  his  position 
in  the  public  regard  is  not  the  less  the  result  of 
an  irreproachable  private  life  than  of  profes- 
sional skill  and  ability. 


NATHAN  L.  BARNES. 

Nathan  L.  Barnes,  a  retired  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  residing  in  Baylis,  Illinois,  was  born  in 
Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  March  15. 
1833,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Law- 
son)  Barnes.  The  father's  birth  occurred  in 
Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming,  owning  and  operating  a  small 
tract  of  land.  He  was  also  a  shoemaker  by 
trade  and  engaged  in  that  pursuit  to  some  ex- 
tent. He  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  making  his  way  down  the  Ohio 
river  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Little  Cincinnati, 
Illinois.  He  brought  with  him  his  household 
goods  and  live  stock,  having  four  tons  of  prop- 


N.  L.  AND  LYDIA  A.   BARXKS 


N.  L.  AND  MARGARET  H.  BARNES 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


545 


erty  which  was  thus  shipped  to  his  western 
home.  He  located  near  Baylis  and  purchased  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  from 
William  Davis  on  section  24,  New  Salem  town- 
ship. He  brought  with  him  his  wife  and  family 
of  nine  children  and  one  of  his  sons,  William 
Barnes,  had  come  to  Pike  county  the  year  pre- 
vious. The  father  spent  his  remaining  days  here 
and,  having  purchased  some  town  property  in 
Baylis,  occupied  his  home  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise.  He  was  quite  widely  known  as  a  stock- 
raiser,  making  a  specialty  of  cattle  and  horses, 
and  his  business  interests  were  capably  conducted 
and  brought  to  him  well  merited  success.  He 
died  September  4,  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years,  three  months  and  twenty-four 
days.  He  had  long  survived  his  wife,  who 
passed  away  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years,  eleven  months  and  three  days. 

Nathan  L.  Barnes  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Pennsylvania,  which  he  attended 
through  the  winter  months.  During  the  remain- 
der of  the  year,  however,  he  worked  upon  the 
home  farm,  taking  his  place  in  the  fields  at  the 
time  of  early  spring  planting  and  continuing 
there  until  crops  were  harvested  in  the  late  au- 
tumn. He  remained  at  home  until  his  removal 
to  Pike  county  and  made  a  hand  in  the  fields 
when  fifteen  years  of  age.  Following  the  re- 
moval to  the  west  he  entered  upon  an  independ- 
ent business  career,  being  employed  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand  in  this  part  of  the  state.  Sub- 
sequently he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  was 
married.  His  wife  engaged  in  teaching  school 
and  through  their  united  efforts  they  thus  made 
a  start  in  the  business  world.  Mr.  Barnes  re- 
ceived a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  day  for  his  serv- 
ices and  worked  by  the  month  for  six  months, 
after  which  he  began  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count, desiring  that  his  labors  should  more  di- 
rectly benefit  himself.  He  continued  the  culti- 
vation of  rented  land  for  three  years  and  after- 
ward removed  to  Harshman  Prairie,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  his 
former  locality,  where  he  continued  for  one  year, 
after  which  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty acres  of  land  a  mile  and  a  quarter  south 
of  Bavlis.  To  this  he  has  added  until  he  now 


owns  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres,  con- 
stituting one  of  the  valuable  and  productive 
farms  in  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  has  put 
all  the  improvements  upon  his  property,  includ- 
ing a  fine  residence,  large  and  substantial  out- 
buildings and  good  fences.  The  fields  are  well 
tilled  and  he  has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  New 
Salem  township.  He  has  engaged  extensively 
and  successfully  in  raising  hogs  and  could  pro- 
duce in  them  a  weight  of  from  two  hundred  and' 
twenty-five  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  at 
six  months  old.  He  was  known  as  the  best  raiser 
of  hogs  in  the  county  and  his  business  proved 
very  profitable. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Barnes  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Margaret  H.  Cunningham,  of  West  Alex- 
ander, Pennsylvania,  and  unto  them  have  been 
born  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  liv- 
ing: Mary  Jane,  who  is  the  wife  of  Mathew 
Nichols  and _ resides  in  this  county;  Lizzie,  the 
w^je  pf  Finley  Ritchie,  a  resident  of  Pike  county  ; 
and  Robert  .Y,,  ^who  married  Nancy  Davidson 
and  lives  in  Baylis.' "-The  wife  and  mother  died 
March  3,  1863,  and  in  1865  Mr.  Barnes  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Lydia  Ann  Huff,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county. 
Illinois,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  Huff,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  this  part  of  the  state,  his 
home  being  near  Beverly.  Unto  Mr.  Barnes  by 
the  second  marriage  have  been  born  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  seven  are  yet  living,  namely: 
John,  who  married  Effie  McKinney  and  resides 
in  New  Salem  township;  William  C,  who  wed- 
ded Amy  Moore  and  resides  near  Barry,  Illi- 
nois ;  Alice,  who  married  Curtis  Bowman  and  is 
living  near  Barry,  Illinois ;  Lottie,  who  resides 
at  home ;  Frank,  who  married  Emma  Palmer  and 
is  living  in  North  Henderson ;  Sam,  who  married 
.  Lizzie  Cummings  and  resides  upon  the  old  home- 
stead farm;  and  Floyd,  who  is  also  at  home. 

Mr.  Barnes  favors  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  he  gives  his  political  support  to  the  prohibi- 
tion party.  He  was  formerly  a  republican,  but 
believing  the  temperance  question  to  be  the  dom- 
inant issue  before  the  people  he  became  a  prohi- 
bitionist. He  has  never  sought  or  desired  office 
but  performs  his  duties  to  the  county  and  com- 
munity as  a  private  citizen.  He  has  been  very 


546 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


successful,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty- 
handed  and  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward 
to  success.  Those  who  know  aught  of  his  pros- 
perity know  that  he  has  been  an  energetic  man, 
diligent  and  careful  in  business  and  at  all  times 
reliable  and  straightforward.  By  his  capable 
management  and  energy  he  has  won  the  splen- 
did competence  that  now  enables  him  to  live  re- 
tired, resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of 
his  former  toil. 


THOMAS  POTTER. 

Thomas  Potter,  who  follows  farming  in  New 
Salem  township,  his  home  being  about  a  mile  east 
of  Baylis,  was  born  in  this  township  July  5,  1839. 
his  parents  being  David  and  Mary  (Lawson) 
Potter.  The  father,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
was  born  February  21,  1800,  and  the  mother's 
birth  occurred  in  the  same  state  November  17, 
1799.  Journeying  by  water  to  Illinois  in  1833, 
David  Potter  landed  at  Quincy,  where  he  built  a 
frame  house,  making  his  home  in  Adams  county 
for  three  years.  He  then  came  to  New  Salem 
township,  Pike  county,  where  he  purchased  land 
that  was  wild  and  unimproved,  being  largely 
covered  with  timber.  He  at  once  began  to  clear 
and  cultivate  the  place,  however,  and  built  a  log 
cabin  near  New  Salem,  in  which  Thomas  Potter 
of  this  review  was  born.  Various  wild  animals 
were  frequently  killed,  and  wild  game  was  plenti- 
ful in  the  neighborhood  at  that  time,  while  all  the 
conditions  of  pioneer  life  were  seen  and  there 
was  little  promise  of  rapid  development  and  im- 
provement. Mr.  Potter  was  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he  transformed 
into  a  valuable  and  productive  farm,  his  labor 
being  crowned  with  success 'as  the  years  went  by. 
He  was  recognized  as  an  influential  and  leading 
citizen  of  the  community;  and  he  held  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  church.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1876,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1878.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  three  are  living :  Thomas ;  Mrs.  Ma- 
hala  Burke,  of  Baylis;  and  Frank,  who  resides 
near  the  home  of  Thomas  Potter. 


Thomas  Potter  pursued  his  education  in  the  lo- 
cal schools  of  New  Salem  township,  and  remained 
at  home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Follow- 
ing the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army  in  August,  1862,  as  a  member 
of  Company  K,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  under  Captain  Isaac  Cooper,  with  whom 
he  served  for  three  years,  when  he  was  mustered 
out  on  the  I2th  of  August,  1865.  He  served  in 
Missouri,  also  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  was 
in  every  battle  with  his  regiment.  He  was  never 
in  the  hospital  nor  has  he  asked  for  a  pension.  He 
gave  his  service  willingly  and  freely  to  aid  his 
country,  did  his  full  duty  as  a  soldier,  and  when 
the  war  was  over  returned  to  his  home,  rejoic- 
ing that  the  Union  had  been  preserved,  but  rot 
seeking  further  reward  for  the  aid  which  he  gave 
to  the  cause. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  Mr.  Potter  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Rachel  Ann  Jeffers,  who  was  born 
in  New  Salem  township,  and  is  a  daughter  to 
Elijah  and  Hannah  (Pine)  Jeffers,  who  came 
from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Pike  county  in 
1837,  among  its  poineer  residents.  The  family 
home  was  established  in  New  Salem  township, 
where  Mr.  Jeffers  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming,  becoming  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he  converted 
into  a  good  farm.  He  was  the  father  of  ten  chil- 
dren, eight  of  whom  are  now  living.  The  par- 
ents have  both  passed  away,  the  father  in  1883. 
and  the  mother  in  1888. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  have  had  no  children  of 
their  own,  but  have  reared  seven  or  eight,  having 
cared  for  all  who  have  applied  to  them  for  homes. 
Mr.  Potter  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  well  improved  land  in  New  Salem 
township,  where  he  resides.  Upon  the  place  there 
are  substantial  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of 
grain  and  stock ;  and  the  careful  cultivation  be- 
stowed upon  the  fields  makes  the  farm  a  valuable 
one.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  stock,  giving  his  time  largely  to  cattle,  which 
brings  him  a  good  income.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  I 'otter  was  formerly  a  republican,  but  dur- 
ing the  past  decade  has  given  his  support  to  the 
prohibition  party,  which  embodies  his  belief  con- 
cerning the  temperance  question.  He  has  never 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


547- 


cared  for  office,  perferring  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  interests  which  have 
brought  him  signal  success.  He  and  his  wife  are 
both  members  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  to 
which  he  contributes  liberally ;  and  their  acquaint- 
ance in  the  county  where  they  have  so  long  re- 
sided is  wide  and  favorable.  With  limited  educa- 
tional privileges  and  no  financial  assistance,  Mr. 
Potter  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account, 
and  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward,  placing 
his  dependence  upon  the  substantial  qualities  of 
energy,  determination  and  unfaltering  industry ; 
and  these  have  served  as  a  strong  foundation  upon 
which  he  has  builded  the  superstructure  of  his 
success.  He  has  for  two-thirds  of  a  century  been 
a  resident  of  the  county,  and  is  perhaps  as  well 
known  as  anv  man  within  its  borders. 


THOMAS  M.  WATSON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Thomas  M.  Watson,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Griggsville,  was 
born  in  Rarry,  Pike  county,  November  25,  1851, 
his  parents  being  John  and  Agnes  (Begg)  Wat- 
son, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Paisley.  Scot- 
land, the  former  born  November  23,  1805,  and  the 
latter  March  4,  1813.  They  were  married  No- 
vember 24,  1849,  Agnes  Begg  being  his  third 
wife.  His  second  wife  was  Isabelle  Begg.  a  sis- 
ter of  Agnes.  In  his  native  country  Mr.  Watson 
was  a  designer  of  Paisley  shawls.  Coming  to 
America  he  first  located  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  and 
later  removed  to  Barry,  where  he  engaged  in 
teaching  school.  He  also  served  as  postmaster 
there,  and  in  1850  embarked  in  merchandising, 
which  he  conducted  for  a  number  of  years,  being 
one  of  the  leading  early  merchants  of  the  county. 
He  also  contributed  to  its  educational  progress. 
and  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  first  teach- 
ers' institute  held  in  Pike  county.  His  name  was 
a  synonym  for  honesty ;  and  he  could  never  be 
tempted  into  doing  anything  which  he  believed 
to  be  wrong,  so  that  he  left  to  his  family  the  price- 
'  less  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name  and  an  ex- 
ample that  is  indeed  worthy  of  emulation.  He 
died  in  August,  1862,  while  the  mother  of  our 


subject  passed  away  in  her  eighty-first  year.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  sons,  Thomas  M.,  John 
B.  and  William  W. 

Thomas  M.  Watson  spent  his  boyhood  days  in 
his  parents'  home,  his  youth  being  passed  in  the 
usual  manner  of  lads  of  the  period ;  his  time  being 
devoted  between  the  work  of  the  schoolroom,  the 
pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the  various  du- 
ties which  were  assigned  to  him  by  his  mother. 
He  lost  his  father  when  only  about  eleven  years 
of  age.  After  acquiring  his.  preliminary  educa- 
tion, he  continued  his  studies  in  Lombard  Uni- 
versity at  Galesburg,  Illinois ;  and  having  com- 
pleted a  good  collegiate  course,  he  prepared  for 
the  practice  of  medicine  as  a  student  in  the  Ec- 
lectic Medical  Institute  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1874. 
Almost  immediately  afterward,  Dr.  Watson  was 
married  to  Miss  Helena  Terry,  the  wedding  b^ing 
celebrated  on  the  igth  of  May,  1874.  She  was 
born  in  Rarry,  February  22,  1853,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  L.  and  Alzina  C.  (Liggett)  Terry, 
the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter 
of  Pike  county,  Illinois. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Dr.  Watson  located  for 
practice  in  Griggsville,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained, having  now  more  than  thirty  years  been 
a  representative  of  the  medical  profession  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  His  practice  extends  to  neigh- 
boring towns,  and  his  ability  is  recognized  in  the 
liberal  patronage  accorded  him.  He  has  been  a 
thorough  and  discriminating  student,  keeping  in 
touch  with  the  modern  scientific  research  and 
bringing  to  bear  in  the  solution  of  difficult  prob- 
lems, which  continually  confront  the  physician, 
broad  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  sci- 
ences of  medicine  and  surgery.  He  is  likewise 
an  active  and  valued  factor  in  community  life, 
having  co-operated  in  many  progressive  measures 
for  the  general  good.  He  served  as  mayor  of 
Griggsville  in  1885,  and  at  this  writing,  in  1906, 
is  an  alderman.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the  school 
board,  which  position  he  has  filled  for  twenty- 
three  years,  and  he  is  president  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  public  library.  His  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  republican  party ;  and  his 
fraternal  affiliation  is  with  Griggsville  lodge,  No. 
45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  served  as  master 


548 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  PIKE  COUNTY. 


for  nine  years,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, the  Mutual  Protective  League  and  the  Pike 
County  Mutual  Life  Association.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Congregational  church ;  and  in  the 
line  of  his  profession  he  is  connected  with  the 
Illinois  Homeopathic  Medical  Association.  Thor- 
ough preliminary  training  well  qualified  him  for 
the  duties  which  he  assumed  as  a  life  work,  and 
by  faithful  performance  of  each  day's  tasks  he 
has  found  courage  and  strength  for  the  labors  of 
the  succeeding  day.  In  many  a  household  in  this 
part  of  the  county  he  is  the  beloved  family  physi- 
cian in  whom  great  confidence  is  reposed  and  he 
is  ever  worthy  of  the  trust  which  is  given  him. 


ALEXANDER  K.  ROSS. 

As  long  as  memory  remains  to  the  American 
people  the  history  of  the  veterans  of  the  Civil 
war  will  be  a  matter  of  interest ;  and  the  country 
owes  to  the  veterans  of  that  long  and  sanguinary 
struggle  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never  be 
fully  repaid.  Mr.  Ross  was  one  of  the  boys  in 
blue  who  went  forth  as  an  Illinois  soldier  to  fight 
for  the  Union.  He  is  now  accounted  one  of  the 
leading  and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  Pike 
county,  holding  large  landed  interests.  His  farm, 
which  is  pleasantly  located  two  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  New  Canton,  comprises  three  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land. 
Mr.  Ross  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, October  6,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  (McDaniels)  Ross,  who  were  early 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania.  His  paternal  grand- 
father was  born  in  Scotland,  and  the  grandmother 
in  Ireland.  They  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica prior  to  1800,  John  Ross  following  the  occu- 
pation of  farming  in  the  Keystone  state,  where 
he  owned  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good 
land  and  made  his  home,  carefully  conducting 
his  business  interests  and  rearing  there  a  large 
family  of  ten  children.  Only  three  of  the  number 
are  now  living,  however:  William,  a  resident  of 
Hand  county,  South  Dakota ;  John,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Pike  county;  and  Alexander  K.,  who 
was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  The  parents  were 


members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  father 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  and  a  life  of  use- 
fulness and  activity  was  thus  ended. 

Alexander  K.  Ross  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  spent  his 
boyhood  days  upon  his  father's  farm,  becoming 
familiar  with  the  practical  methods  of  tilling  the 
soil  and  caring  for  the  crops.  When  twenty  years 
of  age  he  started  out  upon  an  independent  busi- 
ness career  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in  1860  he  came 
to  Pike  county,  where  he  arrived  without  a  cent 
of  money:  He  possessed,  however,  strong  de- 
termination and  laudable  ambition,  and  these 
served  him  in  place  of  capital.  He  at  once  sought 
and  secured  employment,  working  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand  until  1862.  His  earnings  during 
that  period  were  carefully  saved  and  when  two 
years  had  passed,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  forty 
acres.  About  the  same  time  he  enlisted  in  the 
army,  joining  the  Union  forces  in  August,  1862. 
as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Seventy-eighth  Il- 
linois Infantry.  He  enlisted  at  Quincy  for  three 
years,  or  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  partici- 
pated in  a  number  of  important  campaigns,  in- 
cluding the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the  celebrated 
march  under  Sherman  to  the  sea,  after  which  he 
was  honorably  discharged.  Several  times  he  was 
slightly  wounded  but  his  injuries  were  never  of 
a  very,  serious  nature,  and  he  remained  at  his  post 
of  duty,  never  faltering  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight 
nor  hesitating  when  assigned  to  the  lonely  picket 
line.  When  the  war  was  ended  he  was  discharged 
in  June,  1865,  at  New  York  city,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Pike  county.  Here  Mr.  Ross  took  up 
the  active  work  of  improving  his  land,  returning 
to  take  charge  of  a  little  tract  of  forty  acres. 
That  he  has  prospered  is  indicated  by  his  splen- 
didly improved  property  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  pleasantly  and  conveniently  lo- 
cated about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  New  Can- 
ton. In  the  midst  of  this  lie  has  erected  a  fine 
brick  residence,  built  in  modern  and  pleasing  style 
of  architecture.  He  also  has  good  barns  and  sheds 
upon  his  place  and  the  farm  is  well  fenced.  He 
also  raises  considerable  stock,  making  a  specialty 
of  hogs.  In  all  his  business  affairs  he  is  prac- 
tical and  enterprising  and  his  success  is  the  merit- 
ed reward  of  his  earnest  labor. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


549 


On  the  27th  of  January,  1878,  Mr.  Ross  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Melvina  Brewster, 
nee  Purcell,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Maria  (Cle- 
ment) Purcell,  who  removed  from  Canada  to  Indi- 
ana, where  Mrs.  Ross  was  born.  The  parents  also 
took  up  their  abode  in  Pike  county  at  an  early 
day,  locating  here  when  the  country  was  largely 
an  unbroken  wilderness.  Deer  were  frequently 
seen  and  venison  was  no  unusual  dish  upon  the 
table  of  the  early  settlers.  Other  wild  game  could 
be  had  in  abundance  and  there  was  every  evi- 
dence of  frontier  life  in  uncut  tracts  of  timber 
land  and  the  stretches  of  unimproved  prairie. 
The  father  died  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  while 
the  mother's  death  occurred  in  Pike  county  in 
1863.  In  their  family  were  six  children  but  Mrs. 
Ross  is  the  only  one  now  living.  She  was  brought 
to  this  county  when  but  four  years  of  age  and  was 
reared  here,  obtaining  her  early  education  in  one 
of  the  primitive  log  schoolhouses  with  slab 
benches,  crude  writing  desks  and  a  huge  fireplace 
in  one  end  of  the  room  to  heat  the  building. 
Often  in  those  days  she  saw  wild  deer  and  fre- 
quently wolves  and  other  wild  animals.  She  can 
remember  the  county  when  it  was  but  sparsely 
settled  and  the  work  of  improvement  and 
progress  seemed  scarcely  begun.  She  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
families  of  this  part  of  the  state  and  she  owns 
here  about  nine  hundred  acres  of  land.  The  home 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  is  most  attractively  situ- 
ated, standing  back  about  three  hundred  feet 
from  the  road,  the  walk  thereto  being  lined  on 
each  side  by  evergreen  trees.  There  is  a  beautiful 
and  well  kept  lawn  which  presents  a  splendid 
setting  for  their  residence  and  the  home  is  one 
which  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city.  There  were 
three  children  by  Mrs.  Ross'  first  marriage: 
Charles  E.,  a  resident  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota; 
Annie  B.,  who  is  the  widow  of  Elmer  West  and 
resides  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross ;  and  Minnie  M., 
also  at  home. 

Mr.  Ross  votes  with  the  republican  party  but 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  preferring 
to  leave  the  discharge  of  official  duties  to  others, 
yet  as  a  private  citizen  he  is  never  remiss  in  his 
support  of  measures  which  are  calculated  to  ben- 
efit the  community.  He  is  a  member  of  the 


Masonic  lodge  at  New  Canton,  which  he  joined 
upon  its  organization,  and  he  also  belongs  to 
Amos  Moore  post,  No  617,  G.  A.  R.,  of  New 
Canton.  He  has  based  his  principles  and  actions 
upon  strict  adherence  to  the  rules  which  govern 
industry,  economy  and  unswerving  integrity  and 
thus  he  has  become  an  important  factor  in  agri- 
cultural circles  and  his  prosperity  is  well 
deserved. 


JOHN  WALCH,  SR. 

John  Walch,  Sr.,  who  since  1880  has  resided 
upon  his  present  farm  on  section  12,  Kinder- 
hook  township,  although  in  the  meantime  he  has 
extended  its  boundaries  until  he  now  owns  three 
hundred  and  forty-three  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land,  was  born  in  Van  Wert  county. 
Ohio,  on  the  iqth  of  August,  1846,  his  parents 
being  John  A.  and  Anna  E.  (Fauty)  Walch. 
The  father's  birth  occurred  in  Baden  Baden, 
Germany,  while  the  mother  was  born  in  Ohio. 
Their  only  child  is  John  Walch  of  this  review. 
John  A.  Walch  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  his 
death  occurred  in  Ohio  in  1846.  His  widow  aft- 
erward married  Samuel  Nestrick,  of  the  Buckeye 
state,  who  with  the  family  came  to  Illinois  in 
1858,  residing  in  Stark  county  until  1863,  when 
he  removed  to  Pike  county  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 18.  Barry  township.  Here  he  purchased  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres,  upon 
which  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1881,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  July  4,  1876.  There  were  four 
children  born  of  the  mother's  second  marriage,  a 
son  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  two  are  now 
living.  The  elder,  George  Nestrick,  resides  upon 
the  old  homestead  near  the  Walch  farm  and  owns 
about  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  The  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  O.  P.  Harrison,  is  living  in  Davis 
county,  Missouri.  Mr.  Nestrick  was  a  democrat 
in  his  political  views  and,  like  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  of  German  descent.  She  belonged 
to  the  Lutheran  church. 

John  Walch  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Ohio  and  of  Pike  county  and  began  life 
for  himself  when  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Up 
to  this  time  he  had  lived  with  his  mother  and 


550 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


stepfather  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  left 
home  and  began  learning  the  miller's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  five  years.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  threshing  for  thirty  years 
or  until  1901.  On  the  2rjth  of  January,  1880, 
he  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  resides,  at 
that  time  comprising  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven 
acres  on  section  12,  Kinderhook  township,  and 
as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  the 
original  tract  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  acres 
on  section  3,  Kinderhook  township,  and  now  has 
altogether  three  hundred  and  forty-three  acres, 
constituting  a  very  valuable  property.  He  carries 
on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  making 
a  specialty  of  sheep  and  black  cattle  and  also  raises 
hogs.  All  of  his  stock  is  of  good  grade  and  both 
branches  of  his  business  are  proving  profitable. 

On  the  1 8th  of  March,  1869,  Mr.  Walch  was 
married  to  Miss  Charlotte  Hull,  who  was  born  in 
Pike  county,  'April  7,  1847,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Nancy  (Pollum)  Hull.  They  were 
one  of  the  first  families  to  settle'  in  Kinderhook 
township.  The  father  was  a  farmer  who  owned 
f9rty  acres  of  land  and  resided  near  Kinderhook. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased.  In 
their  family  were  thirteen  children.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Walch  have  been  born  six  children : 
Frank,  at  home ;  Roy  who  married  Maggie  Hicks 
and  lives  in  Quincy;  Charles,  who  married  Eva 
Ross  and  resides  on  one  of  his  father's  farms ; 
Ellis,  at  home;  John  and  Fannie,  also  under  the 
parental  roof. 

Mr.  Walch  is  a  self-made  man  and  now  a  well- 
to-do  citizen.  He  has  erected  all  of  the  buildings 
upon  his  place  and  has  a  comfortable  and  attract- 
ive residence  and  good  barns.  He  has  cleared 
most  of  the  land,  has  put  up  good  fences  and 
everything  about  the  place  is  in  excellent  con- 
dition, while  none  of  the  facilities  of  equipments 
of  a  model  farm  are  lacking.  He  has  a  fine  or- 
chard of  apple  and  plum  trees,  which  he  has  set 
out  and  which  are  in  good  bearing  condition. 

Mr.  Walch  is  a  democrat,  who  for  six  years 
has  been  supervisor  of  Kinderhook  township  and 
is  the  incumbent  in  the  office  at  the  present  time. 
He  has  acted  as  collector  and  has  been  school 
trustee  for  about  twelve  years.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He 


had  no  financial  assistance  when  he  started  out 
in  life  but  he  had  early  learned  the  value  of  in- 
dustry and  economy  as  factors  in  a  successful 
business  career.  His  life  history  will  bear  close 
investigation  and  scrutiny  and  what  he  has  ac- 
complished is  an  indication  of  his  strong  business 
qualifications  and  determined  purpose. 


ERBIE  M.  WOODS. 

Erbie  M.  Woods,  who  is  engaged  in  buying 
and  selling  horses  and  mules,  and  also  conducts 
a  livery  and  feed  barn  in  New  Salem,  was  born 
in  this  county,  September  6,  1876,  and  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families.  His  par- 
ents are  John  E.  and  Amy  (Pine)  Woods.  The 
father  was  born  in  Eldara  township  in  1849.  He 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  when  twenty 
years  of  age.  The  mother  was  born  in  New  Salem 
township  in  1856,  and  was  married  to  John  E. 
Woods  in  1875.  He  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits successfully  for  many  years.  In  1903  he 
moved  to  California,  returning  in  1906,  and  ex- 
pects to  make  this  his  home.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  E.  Woods  were  born  four  children :  Erbie, 
Ivah,  Howe  and  Gail.  Ivah  lives  in  California 
and  the  others  in  Illinois. 

Erbie  M.  Woods  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools,  and  after  putting  aside  his  text-books, 
engaged  in  farming  for  three  years.  He  has  since 
sold  his  farm,  and  has  given  his  attention  to  the 
purchase  of  horses  and  mules.  He  also  conducts 
a  livery  and  feed  barn  in  New  Salem,  and  owns 
the  barn  in  which  his  business  is  carried  on,  to- 
gether with  a  fine  home  in  the  town. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1897,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Erbie  M.  Woods  and  Miss  Anna 
Dunham,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Martha 
(Woods)  Dunham.  Her  father  was  born  July  15, 
1856,  in  Martinsburg  township,  Pike  county.  He 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  Her  mother  was  born  in  Steu- 
benville,  Ohio,  in  1852,  and  was  married  to  Dan- 
iel Dunham  in  1875.  To  them  were  born  six  chil- 
dren, Herbert.  Anna.  Daisy.  Lora,  Villa  and 
Kellv. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


551 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erbie  Woods  have  two  children : 
Doris,  born  January  24,  1898;  and  Martha  F., 
born  July  6,  1905.  The  parents  hold  membership 
in  the  Methodist  church ;  and  Mr.  Woods  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  republican  party.  His 
business  interests  are  capably  conducted,  and  he 
now  has  a  good  sale  barn  in  New  Salem. 


FRANK   LAWSON. 

Frank  Lawson,  a  fanner  residing  a  mile  east 
of  Barry  on  section  19,  Hadley  township,  was 
born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois,  December  23, 
1868,  his  parents  being  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Cutter)  Lawson.  The  father  was  born  near 
Baylis,  Pike  county,  on  the  29th  of  November, 
1841,  and  was  a  son  of  Frank  Lawson,  ST.,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county  who  became  an 
extensive  farmer  and  one  of  the  largest  stock- 
raising  of  his  day  in  the  county.  William 
Lawson  removed  to  Adams  county,  making 
his  home  at  the  present  time  in  Beverly  township. 
He  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  Cutter,  who  was  born 
in  that  township,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Cutter,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Adams  county,  coming  to  this  state  from  New 
Jersey.  The  Sykes  and  Cutter  families  came  to- 
gether to  Illinois  and  were  the  second  and  third 
families  in  Beverly  township.  There  the  Cutter 
nursery  was  established  and  was  the  first  one  in 
that  part  of  the  locality.  William  Lawson  con- 
tinued to  follow  the  occupation  of  farming  until 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when,  on  the 
gth  of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  E,  Seventeenth  Regiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers.  He  served  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties and  was  mustered  out  June  7,  1865,  with  the 
rank  of  first  sergeant.  He  was  wounded  at  Ben- 
tonville,  North  Carolina,  by  being  hit  with  a  spent 
ball  behind  the  ear  and  was  left  on  the  field  for 
dead  but  crawled  to  camp  that  night  and  sur- 
prised his  comrades  who  supposed  that  he  was 
lying  lifeless  on  the  field. 

Frank  Lawson  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  started  out  on  his  own  account  when 


twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  worked  at  farm  labor 
for  some  time  and  in  October,  1896,  purchased 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  where  he 
now  lives,  taking  up  his  abode  thereon  the  same 
year.  The  place  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently 
located  within  a  half  mile  of  the  city  limits  of 
Barry  and  is  a  well  cultivated  property.  It  is 
surrounded  by  a  good  fence  and  substantial 
buildings  have  been  erected  thereon,  while  every- 
thing about  the  place  is  kept  in  good  repair  and 
in  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  the  farm  indi- 
cates the  careful  supervision  of  a  practical  and 
painstakng  owner.  Mr.  Lawson  keeps  a  number 
of  Jersey  cows  and  sells  annually  a  large  amount 
of  milk  and  butter.  He  is  now  raising  Angus 
cattle  and  has  twenty  head  of  pure  blooded 
stock,  making  a  nice  herd.  He  also  raises  hogs 
and  his  stock-raising  is  an  important  and  profit- 
able branch  of  his  business. 

On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1893,  Mr.  Lawson  was 
married  to  Miss  Hattie  Sykes,  who  was  born  in 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  'February  15,  1871,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Ayres)  Sykes. 
The  father  was  born  March  9,  1819,  in  Hudders- 
field,  England,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of 
his  parents  and  grandparents.  The  grandfather, 
James  Sykes,  ST.,  passed  his  early  life  in  his 
native  country,  and  when  very  young  began  earn- 
ing his  own  living  by  working  in  the  woolen  mills, 
where  he  was  steadily  advanced  in  recognition  of 
his  capability  and  fidelity  until  he  became  foreman 
of  the  finishing  department.  In  1821,  possessed 
of  a  laudable  ambition  to  enjoy  still  better  oppor- 
tunities in  business  life  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica and  secured  a  position  in  Manhattanville,  New 
York,  now  included  within  the  boundary  of  New 
York  city.  After  settling  there  he  sent  for  his 
wife  and  three  children  and  they  sailed  from  Liv- 
erpool, but  when  the  vessel  had  been  out  a  few 
weeks  it  sprang  a  leak  and  after  sailing  thirteen 
weeks  finally  managed  to  reach  the  port  of  Cork, 
Ireland.  Mrs.  Sykes  then  returned  home  with  her 
three  children  but  soon  afterward  set  sail  again 
and  better  luck  attended  the  second  voyage,  for 
she  landed  safely  in  New  York  after  seven 
weeks.  She  had  however,  thus  spent  about 
twenty  weeks  upon  the  ocean  in  that  year.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sykes  remained  residents  of  the  state 


552 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


of  New  York  until  1834,  when  the  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  Lawson  visited  Adams  county,  Illinois, 
and  purchased  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
government  land  in  Beverly  township.  He  then 
returned  to  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  in  October, 
1834,  brought  his  family  to  Illinois.  His  wife 
and  children  remained  in  Quincy  while  he  went 
to  his  farm  and  built  thereon  a  log  cabin,  in 
which  the  family  were  soon  installed.  He  then 
entered  upon  the  task  of  tilling  the  soil  and  re- 
sided upon  his  farm  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1852.  During  that  period  he  took  a 
helpful  part  in  promoting  the  early  development 
of  the  county  and  in  laying  deep  the  foundation 
for  its  present  prosperity.  In  early  life  he  mar- 
ried Hannah  Hirst,  a  native  of  England  and 
a  daughter  of  William  Hirst,  who  was  born  in 
Yorkshire.  They  reared  four  children:  Mary; 
William;  James,  who  is  the  father  of  Mrs.  Law- 
son;  and  John,  who  was  born  in  New  York. 

James  Sykes,  Jr.,  come  to  America  with  his 
mother  when  only  two  years  old  and  was  fifteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Illinois.  He  remained  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  he  had  attained  his  majority 
and  assisted  in  the  farm  work,  after  which  his 
father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of  wild  land,  half 
prairie  and  half  brush.  He  built  thereon  a  frame 
house,  which  was  the  third  of  the  kind  in  Bev- 
erly township  and  later  he  turned  his  attention 
to  carpentering,  which  he  followed  for  a  part  of 
the  time  for  nearly  thirty  years.  In  the  meantime 
he  also  superintended  the  improvement  of  his 
form,  which  was  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, and  as  his  financial  resources  increased 
he  gradually  became  an  extensive  landowner, 
his  possessions  ultimately  aggregating  seven  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  rich  farming  land  in 
Adams  county.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  the 
old  homestead  until  1888,  when  he  purchased  an 
attractive  residence  in  Barry,  beautifully  located 
on  Diamond  Hill  and  has  since  made  his  home 
in  the  city.  He  was  married  September  23,  1849, 
to  Miss  Mary  Ayres,  a  native  of  Woodbridge, 
New  Jersey.  She  passed  away  in  Adams  county 
on  the  ist  of  April,  1873,  leaving  six  children, 
while  five  died  prior  to  the  mother's  death.  Those 
still  living  are  Hannah.  Elizabeth,  Joseph,  Emma, 


Frank  and  Mrs.  Lawson.  Following  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Sykes  was  married  on  the 
25th  of  November,  1875,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Cun- 
ningham, who  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Ohio.  The  father  is  a  republican  and  served  for 
nearly  thirty  years  as  school  director  in  Adams 
count}'  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  and  chairman  of  the  board  of  health 
in  Barry,  Illinois.  His  has  been  a  most  credit- 
able career,  crowned  with  success  and  with  the 
respect  and  honor  of  his  fellowmen. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawson  have  been  born 
three  children:  Everett  E.,  born  December  12, 
1894;  Geneva  Grace, 'November  n,  1896;  and 
Frank  Lester,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1899.  Mrs. 
Lawson  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church 
and  Mr.  Lawson  belongs  to  Barry  lodge,  No. 
836,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a  republican  and  has 
served  as  school  director  but  has  no  aspiration  for 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  energies 
to  his  business  affairs  which  are  capably  conducted 
so  that  he  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  leading  and 
representative  agriculturists  of  his  community, 
possessing  a  farm  which  is  the  visible  evidence 
of  a  well  spent  life. 


SAMUEL  M.  DICK  A  SON. 

Samuel  M.  Dickason  is  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive landowners  of  Pike  county  and  is  also  a 
prominent  factor  in  financial  circles.  He  was  born 
in  Hannibal,  Missouri,  August  24,  1867,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  H.  and  Harriet  (Conway)  Dick- 
ason. The  father  was  born  in  Armstrong  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  went  to  Missouri  about  1852 
and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  there.  He  was 
a  capitalist  and  was  a  leading  and  influential 
resident  of  his  community.  His  wife  was  born 
in  Hannibal  and  by  his  marriage  became  the  mo- 
ther of  two  sons,  Samuel  M.  and  William  A.,  who 
is  now  living  in  Hannibal.  The  father  departed 
this  life  November  3,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years,  while  his  wife  died  on  the  i5th  of 
October,  1893. 

Samuel  M.  Dickason  is  indebted  to  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  city  for  the  greater  part 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


553 


of  his  education.  He  was,  however,  a  student  in 
the  Gem  City  Business  College  at  Quincy,  where 
he  was  trained  for  the  practical  and  responsible 
duties  of  business  life,  and  after  completing  a 
thorough  course  was  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution. On  July  3,  1889,  ne  married  Miss  Car- 
rie Strubinger,  who  was  born  in  Derry  township, 
Pike  county,  December  17,  1866,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Mary  (Chamberlain)  Strub- 
inger. The  father  was  born  in  Delaware,  October 
-8,  1833,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Joseph 
Strubinger,  whose  name  is  a  familiar  one  in  Pike 
county  because  of  his  close  and  active  connection 
-with  business  and  public  affairs  here.  Michael 
Strubinger  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
county  when  a  boy  and  started  out  to  fight  life's 
battles  for  himself  when  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
He  was  first  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month,  spending  his  time  in  that  way  until  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  during  which  period  he  re- 
ceived about  fifteen  dollars  per  month  as  re- 
muneration for  earnest  and  unremitting  toil.  That 
he  was  faithful  and  diligent  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  he  remained  in  the  service  of  one  man 
for  seven  years.  He  wedded  Miss  Mary  Cham- 
berlain in  1862  and  unto  them  were  born  four 
children.  Removing  from  his  farm  to  Barry  he 
there  resided  for  five  or  six  years  and  afterward 
took  up  his  abode  again  upon  a  farm.  He  be- 
came the  owner  of  about  twelve  hundred  acres 
of  land  and  had  one  of  the  finest  country  resi- 
dences in  the  county.  He  was  practical  and  ener- 
getic in  all  that  he  did,  a  thorough-going  busi- 
ness man,  who  carefully  controlled  his  agricul- 
tural interests  and  dealt  quite  extensively  in  stock. 
He  died  May  12,  1896,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  February  14,  1905. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickason  has  been  born 
one  daughter,  Helen  Louise,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred August  12,  1905.  The  family  occupy  a 
beautiful  home  in  Barry,  where  they  have  resided 
since  1901.  Mr.  Dickason  and  his  wife  own 
altogether  over  two  thousand  acres  of  rich  bot- 
tom land  in  Pike  county,  also  are  stockholders  in 
the  International  Bank  at  Hull  and  Samuel  M. 
Dickason  is  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank 
at  Barry.  Upon  his  farm  stock-raising  is  carried 
on  quite  extensively,  his  attention  being  given 


to  cattle,  hogs  and,  to  some  extent,  horses.  He  is 
a  capitalist  and  a  man  of  good  business  discern- 
ment, who  forms  his  plans  readily  and  is  deter- 
mined in  their  execution,  carrying  forward  to 
successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 
His  judgment  is  seldom  is  ever  at  fault  in  busi- 
ness matters  and  his  keen  insight  has  enabled  him 
to  make  judicious  investments.  His  business 
operations  are  usually  attended  with  a  high 
measure  of  success  and  he  has  thus  won  a  place 
among  the  leading  residents  of  Pike  county.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democracy. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 


JON  PERRY  GRUBB. 

It  has  been  said  of  Jon  Perry  Grubb  that  "no 
man  knew  him  but  to  respect  him"  and  such  a 
man  is  certainly  worthy  of  representation  in 
the  history  of  the  county  where  he  lived  and 
labored,  winning  success  and  also  the  priceless 
heritage  of  an  untarnished  name.  He  did  not 
seek  to  figure  prominently  in  public  life,  but  he 
performed  every  duty  faithfully  and  courage- 
ously and  developed  a  character  that  is  indeed 
well  worthy  of  emulation.  A  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  was  born  about  four  miles  from  Harris- 
burg  and  near  Mechanicsburg  in  Cumberland 
county  on  the  7th  of  October,  1815.  His  parents 
were  Jonas  and  Sarah  (Wizer)  Grubb,  in  whose 
family  were  twelve  children,  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters,  of  whom  seven  were  living  at  the  time 
of  the  death  of  Jon  P.  Grubb.  The  father  was 
a  stone  mason  by  trade,  but  the  family  resided 
upon  a  farm  which  was  operated  by  the  sons 
until  1833.  In  that  year  all  removed  to  Saegers- 
town  in  Crawford  county,  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Grubb  of  this  review  had  attended  the 
public  schools  and  soon  after  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Saegerstown  he  went  to  Meadville, 
about  seven  or  eight  miles  from  his  home  and 
secured  employment  in  a  woolen  mill,  where  he 
remained  for  a  year.  The  following  year,  in 
company  with  George  Wike,  afterward  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Pike  county,  he  went  to  Erie,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  completed  his  trade,  master- 


554 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ing  all  the  details  of  the  business  of  a  woolen 
manufacturer.  His  arrival  in  Illinois  dates  from 
1838.  He  made  his  way  to  Quincy,  where  George 
Wike  was  at  work  at  the  trade  which  they  had 
learned,  being  employed  by  Colonel  Dan  Whipple, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Quincy.  After  a  few  weeks 
Mr.  Grubb  went  to  Palmyra,  Missouri,  where  he 
operated  a  roll  card  for  John  Sallee.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding winter  he  returned  to  Saegerstown  and 
in  the  spring  of  1839  the  Grubb  family  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  on  a  farm  near  Liberty,  Adams 
county.  Jon  P.  Grubb  at  that  time  entered  the 
employ  of  Colonel  Whipple,  for  whom  he  en- 
gaged in  carding  and  spinning  until  1842,  when 
he  assisted  George  Wike  in  establishing  the  Barry 
Woolen  Mills  at  the  present  site.  At  that  point 
there  was  already  in  operation  a  sawmill  and  an 
old  French  buhr  for  grinding  corn,  the  power 
being  furnished  by  water  from  the  spring  which 
issues  form  the  cave  in  the  hillside  above  the  mills. 
Mr.  Grubb,  however,  again  entered  the  employ 
of  Colonel  Whipple.  with  whom  he  continued 
until  1844.  H£  afterward  spent  one  year  in  the 
service  of  Captain  Garrett  at  Camp  Point,  Illinois, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  formed  a 
partnership  with  George,  Joe  and  David  Wike 
in  the  business  of  carding  rolls,  manufacturing 
woolen  goods  and  grinding  corn  and  sawing  lum- 
ber. The  variety  of  the  work  done  made  this  one 
of  the  important  industrial  concerns  of  the  county 
and  it  drew  a  patronage  from  a  wide  district. 
There  had  been  great  changes  wrought  in  the 
manufacture  of  woolen  goods,  but  at  that  time 
all  weaving  was  done  on  hand  looms  and  when  a 
power  loom  was  brought  to  the  Barry  mills  from 
Pittsburg  it  was  regarded  with  the  utmost  won- 
der. However,  the  mills  were  kept  in  touch  with 
the  uniform  progress  in  that  line  of  manufacture, 
new  and  improved  machinery  being  introduced 
from  time  to  time  and  the  Barry  Woolen  Mills 
still  maintain  a  foremost  place  amid  productive 
industries  of  this  county.  Mr  Grubb  continued 
his  connection  with  the  mills  until  a  few  years 
prior  to  his  death,  after  which  he  concentrated 
his  energies  upon  his  farm. 

On  the  gth  of  May,  1849,  Mr.  Grubb  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Harriet  Stevens  and 
unto  them  were  born  three  children :  John  W., 


Emeline  and  Eva  R.  The  last  named  became  the 
wife  of  John  M.  Shields  and  died  October  25, 
1883.  Jon  Wr.  Grubb  married  Miss  Mary  Clay- 
combe,  of  Eureka,  Kansas,  and  they  reside  in 
Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  he  is  a  professor  in 
Lombard  University.  Emeline  married  a  Mr. 
Shields  and  lives  in  Ellis,  Kansas.  They  have 
five  children :  Eva,  Pearl,  Mary,  Lee  and  Anna. 
Mrs.  Harriet  Grubb  departed  this  life  March  5, 
1866,  and  Mr.  Grubb  afterward  wedded  Mrs.  Beu- 
lah  Nations,  nee  Beecher,  who  was  born  in  Liber- 
ty, Adams  county,  November  30,  1839.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Hamilton  and  Jerusha  (Stevens) 
Beecher,  who  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New 
York.  The  father  came  to  Adams  county  about 
1837,  being  one  of  its  pioneer  settlers.  He  helped 
to  break  the  prairie  and  clear  away  the  timber 
and  he  owned  and  operated  forty  acres  of  land, 
on  which  he  built  a  log  cabin.  In  his  family  were 
six  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living :  John 
P. ;  and  Mary  Jane,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Boren, 
who  resides  near  Cowles,  Nebraska.  The  father 
died  about  1846  and  the  mother  was  married 
again  to  Henry  Phillips,  a  farmer  of  Adams 
county,  Illinois,  who  died  September  9,  1890, 
while  the  mother's  death  occurred  September  9, 
1886.  Beulah  Beecher  was  first  married  to  John 
Nations,  of  Liberty,  Adams  county,  Illinois,  and 
they  had  two  children  who  yet  survive.  Norman 
W.  Nations,  the  elder,  married  Belle  Jones,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Maud  and  John,  and 
their  home  is  in  Liberty.  Illinois.  Florence  Belle 
is  the  wife  of  L.  Jones,  a  lumberman  of  Barry, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Roscoe  and  Harry. 
Mr.  Nations  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  on  the 
7th  of  August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Company 
E,  Seventy-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun- 
teers and  was  killed  at  Chickamauga,  September 
20,  1863.  His  wife  was  married  again  in  1866 
to  Jon  P.  Grubb  and  they  had  three  children. 
George  R.  married  Flora  Swan,  lives  in  Bakers- 
'field.  California,  and  has  three  children :  Gladys. 
Russell  and  Harriet.  Harriet  C.  married  Percy 
I.  Hale,  resides  in  Wisconsin  and  has  three  chil- 
dren :  Harry,  Alice  and  Beulah.  Oliver  married 
•Katie  Wilier,  of  New  Haven.  Connecticut,  where 
they  now  reside  and  have  one  son,  Harry. 

Mr.  Grubb  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Uni- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


555 


versalist  church  and  took  an  active  and  helpful 
part  in  its  work.  He  was  largely  instrumental 
in  the  erection  of  the  church  in  Barry  in  1858. 
His  political  views  were  in  accord  with  democratic 
principles  and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  party. 
He  was  one  of  the  early  members  of  Barry  lodge, 
No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  at  various  times 
he  was  honored  with  office  and  he  was  ever  most 
loyal  to  the  ttachir.gs  of  the  fraternity,  exempli- 
fying in  his  life  its  beneficent  principles  of  broth- 
erly kindness  and  mutual  helpfulness.  The  cause 
of  education  found  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart 
friend,  who  used  his  aid  and  influence  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  system  of  public  education 
and  he  was  also  a  contributor  toward  the  building 
of  Lombard  University  at  Galesburg,  Illinois. 
One  who  knew  him  well  wrote  of  him,  "He  was 
a  generous  neighbor,  a  kind  husband  and  a  loving 
father,  devoting  his  last  years  to  his  family  in  their 
farm  life.  As  a  man  and  citizen  he  was  held  in 
the  highest  esteem.  He  was  noted  for  his  honesty 
and  integrity,  sound  judgment  and  noble  traits 
of  character.  His  word  to  those  who  knew  him 
was  as  good  as  his  bond."  He  died  August  9, 
1889,  when  about  seventy- four  years  of  age  and 
thus  closed  a  most  honorable  record.  He  had 
lived  peaceably  with  all  men  and  his  death  came 
as  a  personal  bereavement  to  the  large  majority 
of  those  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Grubb  occupies 
a  beautiful  home  that  her  husband  built  and  is  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  of 
fine  land  situated  on  section  23,  Barry  township, 
and  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  about 
a  half-mile  from  the  city  of  Barrv. 


CHARLES  HILL,  SR. 

Charles  Hill,  Sr.,  one  of  the  viative  sons  of 
Pike  county,  is  a  respected,  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  residing  in  Baylis,  while  his  time 
and  attention  are  given  to  the  operation  of  his 
land  which  adjoins  the  town.  He  was  born  Sep- 
tember 14,  1860,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Julia  (Farnsworth)  Hill.  The  father  was  born 


in  England  and  the  mother  also  came  from  Eng- 
land to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  Pike  county 
about  1840.  It  was  ten  years'  later,  however, 
before  the  father  reached  this  country,  the  date 
of  his  arrival  'being  October,  1850.  He  located 
on  section  31,  Fairmount  township,  Pike  county, 
and  purchased  a  tract  of  raw  land  which  was  en- 
tirely destitute  of  improvements,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  the  cultivation  of  this 
property,  doing  all  of  the  work  upon  it.  He 
added  more  land  thereto  until  he  owned  four 
hundred  acres,  which  was  the  visible  evidence 
of  his  life  of  thrift  and  enterprise.  He  was  classed 
with  the  extensive  landowners  of  the  community 
and  he  not  only  carefully  cultivated  his  fields  and 
harvested  good  crops  but  he  also  raised  stock  to 
a  considerable  extent  and  also  traded  in  stock. 
The  principal  cereal  which  he  raised  was  wheat. 
In  politics  he  was  a  democrat.  His  death  occurred 
in  1876  and  the  county  thereby  lost  one  of  its 
representative  citizens  and  prominent  business 
men.  He  reared  a  family  of  six  children,  five  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Ann  M. 
Birch,  of  Baylis;  Mrs.  Julie  Ramsey,  who  is 
also  living  in  Baylis ;  Mrs.  Mary  Grammer,  the 
wife  of  Weber  Grammer,  of  Baylis;  Fred,  who 
is  residing  upon  a  farm  in  this  county;  and 
Charles,  of  this  review. 

Charles  Hill,  spending  his  boyhood  days  under 
the  parental  roof,  acquired  his  early  education  in 
a  brick  schcolhouse  near  his  father's  home.  He 
aided  in  the  work  of  the  fields  through  the  sum- 
mer months  and  after  his  father's  death  he  re- 
mained upon  the  old  homestead  farm  for  two 
years,  working  for  his  mother  by  the  year.  He 
afterward  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  land  until  his  mother's 
death,  when  he  came  into  possession  of  the  prop- 
erty. This  was  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  acres  of  good  land.  He  continued  as  owner 
until  1901,  when  he  bought  eighty-two  acres 
where  he  now  resides.  He  carries  on  general 
farming,  his  fields  being  well  tilled,  and  he  also 
raises  hogs.  He  is  likewise  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business,  keeping  ten  cows  for  this  purpose. 

In  1883  Mr.  Hill  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie 
Mclntyre,  of  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  John  Mclntyre,  who  came  to  Pike  county  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


retained  his  residence  in  Baylis  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  owning  and  cultivating  a  fine  farm 
near  the  village.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  have  four 
children  :  Myrtle,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Stauf- 
fer  and  lives  upon  a  farm  in  New  Salem  town- 
ship ;  Grover,  who  is  the  manager  of  the  cream- 
ery, which  is  one  of  the  best  business  enterprises 
of  Baylis,  having  a  trade  which  amounts  to  about 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year ;  Alva  and  Kline 
both  at  home.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  democrat  and  is  a 
member  of  the  town  board  of  Baylis.  He  is  a 
popular  citizen  with  good  business  qualifications, 
of  energy  and  enterprise  in  public  affairs  and  at 
all  times  is  interested  and  helpful  in  promoting 
the  welfare  of  the  community. 


THOMAS   A.   GAY. 

Thomas  A.  Gay,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  and 
fruit-raising  not  far  from  Baylis,  is  one  of  Pike 
county's  native  sons,  who  has  spent  almost  his 
entire  life  within  its  borders.  He  was  born  May 
19,  1860,  on  the  old  family  homestead,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Bowman)  Gay.  The 
father  came  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  day  •  in 
company  with  his  father,  Simon  Gay,  and  settled 
where  Thomas  A.  Gay  now  resides.  They  took 
up  land  from  the  government  which  was  entirely 
destitute  of  improvements  and  at  once  began  to 
clear  the  tract.  Later  they  built  a  log  house  in 
which  Thomas  A.  Gay  resided  until  1897. 
It  was  a  large  double  log  house  con- 
taining two  immense  rooms  and  a  double  fire- 
place. With  characteristic  energy  John  Gay  con- 
tinued the  work  of  cultivating  and  improving  his 
property  and  spent  his  remaining  days  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm,  his  death  occurring  about 
1865.  In  the  family  were  five  children,  of  whom 
two  sons  and  a  daughter  are  vet  living,  name!}  : 
Thomas  A.,  of  this  review ;  Frank,  who  resides 
in  Hannibal,  Missouri;  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  Coss. 
who  is  living  in  southwestern  Kansas. 

Thomas  A.  Gay  is  indebted  to  the  public-school 
system  of  Pike  county  for  the  educational  privi- 
leges he  enjoyed.  His  time  was  divided  between 
the  duties  of  the  schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the 


playground  and  the  work  of  the  home  farm 
during  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  and 
he  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  on  the 
old  home  property  although  in  1890  and  1891  he 
was  in  California  and  for  a  time  lived  in  South 
Dakota.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  r.cres  near  Mitchell,  South  Dakota,  in 

1883,  and  took  up  a  claim  there,  but  having  a 
stronger  attachment  for  the  county  of  his  nativity 
than  for  his  new  home  he  returned  to  Illinois. 
He  now  rents  land  and  engages  in  farming.    He 
owns  forty-one  acres  of  the  old  homestead  which 
is  well  improved  and  he  has  built  thereon  a  fine 
residence   and   substantial   barns.     The   place   is 
also  well  fenced  and  in  addition  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  he 
also  raises  fruit,  which  finds  a  ready  sale  upon 
the  market  because  of  size,  quality  and  flavor. 
He  also  has  a  few  cattle  and  horses  and  about 
fifty  head  of  hogs  and  for  eight  years  he  has  en- 
gaged in  the  operation  of  a  hay  press. 

In  June,  1882,  Mr.  Gay  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Melissa  McKinney,  who  was  born  in 
New  Salem  township  in  1865  and  is  a  daughter 
of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Burkhead)  McKinney. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  came 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  day  when  few  settlements 
had  been  made.  He  took  up  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment and  shared  in  the  usual  hardships  and 
privations  of  pioneer  life.  As  the  years  passed 
by  he  prospered  and  is  now  the  owner 
*  of  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  farming 
land.  He  has  now  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  In  his  family  were  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  seven  are  now  living. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gay  have  been  born  two 
children,  Myrtie,  who  was  born  November  20, 

1884,  married  Florence  Hill,  whose  birth  occurred 
March  27,  1885.     They  have  one  child,  Glenna 
Hazel,  born  March  6,  1903.  Daisy,  born  May  25, 
1887,  died  September  18.  1899.  The  family  home 
is  situated  upon  forty-one  acres  of  the  old  home- 
stead   property    which   belonged   to   Mr.    Gay's 
father.     This   is  a  well   improved  tract  of  land 
and  he  has  erected  a  fine  residence  which  forms 
one  of  the  attractive   features  of  the   landscape. 
There  are  also  good  barns  upon  the  place  and  the 
farm  is  well  fenced,  while  everything  is  neat  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


557 


thrifty  in  appearance.  He  carries  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  raises  fruit  and  in  his  busi- 
ness efforts  he  has  met  with  a  gratifying  measure 
of  success.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat.  His 
wife  belongs  to  the  United  Brethren  church  at 
Baylis  and  they  are  people  of  genuine  worth,  re- 
spected and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them. 


MARTIN  V.  SHIVE. 

Martin  V.  Shive,  living  on  section  n.  Pleasant 
Hill  township,  is  one  of  the  practical,  progressive 
and  prosperous  farmers,  of  his  community,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
two  acres  of  land.  A  native  of  Cumberland 
county,  Kentucky,  he  was  born  August  16,  1839, 
and  is  a  son  of  Martin  Shive,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, while  his  grandfather,  George  Shive,  was 
born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany.  Martin  Shive, 
Jr.,  was  reared  in  the  state  of  his  nativity.  .Mar- 
tin V.  Shive's  father  died  June  7,  1839,  three 
months  prior  to  the  birth  of  his  son,  and  his 
mother  when  he  was  in  his  third  year.  He  was 
reared  by  his  grandmother  and  in  his  nineteenth 
year  came  to  Mason  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
worked  for  his  uncle  for  some  time,  remaining 
there  for  two  years.  He  next  came  to  Pike 
county,  where  he  was  employed  at  farm  labor 
for  some  time  and  then  returned  to  Mason  county. 
In  response  to  the  country's  call  for  aid  he  en- 
listed in  1861,  joining  the  boys  in  blue  of  Com- 
pany K,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
The  troops  proceeded  to  Peoria  and  were  there 
drilled  on  the  fair  grounds.  He  first  enlisted  for 
three  months'  service,  but  joined  the  United  States 
service  on  the  25th  of  May,  1861,  and  went  from 
Peoria  to  Alton,  Illinois.  The  order  then  came 
to  proceed  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  after  which 
they  went  to  St.  Charles  and  afterward  returned 
to  St.  Louis,  continuing  at  the  arsenal  for  a  few 
weeks.  Later  the  regiment  joined  the  Cairo 
forces  and  established  what  was  called  Fort  Holt. 
Later,  however,  the  company  was  ordered  back 
to  St.  Louis  and  then  proceeded  to  Pilot  Knob, 
from  which  place  they  marched  to  the  Mississippi 
river.  They  participated  in  the  engagement  at 


Cape  Girardeau,  the  first  battle  occurring  October 
21,  1861,  with  the  troops  under  Jefferson  Thomp- 
son at  Frederickstown,  Missouri.  The  Seven- 
teenth Illinois  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Ross 
and  the  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the  forces 
under  General  Fremont.  Later  this  regiment 
joined  the  troops  under  Commodore  Foote  at 
Cairo,  Illinois,  and  with  thirty  thousand  soldiers 
took-  up  the  march  along  the  Tennessee  river 
to  Fort  Henry.  The  principal  fighting  there, 
however,  was  done  from  the  gunboats,  and  the 
gunboat  Tyler  ran  the  blockade  and  captured  the 
Confederate  boats.  The  engagement  was  carried 
on  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  rain  and  sleet  and  the 
Union  forces  camped  on  the  rebel  barracks  and 
held  the  fort.  The  next  battle  in  which  Mr. 
Shive  participated  was  at  Fort  Donelson,  where 
the  army  under  General  Grant  was  victorious, 
but  won  the  victory  at  great  loss,  suffering  more 
there  than  at  any  other  time  during  the  war. 
The  rebel  forces  surrendered  about  seventeen 
thousand  prisoners  to  General  Grant,  which  was 
his  first  victory,  General  Halleck  having  been 
in  charge  when  the  other  battle  was  fought  at 
Fort  Donelson.  Many  members  of  the  regiment 
to  which  Mr.  Shive  belonged  were  killed  and  the 
surviving  members  were  attached  to  the  Eighth 
Illinois  Infantry.  Mr.  Shive  was  wounded  on 
the  second  day  of  the  battle  at  Shiloh  and  was 
taken  to  Mound  City  Hospital,  where  he  remained 
for  some  time  and  was  then  granted  a  furlough 
about  the  25th  of  April,  1862.  He  then  went  to 
Bath,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  three  months  in 
recovering  from  his  injuries,  while  later  he  re- 
joined his  old  company  at  Bolivar,  Tennessee, 
but  not  being  able  to  resume  active  field  service, 
was  discharged  in  1862.  He  returned  to  Pike 
county  and  as  soon  as  his  health  permitted  re- 
sumed farming. 

Mr.  Shive  was  married  on  the  1 8th  of  December, 
1862,  in  Pleasant  Hill  township  to  Miss  Carolina 
L.  Ricketts,  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Ricketts,  also  of  Kentucky,  who 
came  to  Illinois  in  the  early  '505.  For  a  year 
after  his  marriage  Mr.  Shive  engaged  in  cultivat- 
ing rented  land,  and  then  bought  his  first  tract 
of  sixty  acres  in  1863.  While  at  Shiloh  he  had 
been  wounded  with  buck  shot  and  ball  shot ;  and 


558 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


one  of  the  shot  is  still  in  his  lungs.  As  he  had 
not  fully  recovered  from  his  injuries,  he  was  ad- 
vised to  go  to  California,  and,  accompanied  by 
his  wife,  he  drove  across  the  country  to  Sacra- 
mento; but  he  was  not  pleased  with  the  Pacific 
country,  and  returned  to  Illinois  after  two  years. 
On  again  reaching  Pike  county,  Mr.  Shive  pur- 
chased the  sixty-acre  tract  of  land  as  before 
stated.  He  has  since  added  to  his  property,  and 
has  lived  thereon  since  1869.  He  has  also  erected 
a  good  two-story  residence,  a  substantial  barn 
and  other  outbuildings,  and  altogether  has  a  well 
improved  place.  The  work  of  general  farming 
and  stock-raising  has  been  carried  steadily  for- 
ward ;  and  all  the  success  that  he  has  enjoyed,  has 
been  acquired  by  Mr.  Shive  through  his  own  well 
directed  efforts.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  raising 
Hambletonian  horses,  and  takes  great  pride  in 
this  enterprise. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
ten  children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy,  while 
Bessie  died  in  her  twenty-second  year,  and  Henry 
in  his  forthieth  year.  Six  of  the  number  are 
yet  living.  John  South  married  Miss  Daisy 
Prowl,  and  they  have  four  children ;  Caroline 
Marie,  Posy  Lee,  Charles  Pollard  and  Martin 
Van  Buren.  Charles  F.  Shive  married  Ardelia 
Scranton,  and  has  two  children :  Claude  Henry 
and  Maude.  Julia  P.  is  the  wife  of  H.  Martin 
Shelby,  and  they  have  six  children :  Elmer 
Bliss,  of  Miller  county,  Missouri;  Engle  Caro- 
line; Elsie  Edith;  Norman;  Spencer;  and  Rob- 
ert Van  Buren.  Nora  is  the  wife  of  John  Zum- 
walt ;  and  after  losing  their  only  child  in  infancy, 
they  have  adopted  a  daughter,  Amelia,  who  is 
now  living  with  them  in  Pike  county,  Missouri.- 
Janie  C.  is  the  wife  of  Bob  Nunn.  Bliss  Blanche 
is  the  wife  of  R.  A.  Shive,  and  has  two  children : 
Huron  Turner  and  George  Buren. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shive  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church,  in  the  work  of  which  they  take  an  active 
and  helpful  part.  Mr.  Shive  now  serving  as  one 
of  the  deacons.  The  family  are  all  active  church 
workers,  and  their  labors  have  contributed  in 
substantial  measure  to  the  growth  of  the  church 
and  the  extension  of  its  influence.  Mr.  Shive  be- 
longs to  the  Grand  Army  post  at  Nebo,  and  has 
been  a  Master  Mason  for  forty  yc:irs.  passing 


through  all  of  the  chairs.  He  is  now  affiliated 
with  Pleasant  Hill  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Pitts- 
field  chapter.  Xo.  10.  R.  A.  M.,  and  the  council, 
and  commandery.  No.  49,  <K.  T.  He  has  served 
as  a  delegate  to  the  grand  lodge  at  Chicago,  and 
has  several  times  been  a  visiting  member  to  the 
grand  lodge.  His  first  presidential  vote  was 
cast  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  and  since  that  time 
he  has  been  a  stanch  republican.  He  served  for 
several  terms  as  school  trustee  and  coroner,  but 
has  never  been  active  in  politics  as  an  office  seeker, 
preferring  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  affairs,  to  his  children  and  to  his  church. 
He  also  takes  great  delight  in  reading;  and  in  this 
way  is  constantly  broadening  his  knowledge, 
keeping  in  touch  with  the  current  of  modern 
thought  and  progress. 


J.  C.  BROWN. 

J.  C.  Brown,  who  is  extensively  engaged  in 
farming  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  resides  two 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  New  Canton  upon  a 
farm,  which  in  its  thrifty  appearance  indicates 
his  careful  supervision  and  practical  methods.  He 
was  born  in  this  township,  February  13,  1855, 
his  parents  being  Andrew  and  Nancy  (Shewie) 
Brown.  The  father  came  to  Pike  county  at  an 
early  day  and  as  the  years  passed  by  he  won  for 
himself  a  creditable  position  in  agricultural  cir- 
cles, owning  and  operating  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres,  whereby  he  provided  a  comfortable  living 
for  his  family.  He  had  four  children,  of  whom 
only  one  survives — J.  C.  of  this  review.  The 
father  was  but  thirty-two  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death  but  he  is  still  survived  by  the  mother, 
who  now  makes  her  home  with  her  son,  J.  C. 
Brown. 

To  the  public-school  system  of  Pike  county 
Mr.  Brown  of  this  review  is  indebted  for  the 
educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed  and  which 
claimed  much  of  his  attention  during  the  period 
of  his  youth.  He  was  married  July  24,  1884.  to 
Miss  Rachel  Rankin,  who  was  born  in  New 
Salem  and  was  a  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Rachel 


1'AST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


559 


(Stewart)  Rankin,  of  Irish  descent.  Her  par- 
ents came  to  America  from  Ireland  in  early 
life  and  in  their  family  were  seven  children,  of 
whom  five  are  yet  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown 
have  but  one  child,  Andrew  Carson,  who  was 
born  December  5,  1890,  and  is  under  the  parental 
roof. 

J.  C.  Brown  is  the  owner  of  the  old  home  farm 
which  was  left  to  him  and  his  brother  and  his 
entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  the  tilling  to  the 
tilling  of  the  soil  and  to  stock-raising.  He  owns 
here  three  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  land, 
which  is  very  arable,  and  the  productive  fields 
annually  yield  rich  harvests.  The  farm  is  situ- 
ated on  sections  26  and  27,  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship, along  the  bluff.  He  raises  the  various  cereals 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  also  has  con- 
siderable stock  upon  his  place,  raising  a  large 
number  of  hogs  and  breeding  Aberdeen  Angus 
cattle.  The  farm  is  well  fenced  and  is  divided 
into  fields  of  convenient  size.  The  buildings  are 
in  good  repair  and  furnish  ample  shelter  for 
grain  and  stock.  He  has  also  erected  a  beautiful 
residence,  which  forms  one  of  the  pleasing  fea- 
tures of  the  landscape  in  this  part  of  the  county. 
The  passerby  does  not  need  to  inquire  concerning 
the  character  of  the  owner  of  this  property  for, 
his  sterling  qualities  are  manifested  in  the  fine 
appearance  of  his  place.  In  politics  he  is  a 
democrat  and  for  some  years  has  served  as  school 
trustee.  His  fraternal  relations  are  with  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp  at  New  Canton,  but  the 
number  of  his  friends  is  not  limited  by  his  mem- 
bership in  this  organization,  as  he  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  throughout  the  county,  where 
his  entire  life  has  been  passed. 


JOHN  G.  SLEIGHT. 

John  G.  Sleight  is  a  representative  of  farming 
interests  in  Griggsville  township  and  a  well  im- 
proved property  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his 
life  of  earnest  labor,  careful  management  and  pro- 
gressive and  practical  methods.  He  was  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  near  Boston,  England,  June  12, 
1840,  his  parents  being  John  G.  and  Rebecca 


( \Yalker)  Sleight,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
the  same  country. 

John  G.  Sleight,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  1805  and  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  after  arriving  at  years  of  maturity 
was  married  in  England  in  1826  to  Miss  Rebecca 
Walker,  who  was  born  near  Boston,  Lincolnshire, 
and  represented  one  of  the  old  families  of  that 
locality,  being  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Walker,  who 
was  reared  in  the  same  county  and  there  devoted 
his  life  to  farming.  He  was  married  in  Lin- 
colnshire to  Miss  Hannah  Crawford  and  they 
remained  residents  of  that  locality  until  called  to 
the  home  beyond.  The  members  of  the  Sleight 
family  belonged  to  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
church,  while  the  Walkers  were  members  of  the 
church  of  England.  Following  their  marriage 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  G.  Sleight,  Sr.,  remained  resi- 
dents of  England  until  1857,  when  they  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America,  arriving  at  Griggsville 
on  the  28th  of  October.  The  voyage  across  the 
water  was  made  in  a  steamer  to  New  York  city, 
whence  they  proceeded  westward  by  way  of 
Chicago  and  took  up  their  abode  in  Flint  town- 
ship. Pike  county,  where  the  father  turned  his 
attention  to  farming.  He  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings and  at  one  time  was  the  owner  of  about 
five  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  located  on 
section  6,  Flint  township.  Nearly  all  of  this  was 
wild  timber  land  when  it  came  into  his  possession, 
but  he  wrought  a  marked  transformation  in  the 
appearance  of  the  place,  bringing  much  of  the 
property  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
continuel  to  engage  successfully  in  general  farm- 
ing up  to  the  time  of  his  demise,  which  occurred 
when  he  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  He  held  membership  in  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church,  of  which  his  wife  was  also  a 
devoted  member  and  his  political  support  was 
given  to  the  republican  party.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  in  1802,  died  in  1862.  They  were  well 
known  residents  of  Pike  county,  respected  by 
all  who  knew  them.  In  their  family  were  two 
sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  finally  came 
to  this  country  and  settled  in  Illinois.  Of  this 
number  four  are  now  living:  Betsy,  who  mar- 
ried John  Culley.  a  resident  of  Falls  City, 
Nebraska ;'  Ann,  the  wife  of  R.  N.  Long,  of  Jack- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


son  county,  Kansas;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Wilson,  who  is  living  in  Flint  township ;  and 
John  G. 

In  the  subscription  and  public  schools  John  G. 
Sleight  acquired  his  education  and  when  seven- 
teen years  of  age  came  to  America  with  his  par- 
ents. At  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  he  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account  having  up  to  this 
time  assisted  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm.  He  first  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  1865  and  as  the  years  passed  and  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  added  to  his  prop- 
erty until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  which  is  well  improved. 
In  1882  he  built  a  fine  home,  in  which  he  now 
resides  and  on  the  farm  are  large  and  commodious 
barns,  carriage  sheds  and  other  outbuildings. 
He  and  his  son  breed  polled  Angus  cattle  and 
German  coach  horses  and  raise  from  two  to 
three  hundred  head  of  hogs  each  year.  He  is 
well  known  as  a  stock-raiser  and  feeder  and  his 
business  is  extensive  and  profitable. 

On  the  ist  of  March,  1866,  Mr.  Sleight  was 
married  to  Miss  Ruth  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in 
Clermont  county,  Ohio,  September  24,  1837,  a 
daughter  of  Aaron  and  Mary  Ann  (Forsythe) 
Reynolds.  Her  father  was  born  in  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1808,  and  died  October  24,  1862.  He 
had  been  married  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1828,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Forsythe,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  the  Buckeye  state,  July  17, 
1810,  while  her  death  occurred  in  Illinois,  August 
13,  1886.  They  came  to  Pike  county  in  1847, 
settling  in  Griggsville  township  among  its  early 
residents.  Mr.  Reynolds  purchased  timber  and  prai- 
rie land  and  became  a  pioneer  farmer,  doing  his 
plowing  with  oxen,  grubbing  up  the  stumps, 
clearing  the  fields  and  ultimately  placing  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  the  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  which  he  first  purchased.  He  ex- 
tended the  boundaries  of  his  property  until  it 
comprised  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres. 
He  acted  as  school  director  for  a  number  of  years 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  while 
his  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democ- 
racy. In  his  family  were  eleven  children,  of  whom 
seven  are  now  living:  Mrs.  Rebecca  Newman,  of 
Griggsville;  Eli,  who  resides  in  Coffeyville,  Kan- 


sas ;  John  P.,  of  Mounds,  Missouri ;  Mrs.  Sleight ; 
Daniel  B.,  who  is  living  in  California;  Mrs.  Lu- 
cretia  W.  Harrington,  of  Griggsville;  and  Naa- 
man  D.,  who  is  living  in  California. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sleight  have  been  born 
two  children:  Charles  Walker,  born  November 
21,  1868,  married  Jennie  June  Harvey,  and  their 
children  are  Hazel  E.  and  Harvey  L.  Mary  L., 
born  August  23,  1870,  is  the  wife  of  Fred  A. 
Clark  and  has  two  children,  Mary  Ruth  and 
Frank  J.  Mr.  Sleight  is  a  member  of  Griggsville 
lodge  No.  45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  belongs  to  the 
Baptist  church  and  votes  with  the  democracy. 
Mrs.  Sleight  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church  and 
is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement  who,  like  her 
husband,  shares  in  the  warm  regard  of  many 
friends  in  this  county.  Coming  to  America  when 
a  young  man,  John  G.  Sleight  readily  adapted 
himself  to  new  and  altered  conditions  and  in  an 
active  business  career  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward. 


GEORGE  M.  SMITH. 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Pike  county 
appears  the  name  of  George  M.  Smith  with  the 
shrievalty.  He  was  elected  to  his  present  office 
on  the  ist  of  December,  1902,  by  the  vote  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  many  of  whom  have  known  him 
from  boyhood  and  thus  express  their  confidence 
and  trust  in  his  public-spirited  citizenship  and 
capability.  He  was  born  in  Perry  township  in 
1862  and  upon  the  home  farm  was  reared.  Hs 
parents  were  William  W.  and  Frances  (Brown) 
Smith,  natives  of  Virginia.  Leaving  the  Old 
Dominion  they  spent  a  few  years  in  the  state  of 
Ohio  and  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1857. 
settling  in  Perry  township.  The  father  was  for 
years  prominent  among  the  early  residents  of 
the  county  and  was  a  successful  farmer  and 
stock-raiser,  who  devoted  his  entire  life  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
owned  four  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  fine 
farm  land,  fifty  acres  of  which  was  covered  with 
an  orchard  of  apples  and  pear  trees.  Mr.  Smith 
was  a  zealous  worker  in  all  affairs  of  church  and 


GEORGE  M.  SMITH 


PAST   AND    PRESENT    OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


563 


state.  After  an  active  life  he  was  called  to  a 
well  merited  rest,  January  12,  1901,  being  at 
that  time  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  his  wife  sur- 
viving him  for  four  years,  passing  away  May 
10,  1905.  Both  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  exercising  an  influence  for 
good  in  the  church  and  also  in  the  community  in 
which  they  lived.  His  political  allegiance  was 
given  to  the  democracy  and  he  belonged  to  Perry 
lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  early  residents  of  the  county  and  dur- 
ing the  long  years  in  which  they  made  their 
home  within  its  borders  were  regarded  as  worthy 
and  valuable  citizens,  belonging  to  that  class  who 
uphold  the  poltical,  moral  and  educational  status 
of  the  community.  There  were  five  children  in 
the  Smith  family :  Ella  V.,  now  the  wife  of 
William  E.  James,  of  Perry  township;  Harvey 
D.,  of  Detroit  township;  George  M.,  of  Pitts- 
field  ;  and  Nettie  and  Ida  May,  who  died  in  child- 
hood. 

'At  the  usual  age  George  M.  Smith  entered  the 
public  schools  and  pursued  his  studies  until  he 
had  mastered  the  common  branches  of  English 
learning.  Through  the  periods  of  vacation  he 
worked  in  the  fields  and  the  greater  part  of  his 
active  life  has  been  devoted  to  farming.  He 
was  thus  engaged  up  to  the  time  of  his  election 
to  his  present  office.  For  several  years  he  lived  in 
Griggsville  township,  where  he  was  prominent 
among  the  farmers  and  stock  dealers,  buying 
stock,  which  he  shipped  to  the  St.  Louis,  Chicago 
and  Buffalo  markets.  From  his  boyhood  he 
evinced  a  strong  interest  in  politics  and  in  1899 
was  a  candidate  for  supervisor  of  Griggsville 
township,  where  his  popularity  was  attested  by 
the  large  majorty  given  him.  In  1901  he  was 
re-elected  but  soon  afterward  resigned  to  be- 
come a  candidate  for  the  office  of  sheriff.  In 
1902  Mr.  Smith  received  his  party's  nomination 
and  being  elected  to  the  position  entered  upon 
its  duties  on  the  ist  of  December,  1902,  for  a 
four-years'  term.  In  this  capacity  he  has  served 
his  county  faith  fully  through  various  crises.  He 
still  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres  of  fine  land  in  Perry  town- 
ship well  adapted  to  farming  and  stock-raising 


and  his  orchard  of  apple  and  pear  trees  covers 
twenty-five  acres. 

When  twenty-two  years  of  age  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  Wilkins,  who 
was  born  in  Warren  county,  Indiana,  February 
16,  1864,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Augustus  and 
Elizabeth  (Campbell)  Wilkins,  natives  of  Indi- 
ana. By  this  marriage  there  were  born  two 
children:  Granvil'le  Odell,  who  was  born  Au- 
gust 10,  1886,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years 
is  cashier  of  the  bank  at  Hillview,  Illinois,  after 
having  graduated  in  1904  from  the  Gem  City 
Business  College  at  Quincy ;  and  George  Wil- 
liam, who  was  born  August  21,  1898,  and  is  now 
a  public-school  student.  In  1904  Mr.  Smith  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
after  several  months  of  patient  suffering  passed 
away  June  22d  of  that  year.  She  was  a  devoted 
and  faithful' member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
churcbi  .to,  w.hjch' Mr.  Smith  also  belongs.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  member'  bf 'the  Masonic  fraternity,  as 
is  also  his  brother,  and  the  father  also  affiliated 
with  the  craft.  The  three  were  members  of  the 
chapter,  the  Royal  Arch  degree  being  conferred 
upon  all  of  them  at  one  time — an  unprecedented 
occurrence  in  the  county.  Mr.  Smith  likewise 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  Pike  County  Mu- 
tual Life  Association.  He  has  a  wide  and  fa- 
vorable acquaintance  in  the  county  where  his  en- 
tire life  has  been  passed  and  his  citizenship  has 
been  of  a  character  that  has  commanded  uniform 
admiration  and  led  to  good  results. 


CALEB  T.  BROWNING. 

Caleb  T.  Browning,  who  after  many  years  of 
active  and  successful  connection  with  farming 
interests  in  Pike  county,  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Perry,  was  born  in  Pendleton  county. 
Kentucky.  June  23,  1827.  His  parents,  Caleb  and 
Penelope  (Powers)  Browning,  were  also  natives 
of  the  same  state,  the  former  born  October  19, 
1800,  and  the  latter  January  5,  1805.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1833,  the  father  left  Augusta,  Kentucky,  with 
his  family  and  journeyed  to  Illinois  by  way  of 


564 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


the  river  route,  arriving  at  Naples  in  the  month 
of  December.  There  was  only  one  house  in  Perry 
at  that  time  and  all  of  Pike  county  was  but  par- 
tially improved,  only  here  and  there  a  cabin  in- 
dicating the  advance  of  civilization.  Mr.  Brown- 
ing entered  eighty  acres  of  timber  land  and  eighty 
acres  of  prairie  land  and  built  thereon  a  log  cabin 
nineteen  feet  square.  He  split  the  clapboards  him- 
self and  made  the  floor  of  oak  timber.  He  cleared 
the  first  season  a  tract  sufficient  to  raise  thereon  a 
crop  of  corn,  gathering  enough  for  his  own  use 
and  also  some  to  sell.  In  the  spring  of  1837  he  re- 
moved to  his  prairie  land  whereon  he  had  built 
a  house,  living  there  until  1845.  He  then  burned 
brick,  from  which  he  erected  a  fine  residence, 
continuing  to  make  it  his  home  until  1850,  when 
he  removed  to  Kansas.  He  owned  at  one  time 
about  four  hundred  acres  of  Illinois  land.  Fol- 
lowing his  arrival  in  the  Sunflower  state  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  improved  and  on  which  he  spent  his 
remaining  days.  In  1839  ne  was  chosen  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Pike  county  and  filled  the  office 
until  the  spring  of  1843.  ^n  early  life  ne  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church  but  afterward 
united  with  the  Christian  church.  His  political 
support  was  given  to  the  whig  party.  He  passed 
away  in  Rice  county,  Kansas,  August  25,  1880, 
while  his  wife  died  January  25,  1841.  Their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  near  Germantown,  Kentucky, 
October  6,  1825,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living, 
namely :  Caleb  T. ;  J.  M.,  who  married  Mrs. 
Gardner;  William  P.;  Sarah;  and  Abigail,  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Horton. 

Xo  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary 
the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Caleb  T.  Browning 
in  his  boyhood  days.  He  pursued  his  education 
in  Perry  and  worked  in  his  father's  fields'  from 
the  time  of  early  spring  planting  until  crops  were 
harvested  in  the  autumn.  In  1848,  when  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account  upon  a  tract  of  forty  acres,  which  his 
father  gave  to  him.  He  cultivated  that  place 
until  1854,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  the 
old  homestead  of  ninety  acres,  on  which  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  1881,  when  he  purchased 
the  Peter  Brower  farm,  continuing  its  improve- 


ment and  development  until  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1904,  when  he  left  his  farm  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  the  village  of  Perry.  Mr.  Browning 
still  owns  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
acres  in  Perry  township. 

Mr.  Browning  has  been  married  twice.  On 
the  roth  of  February,  1853,  he  wedded  Mary  Ann 
Carpenter,  who  was  born  February  6,  1837,  and 
died  May  27,  1872.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Teilman  and  Elizabeth  (Cooper)  Carpenter,  the 
former  born  in  1805  and  the  latter  in  1818.  Mr. 
Carpenter  was  a  pioneer  settler  of  Pike  county, 
coming  to  this  state  from  Tennessee,  while  his 
wife  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They  arrived 
here  prior  to  the  advent  of  the  Browning  family 
in  this  part  of  the  state  and  Mr.  Carpenter  died 
in  1841,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1886. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Browning  were  born  nine 
children,  of  whom  five  are  yet  living :  Fannie, 
who  was  born  October  9,  1857,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Riley;  Frank,  who  was  born  March  27, 
1860,  and  was  married  in  1886  to  Edith  Bolton; 
Lula,  who  was  born  May  31,  1862,  and  is  the 
wife  of  C.  M.  Bradbury;  Harvey  who  was  born 
December  7,  1865,  and  married  Ellen  Lacksheide; 
and  Allie,  who  was  born  March  9,  1864,  and 
married  Melissa  Herring.  After  losing  his  first 
wife  Mr.  Browning  was  again  married,  the 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Gillie  LaRue, 
whom  he  wedded  April  i,  1874.  She  was  born 
February  24,  1844,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
R.  and  Margaret  (Williams)  LaRue.  They 
were  married  in  Missouri,  where  they  lived  for 
a  number  of  years  and  then  came  to  Perry,  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  where  the  father  was  a  black- 
smith and  conducted  a  shop,  spending  his  re- 
maining days  in  Perry.  At  one  time  Mrs.  Gillie 
Browning  was  a  school  teacher.  Her  death  oc- 
curred March  14,  1905,  when  she  had  reached  the 
age  of  sixty-one  years.  By  the  second  marriage 
there  were  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet 
living :  Edna,  Maggie,  May  and  Maud.  Of  these 
Maggie  is  now  the  wife  of  Ralph  Walker  and 
has  two  sons.  One  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown- 
ing died  in  infancy,  while  Roy  died  December 
10,  1903. 

Mr.  Browning  belongs  to  the  Christian  church 
and  in  politics  is  independent,  voting  for  men  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


565 


measures  rather  than  party.  He  has  now  reached 
the  seventy-eighth  milestone  on  life's  journey 
and  for  long  years  has  been  a  resident  of  Pike 
county,  few  of  its  settlers  antedating  his  arrival 
here.  He  is  therefore  familiar  with  its  history, 
his  mind  bearing  the  impress  of  the  early  historic 
annals  of  the  county.  He  has  borne  the  usual 
hardships  of  pioneer  life,  has  undergone  the 
vicissitudes  that  are  typical  of  frontier  settle- 
ment, and  as  the  years  have  passed  has  won  pros- 
perity through  well  directed  effort  and  now  is 
enabled  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest  in  honorable 
retirement  from  further  labor. 


WILLIAM  THIELE. 

William  Thiele,  extensively  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  Poland  China  hogs  and  Shropshire 
sheep,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Perry,  April 
4,  1853,  and  is  of  German  descent,  his  parents, 
William 'and  Katharine  (Wetzel)  Thiele.  having 
been  born  in  Germany,  in  which  country  they 
were  reared  and  married.  The  father's  birth 
occurred  October  25,  1822 ;  and,  believing  that  he 
might  better  his  financial  condition  in  the  new  world 
he  made  arrangements  for  leaving  his  native 
country  in  1849,  sailing  from  Bremen,  Germany, 
to  New  Orleans  on  a  sailing  vessel,  which  re- 
quired thirteen  weeks  to  make  the  trip.  He  af- 
terward proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  river  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  months, 
and  then  crossed  the  river  to  Quincy,  Illinois. 
He  came  to  the  village  of  Perry  in  1852,  and  hav- 
ing learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  in  early  life. 
he  there  followed  that  pursuit  during  the  early 
period  of  his  residence  in  Pike  county.  In  1858, 
however,  he  located  on  a  farm  south  of  Perry, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  giving  his 
attention  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  to  stock- 
raising.  He  never  cared  for  public  office,  but 
kept  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day,  and  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
republican  party.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Baptist  church,  while  his  wife  was  a  member  of 
the  German  Lutheran  church.  He  took  a  very 
active  part  in  church  work  and  contributed  gen- 


erously  to  its  support.  He  was  one  of  the  mem- 
bers who  built  the  present  house  of  worship  in 
Perry  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars;  and  he 
did  everything  in  his  power  to  promote  the  va- 
rious church  activities.  He  passed  away  April  10, 
1903,  while  his  wife  departed  this  life  August 
4,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  two 
months  and  twenty-six  days.  In  their  family 
were  eight  children,  of  whom  three  yet  survive, 
namely:  William;  Amelia,  the  wife  of  FranV: 
Vose,  of  Perry  township ;  and  Mary  E.,  the  wife 
of  Herman  Reese,  of  Perry  township. 

In  his  boyhood  days  William  Thiele  of  this  re- 
view attended  school  and  assisted  his  father  upon 
the  home  farm.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  entered  upon  an  independent  business  career 
by  working  as  a  farm  hand  and  later  renting  part 
of  his  father's  farm.  In  the  fall  of  1878  with  the 
capital  that  he  had  acquired  from  his  own  earn- 
ings, and  with  his  father's  help,  he  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  land.  There  was  a  small 
house  upon  his  place,  which  he  occupied  until 
1890,  when  he  erected  his  present  commodious 
and  comfortable  residence.  He  feeds  between 
eighty  and  one  hundred  head  of  hogs  each  year, 
and  is  engaged  in  breeding  Poland  China  swine. 
He  also  breeds  Shropshire  sheep,  and  has  sixty 
head  at  the  present  time.  His  farm  comprises 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  and  produc- 
tive land,  and  the  place  is  well  improved. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1874,  Mr.  Thiele  was 
married  to  Miss  Loretta  Beavers,  who  died  April 
24,  1878.  She  was  born  in  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  February,  1852,  and  by  her  marriage  be- 
came the  mother  of  two  children,  but  both  are 
now  deceased.  On  the  8th  of  March,  1880,  Mr. 
Thiele  wedded  Clara  Wendling,  who  was  born 
February  17,  1859,  in  Perry  township.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  nine  are  yet  living :  Edward ;  Orilla,  the 
wife  of  Percy  Chenoweth,  of  Perry ;  Leona ;  Wil- 
liam R. ;  Charles  F. ;  Herman  J. ;  Oliver  W. ;  Frede- 
rick L. ;  and  James  L.  A  daughter  of  the  first 
marriage.  Lillie,  was  born  September  21,  1875. 
became  the  wife  of  Fenton  Robinson  and  died 
May  15,  1898,  leaving  an  infant  daughter.  She 
possessed  many  sterling  traits  of  character,  and 
won  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  she 


566 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


came  in  contact,  so  that  her  death  was  deeply  de- 
plored not  only  by  her  immediate  family,  but  by 
many  friends.  The  parents  of  the  present  Mrs. 
Thiele  were  Michael  and  Sophia  (Thiele)  Wend- 
ling,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany, 
whence  they  came  to  America  at  an  early  day. 
The  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  lived  in 
Perry  for  about  two  years,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  subsequently  to  the 
vicinity  of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  where  he.  followed 
coopering.  In  his  family  were  eight  children,  all 
of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Thiele, 
Julia,  Mary,  Delia,  Victor,  Amiel,  Paulina  and 
Oral. 

Mr.  Thiele  is  a  stalwart  republican,  and  has 
served  for  one  term  as  assessor  while  for  the  past 
fifteen  years  he  has  been  school  director,  the  cause 
of  education  finding  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart 
friend.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  also 
to  the  Anti-Horse  Thief  Association,  and  in  the 
last  named  he  has  held  all  of  the  offices.  He  is  re- 
garded as  a  wide-awake,  alert  and  enterprising 
man,  watchful  of  oportunities,  and  ready  in  his 
recognition  of  all  indications  pointing  to  success. 
Moreover,  he  is  thoroughly  honest  in  his  dealings, 
and  his  good  name  and  prosperity  are  equally 
creditable. 


THOMAS  B.  GRAY. 

Thomas  B.  Gray,  who  since  1863  has  resided 
upon  his  present  farm  in  New  Salem  township, 
is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  valuable  land,  which  is  the  visible  evidence 
of  a  life  of  well  directed  effort  and  thrift.  He  is 
a  native  of  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  July  13,  1837.  His  parents  were 
Thomas  and  Catherine  (Bennett)  Gray,  who 
came  to  Pike  county  in  1846.  The  father  was 
born  in  Ohio  in  1812,  and  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Maine  in  1798.  The  paternal  grand- 
father was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  both  he  and 
his  son,  Thomas  Gray,  Sr.,  now  rest  in  New 
Salem  cemetery.  On  coming  to  Pike  county, 
Thomas  Gray  settled  in  New  Salem  township 
after  a  three  months'  residence  in  Griggsville. 


He  purchased  land  from  the  government;  and 
his  son  Thomas  still  has  the  patent  to  that  land, 
signed  by  Martin  Van  Buren,  then  president  of 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Gray  owned  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  and  was  extensively  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  also  conducted  a  black- 
smith shop  upon  his  place.  He  improved  his 
land,  made  additions  to  the  house  and  developed 
an  excellent  farm  not  far  from  the  present  home 
of  Thomas  B.  Gray.  His  attention  was  largely 
given  to  the  cultivation  of  wheat;  and  he  also 
raised  hogs.  He  was  practical  in  his  methods, 
systematic  in  his  work  and  therefore  successful 
in  his  accomplishment.  In  community  affairs  he 
was  deeply  interested,  and  did  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  public  progress  and  improvement.  He 
served  as  county  treasurer  about  1870;  and  his 
influence  was  ever  given  on  the  side  of  progress, 
reform  and  general  advancement.  In  his  family 
were  five  children :  Thomas  B.,  of  this  review ; 
Marion,  who  is  living  in  California:  Ann,  de- 
ceased ;  Theodore,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield ;  and 
Alabama,  who  has  also  departed  this  life. 

Thomas  B.  Gray  was  a  youth  of  about  nine 
years  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
and  in  the  common  schools  of  Pike  county  he  ac- 
quired his  education.  He  was  reared  to  farm  la- 
bor, early  becoming  familiar  with  the  work  of 
field  and  meadow,  as  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm.  He  purchased  a 
part  of  his  present  property  in  1862,  and  has  since 
lived  thereon,  developing  a  splendid  farm,  the 
boundaries  of  which  he  has  extended  until  he  now 
owns  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  New  Salem  township.  He  erected  a  two- 
story  residence,  constituting  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  attractive  homes  in  the  township.  In 
the  rear  of  this  are  good  barns  and  outbuildings, 
and  these  in  turn  are  surrounded  by  well  tilled 
fields.  His  farm  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  is  well  improved.  He  raises  sheep,  hogs 
and  mules,  and  is  well  known  as  a  stock  dealer. 
He  also  gives  personal  supervision  to  the  opera- 
tion of  his  farm,  and  annually  sells  good  crops, 
which  add  materially  to  his  bank  account. 

In  1863  Mr.  Gray  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Martha  A.  Tedrow,  who  was  born  July  10, 
1844,  in  New  Salem  township,  not  far  from  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


567 


birthplace  of  her  husband.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Asa  and  Sarah  (Davis)  Tedrow.  Her  father 
came  to  Pike  county  in  1836,  thus  casting  in  his  lot 
with  its  pioneer  residents ;  and  he,  too,  gave  his 
time  and  energies  to  farming.  In  his  family  were 
five  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living, 
namely:  Mrs.  Gray;  Samuel,  who  resides  in 
New  Salem  township ;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Bradbury, 
who  is  living  in  Pike  county,  Missouri.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gray  have  a  family  of  eight  children :  Al- 
fred R.,  who  married  Sarah  Shaffner  and  is  liv- 
ing in  New  Salem  township ;  Iva  E.,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Laird,  also  a  resident  of  New  Salem 
township;  Edgar  F.,  of  California;  Ora  M.,  the 
wife  of  Charles  Bennett,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Griggsville  township;  Ralph  B.,  who  married 
Mabel  Wood  and  lives  upon  the  home  farm ;  Ev- 
erett E.,  who  is  now  in  California;  C.  May  at 
home ;  and  Vera  Pearl,  who  is  also  under  the  pa- 
rental roof.  The  children  have  been  afforded  good 
educational  privileges,  and  are  thus  well  quali- 
fied for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  Al- 
fred attended  business  college  in  Jacksonville, 
Illinois.  Ralph  was  a  student  in  Whipple  Acad- 
emy at  Jacksonville.  Everett  learned  the  jew- 
eler's trade  in  Peoria,  and  May  was  for  two  years 
a  student  in  the  Woman's  College  at  Jacksonville. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  and  their  family  are  de- 
voted members  of  the  Methodist  church,  to  which 
he  is  a  liberal  contributor;  and  he  gives  his  po- 
litical support  to  the  prohibition  party,  but  was 
formerly  a  democrat.  He  has  served  as  school 
director,  assessor  and  collector;  and  is  interested 
in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  improve- 
ment of  his  community.  He  is  also  devoted  to 
the  welfare  of  his  family,  and  his  efforts  in  their 
behalf  have  been  far-reaching  and  beneficial.  It 
is  no  unusual  thing  in  this  country  for  a  man  to 
work  his  way  upward  from  a  humble  position  to 
one  of  affluence,  but  each  one  who  does  this  de- 
serves commendation ;  for  it  shows  his  strength 
of  character,  his  earnest  purpose  and  unremitting 
diligence.  Realizing  that  those  qualities  consti- 
tute the  basis  of  financial  advancement,  Mr.  Gray 
directed  his  efforts  along  those  lines,  and  found 
that  they  were  substantial  elements  for  the  build- 
ing of  prosperity.  In  the  community  where  he 
resides  he  is  popular;  and  he  has  a  wide  and  fa- 


vorable acquaintance  throughout  the  county. 
Moreover,  he  is  numbered  among  its  pioneer 
settlers,  having  through  sixty  years  resided  within 
its  borders.  This  has  covered  almost  the  entire 
period  of  its  development  and  progress ;  and  the 
changes  which  have  been  wrought  have  trans- 
formed it  from  a  wild  frontier  region  into  a 
thickly  settled  district,  giving  every  evidence  of 
progress  and  prosperity.  His  memory  goes  back 
to  the  time  when  much  of  the  farm  labor  was  done 
by  hand,  when  travel  was  by  private  conveyance 
or  by  stage  and  when  few  of  the  comforts  and 
luxuries  now  common  were  to  be  enjoyed.  His 
father  broke  his  land  with  nine  yoke  of  oxen ; 
and  hauled  his  grain  to  Hannibal,  which  city,  in 
those  early  days,  was  the  nearest  market.  His 
mind  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  primi- 
tive past  and  the  progressive  present ;  and  no  man 
rejoices  more  sincerely  in  what  has  been  accom- 
plished, as  the  years  have  gone  by,  than  does 
Thomas  B.  Gray. 


SYLVESTER  S.  GAINES. 

Sylvester  S.  Gaines  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  in  the 
midst  of  which  stands  a  fine  home.  This  place  is 
located  on  sections  18  and  19,  Barry  township, 
and  its  well  improved  appearance  indicates  his 
careful  supervision.  He  was  born  in  Kinder- 
hook  township,  July  25,  1860,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  and  in  a  business  college  at 
Hannibal,  Missouri.  His  parents  were  Samuel  B. 
and  Mary  A.  (Fitzpatrick)  Gaines.  The  fa- 
ther is  the  owner  of  a  large  farm  in  Kinderhook 
township.  He  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  New 
York,  April  19,  1821,  and  was  a  son  of  Ebene- 
zer  Gaines,  a  pioneer  of  that  district,  who  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  in  which  state  he  was  reared. 
He  wedded  Ann  Blakesley,  also  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut. They  were  married  in  Hartford  county, 
and  afterward  removed  to  New  York,  where  Ebe- 
nezer  Gaines  followed  farming  until  his  death, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years.  In  his  family  were 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Of 
this  number  Samuel  B.  Gaines  was  the  fourth 


568 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


child  and  third  son.  He  remained  in  the  Empire 
state  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  went 
to  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  the  clock  business 
for  a  time.  Subsequently  he  continued  in  the 
same  line  in  Tennessee  for  eighteen  months.  After 
his  return  to  Ohio,  he  was  married  in  June,  1844, 
to  Miss  Margaret  M.  Twaddle,  a  native  of  Huron 
county,  Ohio.  They  came  to  Pike  county  soon 
afterward;  and  Mrs.  Gaines  died  here  March  6, 
1849.  Mr.  Gaines  afterward  wedded  Mary  Fitz- 
patrick,  who  was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
February  8,  1831,  and  in  1838  came  to  Pike 
county  with  her  parents,  Thomas  and  Lydia  Fitz- 
patrick,  who  were  pioneer  settlers  of  Kinder- 
hook  township.  In  their  family  were  ten  chil- 
dren. Mrs.  Gaines  was  reared  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  the  pioneer  times ;  and  her  education  was 
acquired  in  a  log  schoolhouse. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  B.  Gaines  had  two  sons 
and  four  daughters,  namely :  E.  N.  Gaines,  of 
Kinderhook,  Illinois;  Minnie  Jeffries,  of  Monroe 
City,  Missouri ;  Mrs.  A.  J.  Ligett,  of  Barry,  Illi- 
nois; Mrs.  J.  W.  Clutch,  Kinderhook,  Illinois; 
Miss  Lydia  A.  Gaines,  Kinderhook,  Illinois. 

It  was  in  1846  that  Samuel  Gaines  arrived  in 
Illinois;  and  the  following  year  he  was  joined 
by  his  wife,  their  home  being  established  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Kinderhook  township,  on  a  tract  of  land 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  There  he  re- 
sided until  1860,  when  he  turned  his  attention 
to  merchandising  in  the  village  of  Kinderhook, 
at  the  same  time  carrying  on  his  farming  pursuits. 
As  his  financial  resources  increased  he  made  ex- 
tensive investments  in  land ;  and  at  one  time  had 
six  hundred  acres,  but  has  since  disposed  of  much 
of  this  at  a  good  price,  still  retaining,  however, 
three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  a  half  acres. 
He  likewise  handled  grain ;  and  this  proved  a 
good  business  undertaking.  His  farm  is  well 
equipped  with  all  modern  accessories  and  con- 
veniences ;  and  he  has  an  attractive  home  in  Kin- 
derhook, beside  four  other  dwellings  and  a  sub- 
stantial store  building.  His  life  has  been  one  of 
untiring  industry  and  enterprise,  and  though  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  he  is  now  one 
of  the  substantial  residents  of  the  county.  In 
all  of  his  business  dealings  he  has  been  straight- 
forward and  honorable,  and  in  public  life  has 


manifested  the  utmost  loyalty  to  the  trust  reposed 
in  him.  He  has  been  called  to  various  township 
offices,  and  has  been  for  many  years  postmaster 
of  Kinderhook.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, votes  with  the  republican  party  and  is 
one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Baptist  church, 
in  which  he  has  long  held  office. 

Sylvester  S.  Gaines  was  reared  under  the  pa- 
ternal roof,  attended  the  public  schools,  and  early 
became  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that 
fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  On  the  28th 
of  December,  1883,  he  married  Miss  Frances 
Grubb,  a  daughter  of  LaFayette  and  Temperance 
(Coleman)  Grubb.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky in  1818,  and  died  in  June,  1893,  while  his 
wife,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1818,  passed 
away  in  May,  1892.  He  was  a  son  of  the  Hon. 
Alfred  Grubb,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Pike 
county.  LaFayette  Grubb  came  to-  this  county 
with  his  parents  when  a  young  lad,  and  later  re- 
moved to  Peru,  LaSalle  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
married  and  followed  his  trade  as  a  plasterer  and 
stone  mason.  At  one  time  he  was  the  owner  of 
a  half  block  in  the  city  of  Peru.  Unto  him  and 
his  wife  were  born  four  daughters :  Isabelle,  the 
wife  of  William  Morrow,  a  resident  of  Peru,  Illi- 
nois ;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Wilson  J.  Morrow,  also 
of  that  city;  Angeline,  the  wife  of  Leonard 
Frink,  of  Peru ;  and  Mrs.  Gaines,  who  was  born 
October  26,  1858. 

After  Mr.  Gaines  had  completed  his  education, 
he  worked  for  his  father,  clerking  in  a  store.  In 
1 88 1  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  and  car- 
ried on  farming  on  the  old  homestead.  Subse- 
quent to  his  marriage,  he  added  to  his  landed  pos- 
sessions until  at  the  present  time  he  owns  two 
hundred  and  forty-five  acres,  which  he  is  cultivat- 
ing. He  has  his  fields  well  tilled ;  and  he  annually 
harvests  good  crops.  He  has  built  a  fine  resi- 
dence, in  the  rear  of  which  stand  good  barns  and 
other  outbuildings ;  and  the  farm  is  pleasantly  lo- 
cated three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  Kinderhook. 
He  is  a  breeder  of  Belgian  draft  horses,  and  also 
the  Bashaw  stock  of  fine  drivers,  Shropshire 
sheep  and  Poland  China  hogs.  He  is  like- 
wise a  buyer  and  feeder  of  cattle  and  as  a  stock- 
man has  become  well  known.  He  also  has  a  large 
commercial  orchard  in  section  18. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaines  has  been  born  one 
daughter,  Irma  A.,  born  October  6,  1891.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Gaines  is  a  republican. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  at  Kinderhook,  and  he  belongs  to 
Kinderhook  lodge,  No.  757,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
in  which  he  has  acted  as  noble  grand, 
while  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  Chrysanthemum  lodge,  No.  133,  of  the  Re- 
bekah  degree.  He  has  acted  as  road  commissioner, 
but  otherwise  has  held  no  office,  preferring  to 
devote  his  time  and  energies  to  his  business  affairs, 
and  is  a  well  known  farmer  of  the  community 
who  has  worked  diligently  and  persistently  as 
the  years  have  gone  by  until  success  crowned 
his  efforts  and  he  is  the  owner  of  a  good  and 
productive  property. 


WILLIAM  L.  OAKLEY. 

William  L.  Oakley,  living  in  Pleasant  Hill, 
was  for  years  a  prosperous  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  but  is  now  living  retired.  He  has  lived 
in  this  county  since  1867,  having  arrived  here 
when  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Meigs  county,  Ohio,  on  the  23d  of 
September,  1839,  his  parents  being  Bennett  and 
Phebe  (Humphry)  Oakley,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  state  of  New  York,  where  they 
were  reared  and  married.  Removing  westward 
to  Ohio,  they  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Meigs 
county.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Daniel  Oakley, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Bennett 
Oakley  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
and  also  owned  and  operated  a  sawmill,  being 
thus  connected  with  industrial  as  well  as  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  his  home  locality.  He  developed 
a  good  farm  in  Meigs  county,  reared  his  family 
thereon  and  gave  his  attention  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil  for  a  long  period.  He  reached  the  very 
advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years  and  his  wife 
survived  him  for  ten  years,  being  about  the  same 
age  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  In  their  family 
were  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  reached  adult 
age,  but  only  five  are  now  living,  namely :  Mrs. 
Mary  Armstrong,  of  Kansas;  Mrs.  Abigail 


Anderson,   also   of    Kansas;  Lucian    and    Orion, 
both  of  Missouri. 

William  L.  Oakley  of  this  review  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  upon  the  old  home  farm  in 
Meigs  county,  Ohio.  His  educational  privileges 
were  quite  limited,  but  his  training  at  farm  labor 
was  not  meager  and  he  continued  to  assist  in  the 
work  of  the  fields  until  after  the  inauguration  of 
the  Civil  war,  when  in  August,  1862,  he  res- 
ponded to  his  country's  call  for  aid,  enlisting  in 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry.  A  large  part  of  this  com- 
pany was  made  up  in  the  schoolroom  and  the 
teacher,  Edwin  Keyes,  was  elected  captain.  Mr. 
Oakley  participated  in  the  battle  of  Morefield 
and  was  afterward  on  detached  duty.  Becoming 
ill  with  measles  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Cumberland,  Maryland,  and  later  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  May,  1863,  on  account  of 
physical  disability. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
cuperated, Mr.  Oakley  was  then  married  in  No- 
vember, 1864,  to  Miss  Sarah  Griffin,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Athens  county, 
Ohio.  Her  father,  Daniel  Griffin,  was  also  a 
native  of  that  county  and  was  married  there  to 
Rhoda  Fleak,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Buckeye 
state.  Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Oakley  re- 
sided in  Ohio  for  two  years  and  in  1867  came 
to  Illinois,  settling  in  Pike  county,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  a  rented  farm  for 
several  years.  During  that  time  he  carefully 
saved  his  earnings  and  then  purchased  seventy 
acres  of  land,  after  which  he  began  the  improve- 
ment of  this  property  which  he  transformed  into 
a  highly  cultivated  tract.  He  has  built  upon  this 
a  good  house,  has  fenced  the  place,  has  planted 
an  orchard  and  in  connection  with  the  tilling  of 
the  soil  he  raised  and  fed  stock.  In  1891,  how- 
ever, he  sold  the  farm  and  removed  to  Pleasant 
Hill,  where  he  purchased  a  lot  and  erected  a  neat 
substantial  residence,  which  he  now  occupies. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs  Oakley  have  been  born  three 
children :  Charles,  who  was  postmaster  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill  about  thirteen  years  resigning  on  account 
of  poor  health  and  is  now  living  in  the  state  of 
Washington ;  Lucian  E.,  who  is  married  to  Archie 
R.  Taylor,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  follows 


57° 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY 


furniture  and  undertaking  business  in  Pleasant 
Hill ;  and  Clarence,  who  was  married  to  Winona 
Harvey,  of  Nebo,  Illinois,  and  holds  a  position 
in  the  Pleasant  Hill  post  office.  They  have  one 
son,  Everett  E.  The  family  have  long  occupied 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles  in  this  com- 
munity. 

Politically  Mr.  Oakley  is  a  republican  and  his 
sons  have  followed  in  his  footsteps  in  this  direct- 
ion. He  has  been  without  aspiration  for  office, 
however,  preferring  that  his  time  and  energies 
should  be  given  to  other  interests.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Pleasant  Hill  and  he  holds  relations 
with  the  Knights  of  Honor,  the  Modern  Wood- 
men and  the  .Grand  Army  post  at  Pleasant  Hill. 
He  is  one  of  the  few  surviving  veterans  of  the 
Civil  war  and  he  takes  great  pleasure  in  meeting 
with  his  old  army  comrades  around  the  camp 
fires  held  by  the  post  in  this  village.  In  a  review 
of  his  life  work  it  is  seen  that  his  chief  character- 
istics have  been  commendable  and  that  in  his 
relations  with  his  fellowmen  he  has  never  been 
neglectful  of  the  duties  nor  obligations  which 
devolve  upon  him.  He  has  taken  life  seriously, 
has  performed  his  full  share  of  the  world's  work 
and  as  a  citizen  and  business  man  has  made  a 
creditable  record.  Now  in  the  evening  of  life 
he  is  enabled  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest  amid 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  which  go  to  make  life 
worth  living. 


GEORGE  E.   GRAY. 

George  E.  Gray,  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
progressive  young  business  men  of  New  Canton, 
owns  and  controls  a  good  lumberyard  and  at  the 
same  time  has  valuable  farming  interests  in  the 
county.  He  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois.  Janu- 
ary 10,  1 88 1.  and  is  the  adopted  son  of  Eugene 
and  Lydia  Gray,  natives  of  this  county.  Eugene 
Gray  was  born  in  Barry  in  September,  1839,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  his  death  was  the 
oldest  native  citizen  of  the  town.  He  was  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  early  New  England  fam- 
ilies, tracing  his  ancestry  back  to  John  Gray,  who 
was  born  in  Salem,  Connecticut,  in  1/04,  and  who 


was  the  father  of  Daniel  Gray,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  the  same  state  in  1757.  The  latter  became 
a  resident  of  Rensselaer  county,  New  York,  where 
Thomas  Gray,  father  of  Eugene  Gray,  was  born 
in  1812,  being  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  thirteen 
children.  In  that  county  he  was  married  to  Mary 
F.  Crandall,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  same  lo- 
cality in  1820,  and  for  more  than  a  half  century 
they  traveled  life's  journey  together,  rearing  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  seven  daughters.  On 
leaving  New  York  Thomas  Gray  came  at  once 
to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  traveling  by  canal,  lake 
and  river  after  the  primitive  manner  of  those  early 
times.  He  began  business  in  Barry  as  a  general 
farmer,  and  for  many  years  was  actively  associ- 
ated with  the  agricultural  development  of  this 
part  of  the  state. 

Eugene  Gray  was  reared  in  Barry  and  in  early 
life  began  teaching  but  subsequently  turned  his 
attention  to  clerking  and  to  various  other  business 
pursuits,  but  when  his  capital  justified  his  pur- 
chase of  a  store  he  began  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count in  Barry,  thus  continuing  a  representative 
of  trade  interests  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war,  when  his  patriotic  spirit  was  aroused 
and  he  offered  his  services  to  the  government,  be- 
coming one  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  the  Sixty- 
eighth  Illinois  Infantry  in  1862.  He  was  after- 
ward a  member  of  the  Twenty-Eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry and  he  continued  at  the  front  until  April, 
1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Brownsville, 
Texas,  being  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield. 
He  participated  in  a  number  of  engagements  and 
sieges,  the  last  being  that  of  Mobile  and  he  was 
ever  a  faithful  soldier,  unfaltering  in  his  loyalty 
to  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  aid 
Mr.  Gray  returned  to  his  home  and  resumed  the 
pursuits  of  agricultural  life  and  until  1867  busied 
himself  as  a  teacher  and  clerk.  He  next  entered 
into  partnership  with  W.  H.  Odiorne  and  at  the 
end  of  a  year  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  M.  D.  Massie  but 
remained  in  the  store  as  a  clerk.  A  year  later  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Massie  and 
they  continued  the  business  together  with  grati- 
fying success  until  1883,  when  Mr.  Gray  sold  out 
with  the  intention  of  going  west  but  he  did  not 
find  a  favorable  location  and  returned  to  New 


EUGENE  GRAY 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY 


Canton,  again  becoming  a  merchant  of  the  town. 
He  prospered  as  a  representative  of  commercial 
interests  and  in  other  business  lines  as  well.  He 
sold  railroad  ties  for  a  number  of  years,  employ- 
ing on  an  average  of  thirty  men  in  getting  out 
these  ties  and  he  had  full  control  of  the  trade 
for  the  Quincy  &  Louisiana  branch  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad. 

Tn  1860  Mr.  Gray  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  continued  a  stanch 
republican,  serving  twice  as  a  delegate  to  the 
state  conventions,  while  his  opinions  carried 
weight  and  influence  in  the  local  councils  of  his 
party.  He  filled  the  office  of  supervisor  and 
treasurer  of  Pleasant  Vale  township  and  was  also 
postmaster  of  New  Canton.  Socially  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Barry. 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
•Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of  all  these  was 
an  exemplary  and  valued  representative.  His  wife 
held  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  On  the  8th  of  January,  1878.  Mr.  Gray 
was  married  to  Lydia  R.  Ware,  who  was  born 
in  Barry,  February  28,  1847,  and  acquired  her 
education  in  the  public  schools  here,  her  parents 
being  Isaac  and  Mary  Ware,  who  in  1839  became 
residents  of  this  locality.  Mr.  Ware  was  born 
in  New  Jersey  but  was  reared  in  Philadelphia. 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  and  his  death  occurred  in  Barry  in  1876. 
His  wife,  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  spent 
her  girlhood  days  in  that  city  and  in  Philadel- 
phia. Mrs.  Gray  was  the  tenth  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  eleven  children.  She  had  no  chil- 
dren of  her  own  but  reared  an  adopted  daughter 
and  son,  Jennie  and  George  E.  Gray.  The  latter 
was  but  eight  months  old  when  brought  by  his 
foster  parents  to  Pike  county  and  here  he  was 
reared  and  in  their  home  received  every  care  and 
attention  that  would  have  been  bestowed  upon  an 
own  child,  his  warmest  affection  therefore  being 
aroused  for  his  foster  parents.  As  he  grew  in 
age  and  knowledge  he  became  associated  with 
Mr.  Gray  in  his  business  enterprises  and  is  his 
successor  in  different  lines  of  trade  here.  He  is 
now  the  proprietor  of  a  large  and  well  equipped 
lumberyard  and  receives  in  this  line  a  good  pat- 
ronage, while  at  the  same  time  he  gives  careful 


supervision  to  his  farming  interests,  which  are 
represented  by  many  acres,  constituting  a  splen- 
did farm  which  is  well  improved.  Both  branches 
of  his  business  are  returning  him  a  gratifying 
income  and  he  is  justly  accounted  one  of  the 
active  and  enterprising  men  of  New  Canton. 

On  the  I5th  of  April,  1902,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Maude  E.  Myers,  a  daughter  of  William 
Myers,  Jr.,  one  of  the  practical  and  prosperous 
farmers  of  Barry  township.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Mary  (Wike)  Myers  and  his  grand- 
father and  great-grandfather  both  bore  the  name 
of  Jacob  Myers.  The  last  mentioned  was  supposed 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Lancaster  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, whence  he  removed  to  Cumberland 
county,  where  he  developed  a  farm  and  carried  on 
blacksmithing.  He  was  married  to  Margaret 
Marat  and  thej^son,  Jacob  Myers,  was  born  in 
Cufnberjand  county  in  1795.  Ultimately  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  Jhe  old  farm  homestead  there, 
upon  which  he  resided  'until  1848,  when  he  came 
to  Pike  county,  where  his  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  married  Lydia 
Lyne,  a  daughter  of  William  Lyne,  a  native  of 
Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  her 
death  occurred. 

William  Myers,  Sr.,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Gray, 
was  born  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania, 
July  15,  1819,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1848,  living 
in  New  Salem  township  for  five  years  and  then 
removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  William  Myers, 
Jr.,  now  resides.  He  was  married  in  1844  to 
Miss  Mary  Wike,  a  native  of  Cumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Mary  Wike.  Thus  the  Myers  family  became 
identified  with  the  history  of  the  county  in  early 
pioneer  times.  William  Myers,  Jr.,  has  always 
devoted  his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, living  coninuously  in  Pike  county  with  the 
exception  of  one  year  spent  in  the  stock  business 
in  Texas.  He  has  good  fanning  interests  in 
Barry  and  Pleasant  Yale  townships  and  is  one  of 
the  representative  agriculturists  of  the  locality. 
In  1880  he  married  Pauline  Bright  who  was  born 
in  Pike  county,  October  2,  1858,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Rosella  (Osburg)  Bright.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Myers  became  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, the  second  daughter  being  Maude,  now  the 


574 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


wife  of  George  Gray,  bf  New  Canton.  They  now 
have  an  interesting  little  son,  William  Elliott. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  have  many  warm 
friends  in  this  locality  and  their  attractive  home 
is  justly  celebrated  for  its  warm-hearted  and 
gracious  hospitality. 


DELBERT  S.   KENNEDY. 

Delbert  S.  Kennedy,  a  native  son  of  Pike 
county,  was  born  on  the  2d  of  August,  1865,  a°d 
is  a  son  of  John  Kennedy,  for  many  years  a 
representative  and  well  known  citizen  of  this 
part  of  the  state  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
pioneer  times.  He  was  born  in  Huntingdon 
county,  Pennsylvania,  October  15,  1802,  his  par- 
ents being  Gilbert  and  Jane  (Aptleby)  Kennedy, 
the  former  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  latter  of 
Pennsylvania.  When  only  seven  years  of  age 
Gilbert  Kennedy  was  brought  to  the  United 
States  by  his  parents,  who  located  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  was  reared.  Following  his  marriage 
he  lived  in  Huntingdon  county,  Pennsylvania, 
until  his  death,  which  occured  when  he  was  more 
than  ninety-five  years  of  age,  and  his  wife  trav- 
eled to  a  similar  extent  upon  the  journey  of  life. 
They  were  faithful  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

John  Kennedy  was  the  eldest  son  in  his 
father's  family  and  was  reared  to  farm  life.  He 
also  followed  teaming  in  early  manhood  and 
operated  a  stage  line  in  Illinois  for  some  years 
after  his  arrival  here  in  1836.  He  was  well 
known  in  different  parts  of  the  state  in  this  con- 
nection his  most  important  route,  however,  being 
between  Quincy  and  Naples.  Later  he  concen- 
trated his  energies  upon  the  improvement  of  a 
farm  in  Griggsville  township,  purchasing  a  tract 
of  land  on  which  the  work  of  cultivation  had 
scarcely  been  begun  when  it  came  into  his  pos- 
session. His  farm  comprised  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  he  devoted  his  time  and  energies 
to  its  improvement  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
October  3,  1883.  Mr.  Kennedy  was  married 
in  early  manhood  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Morrow, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Franklin  countv,  Penn- 


sylvania, February  16,  1822,  her  parents  being 
Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Stark)  Morrow,  who 
were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  were  of  Irish 
lineage.  They  removed  to  Franklin  county,  Ohio, 
when  young  people  and  were  married  there,  after 
which  they  located  upon  a  farm.  Mrs.  Morrow 
died  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years,  in 
the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  which 
she  was  a  devoted  member.  Following  her  death 
Mr.  Morrow  came  to  Illinois,  spending  his  last 
days  in  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Kennedy, 
and  passed  away  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years.  He  voted  with  the  democracy  and  was 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  His 
daughter,  Mrs.  Kennedy,  was  carefully  reared 
and  in  her  early  life  acquired  a  good 
education  which  qualified  her  for  teaching,  which 
profession  she  followed  for  several  years  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  also  subsequent  to  her  removal  to 
Pike  county,  which  occurred  when  she  was 
twenty-three  years  of  age.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kennedy  'were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church ;  and  he  voted  with  the  republican 
party.  They  became  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are :  Calvin  A.,  who  married  Miss  Ida  Ingalsbe 
and  resides  in  Missouri,  where  he  follows  farm- 
ing; James  M.,  who  wedded  Mary  Wheeler  and 
lives  in  New  Salem  township;  Nancy,  living  at 
home ;  Hardin  J.,  who  wedded  Mary  Belle 
Syphers  and  lives  in  Moscow,  Idaho;  Albert, 
who  married  Ella  Schaffner  and  resides  in  Mays- 
ville,  Pike  county :  Oliver,  who  wedded  Maggie 
Elliot  and  makes  his  home  in  Brown  county, 
Illinois ;  Stanton,  who  married  Orpha  Dunham 
and  his  living  in  Griggsville;  and  Delbert  S., 
of  this  review. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Pike  county  Delbert 
S.  Kennedy  acquired  his  education  and  upon  the 
home  farm  has  always  remained.  He  now  owns 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Kansas 
in  addition  to  a  valuable  tract  of  land  of  three 
hundred  and  ten  acres  in  Griggsville  township, 
to  which  he  gives  his  personal  supervision  and 
attention.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising  and  he  also  buys,  feeds  and  ships 
stock.  He  is  living  upon  the  home  place  with 
his  mother  and  sister  Nancy  and  he  manages  the 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


575 


home  property,  which  returns  a  good  income, 
large  crops  being  annually  harvested,  in 
return  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed 
upon  the  fields.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  a  repub- 
lican in  politics  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  ( )riem 
Anti-Horse  Thief  Association.  In  his  business 
affairs  he  has  been  very  successful,  being  watch- 
ful of  every  opportunity  pointing  to  prosperity 
and  his  earnest  and  well  directed  labors  have 
made  him  one  of  the  foremost  farmers  of  this 
part  of  the  state. 


THOMAS   HULL. 

Thomas  Hull,  a  retired  farmer  of  Fairmount 
township,  was  born  in  Ross  county.  Ohio,  June 
20,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Sophia 
Hull.  The  parents  died  during  the  early  child- 
hood of  their  son  Thomas,  who  then  went  to 
live  with  a  half-brother,  John  Hull,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
then  left  Ohio  and  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
in  1845,  in  company  with  his  half-brother,  who 
settled  near  the  present  home  of  our  subject,  pur- 
chasing there  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  converted  into  a  good  farm.  He  after- 
ward removed  to  Adams  county,  where  he  died. 

Following  his  removal  to  Illinois,  Thomas  Hull 
rented  land  for  a  time  and  then  when  he  had 
earned  sufficient  capital  to  purchase  a  farm  he 
made  investment  in  property  and  has  since  bought 
and  sold  several  farms.  In  February,  1865,  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
where  he  now  resides  and  here  he  has  lived  con- 
tinuously since.  The  farm  was  partially  improved 
when  it  came  into  his  possession  and  he  con- 
tinued clearing  the  place  and  adding  to  it  modern 
equipments  and  accessories.  He  is  engaged  in 
raising  stock  in  connection  with  the  tilling  of 
the  soil. 

Thomas  Hull  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Bowman,  who  was  born  in  Scott  county, 
Illinois,  on  the  i8th  of  December,  1830,  and  died 
September  2,  1901.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Curtis 
Bowman,  a  farmer  of  New  Salem  township,  who 
came  to  Pike  county  at  an  early  day  and  was 
classed  with  the  leading;  farmers  of  his  com- 


munity. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hull  have  been  born 
twelve  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living : 
Sarah,  who  married  Ed  Coss  and  resides  in 
Hannibal,  Missouri ;  Minnie,  who  is  the  wife  of 
David  Fee  and  lives  in  Barry;  Flora,  the  wife 
of  Harvey  Love,  a  resident  of  Oklahoma;  Ida 
M.,  who  married  John  Ewing  and  lives  in  La 
Prairie,  Illinois;  and  Cyrus  B.,  who  married 
Susie  Stauffer,  a  daughter  of  William  -Stauffer, 
of  Griggsville.  They  reside  with  his  father  and 
the  son  operates  the  farm.  They  have  three 
daughters :  Eva,  Beulah  and  Nina. 

Mr.  Hull  is  not  actively  engaged  in  work  at 
the  -present  time  because  of  ill  health,  but  in 
former  years  he  led  a  busy  and  useful  life  and 
all  of  his  property  has  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat,  always 
earnest  and  loyal  in  his  support  of  the  party. 
For  twenty-four  years  he  was  justice  of  the 
peace  and  at  one  time  was  collector.  He  was 
also  township  commissioner  for  a  long  period  and 
in  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office  was  prompt 
and  faithful,  his  course  reflecting  credit  upon 
himself  and  proving  entirely  satisfactory  to  his 
constituents.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge,  No.  218,  of  New  Salem,  and  the  chapter 
at  Perry,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Hull  belonged  to  the 
United  Brethren  church,  of  which  Mr.  Hull  is 
still  a  member.  He  has  led  an  earnest  Christian 
life,  .characterized  by  honesty  in  his  business 
dealings  and  loyalty  in  citizenship,  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  he  has  made  a  record  which 
classes  him  with  the  respected  and  worthy 
citizen  of  Pike  county. 


DARIUS  W.  INGALLS. 

Darius  W.  Ingalls  has  since  1886  resided  upon 
his  present  farm  of  two  hundred  .and  sixty-seven 
acres,  where  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock- 
raising,  his  business  interests  being  so  managed 
that  he  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  represent- 
atives of  this  line  of  activity  in  Pike  county.  He 
was  born  in  Griggsville  township,  October  28, 
1846,  his  parents  being  William  M.  and  Rebecca 
(Elledge)  Ingalls,  natives  of  New  .York  and 


576 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


Kentucky  respectively.  The  father  was  born  May 
28,  1819,  and  in'  1824,  when  a  youth  of  five  years 
was  brought  to  Illinois  by  his  parents,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Darius  Ingalls,  who  reached  Jacksonville 
when  there  was  only  one  log  cabin  in  the  town. 
He  pursued  his  early  education  in  the  subscrip- 
tion schools  of  that  period  and  shared  with  the 
family  in  the  usual  hardships  and  privations  of 
pioneer  life,  also  aiding  in  the  arduous  task  of 
bringing  new  land  under  cultivation.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-four  years  of  age 
and  was  then  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  Elledge, 
whose  birth  occurred  March  26,  1825.  They 
began  their  domestic  life  'in  Perry  township, 
where  Mn  Ingalls  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
from  his  father.  Eventually  he  sold  that  property 
and  became  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  which  he  cultivated  and  improved  until 
1864,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Iowa. 
At  a  later  date,  however,  he  returned  to  Perry 
township,  Pike  county,  and  invested  in  a  farm 
which  continued  to  be  his  place  of  residence 
until  1885,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Perry,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days  in  honorable  retirement  from 
labor.  He  had  for  many  years  been  engaged 
quite  extensively  in  the  breeding  of  sheep,  which 
he  found  to  be  a  profitable  industry.  He  voted 
with  the  whig  party  in  early  life  and  after  its 
dissolution  joined  the  ranks  of  the  republican 
party.  He  passed  away  March  26,  1892,  his 
remains  being  interred  in  Perry  cemetery  by 
the  side  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  28th  of 
December,  1883.  In  their  family  were  five  sons 
and  five  daughters,  of  whom  the  living  are  Pris- 
cilla.  Darius  W.,  James  E.,  Helen,  Charles  M., 
Xettie,  Wilson  A.  and  Walter  C. 

Pike  county  had  hardly  advanced  beyond  its 
pioneer  epoch  when  Darius  W.  Ingalls  made  his 
way  each  morning  from  his  father's  home  to  the 
subscription  schools.  Later  the  public-school 
system  was  organized  and  he  benefited  thereby, 
gaining  a  fair  English  education  to  prepare  him 
for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  His 
training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meager  for  from 
an  early  age  he  worked  upon  the  old  homestead, 
assisting  his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  un- 
til nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  earn- 


ing his  own  living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand 
in  the  neighborhood.  When  his  work  had  brought 
him  sufficient  capital  he  purchased  forty  acres  of 
land  in  Fairmount  township,  living  thereon  for 
four  and  a  half  years  from  1875.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Perry  township,  after  selling  his  former 
property,  continuing  upon  his  present  farm  from 
1879  until  1883,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  upon 
the  farm  which  is  now  his  place  of  residence 
and  which  comprises  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land.  The  soil  is  alluvial  and  returns 
good  harvests  for  the  care  and  cultivation  be- 
stowed upon  the  fields.  Mr.  Ingalls  is  also  well 
known  as  an  enterprising  and  successful  stock- 
raiser  and  he  likewise  buys  and  feeds  stock.  He 
raises  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  head  of  hogs  each  year  and  buys 
and  feeds  about  a  carload  each  year.  He  also 
breeds  a  number  of  mules  and  draft  horses,  and 
is  recognized  as  a  leading  and  enterprising'  stock 
farmer  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1868,  Mr.  Ingalls  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellen  Barlow,  who  was  born 
in  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  December  26,  1849, 
a  daughter  of  Franklin  and  Elizabeth  (Walker) 
Barlow,  who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in 
Kentucky  and  spent  their  last  days  in  Pike 
county,  having  come  to  Illinois  at  an  early  date. 
They  were  pioneer  residents  of  Fulton  county 
and  in  the  '6os  removed  thence  to  Pike  county, 
where  Mr.  Barlow  devoted  his  energies  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits.  His  study  of  the 
political  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  lead  him 
to  give  his  endorsement  to  democratic  principles. 
He  died  in  1865.  In  the  family  were  four  daugh- 
ters and  a  son;  Martha,  Mary,  Mrs.  Ingalls. 
Andrew  J.  and  Margaret.  After  losing  his 
first  wife  Mr.  Barlow  married  Mrs.  Hannah 
Parker,  and  of  this  union  was  born  one  child. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingalls  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children  but  three  died  in  infancy. 
Those  still  living  are  Lillian,  Royal  H.,  Clyde 
B.  and  Bernice. 

Mr.  Ingalls  is  connected  with  various  fra- 
ternal organizations  of  which  he  is  a  valued  repre- 
sentative. He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  ten  years 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Knights  of 


PAST    .VXD    I'KKSENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


577 


Pythias  lodge  at  Perry.  He  also  belongs  to  Rush 
lodge  of  the  Anti-Horse  Thief  Association  and 
to  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Life  Association,  of 
which  he  is  grand  president.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  In  the 
faithful  performance  of  each  day's  duties  that 
devolve  upon  him  in  connection  with  his  business 
he  has  found  that  success  is  not  the  result  of  ge- 
nius but  results  rather  from  experience,  close 
application  and  earnest  purpose,  and  his  laudable 
ambition  has  also  been  a  salient  feature  in  his 
career. 


H.  F.  WELLS. 

H.  F.  Wells,  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers 
and  stock-feeders  of  Pleasant  Hill  township,  owns 
a  well  improved  tract  of  land  on  the  old  Pleasant 
Hill  and  Quincy  state  road.  The  farm  lies  on 
sections  7,  8,  and  18,  Pleasant  Hill  township,  and 
is  neat  and  thrifty  in  its  appearance.  Mr.  Wells 
is  a  native  son  of  Pike  county,  having  been  born 
upon  the  farm  where  he  yet  resides  June  4,  1864. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Richard  Wells,  removed 
with  his  family  from  Kentucky  to  Missouri  in 
1817,  locating  first  in  St.  Louis  county  and  after- 
ward in  Pike  county,  that  state,  whence  he  sub- 
sequently came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  being  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Pleasant  Hill  township. 

Perry  Wells,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  January  27,  1814,  and  was  therefore 
but  three  years  of  age  when  taken  by  his  parents 
to  Missouri,  in  which  state  he  was  reared  and 
educated.  He  was  twice  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Katherine  Fesler,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Fesler,  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.  Perry  Wells 
located  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1837,  settling 
on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Harry 
Wells  of  this  review.  He  cleared  his  land,  erected 
good  buildings  and  developed  the  farm,  trans- 
forming the  wild  prairie  into  richly  cultivated 
fields.  He  was  a  diligent  man,  becoming  a  well- 
to-do  agriculturist,  whose  property  embraced  a 
large  and  well  improved  farm  upon  which  he 


made  his  home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1890.  By  his  first  marriage  there  were  six 
children,  namely :  Mrs.  Ruth  Allen ;  Richard 
Wells,  who  is  living  in  Arkansas ;  Mrs.  Dr.  J. 
Smith  Thomas,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  George  Wells;  Mrs.  P.  F.  Barton, 
living  in  Arkansas ;  and  Alretta,  the  wife  of  J. 
H.  Webster,  of  Tennessee.  By  the  father's  second 
marriage  there  were  two  children:  Harry  F., 
of  this  review ;  and  Mrs.  Dr.  A.  J.  Alcorn,  of 
Chicago. 

Harry  F.  Wells  was  reared  upon  the  old  family 
homestead  and  after  attending  the  common  schools 
continued  his  studied  in  the  high  school  at  Griggs- 
ville  and  in  the  State  University  at  .Bloomington, 
Illinois.  He  was  thus  well  qualified  by  liberal 
intellectual  training  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties  and  when  his  education  was  com- 
pleted he  returned  to  the  home  farm,  of  which 
he  took  charge,  carrying  on  the  place  for  some 
time. 

On  the  1 5th  of  February,  1897,  in  Kalamazoo 
county,  Michigan,  Mr.  Wells  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Helen  E.  Lewis,  a  most  estimable 
and  well  educated  young  lad)r.  Her  father, 
Maxson  Lewis,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  where 
he  spent  his  childhood  and  youth.  In  1858  he 
removed  westward,  settling  in  Kalamazoo  county, 
Michigan,  where  he  afterward  wedded  Mary  E. 
Smoke,  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state.  Mrs. 
Wells  was  educated  in  the  Galesburg  (Michigan) 
high  school  and  in  the  Michigan  State  Normal 
School  at  Ypsilanti,  while  later  she  became  a 
relief  teacher  in  that  institution.  She  engaged 
in  teaching  for  several  years  in  Michigan  prior 
to  her  marriage  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
capable  representatives  of  the  profession.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  has  been  born  a  son,  Maxson 
T.  Wells.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Pleasant  Hill 
and  Mrs.  Wells  is  an  active  worker  *  in  the 
Sunday-school,  being  now  the  teacher  of  a  Bible 
class  of  young  men.  Mr.  Wells  also  affiliates 
with  Pleasant  Hill  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and 
.with  the  chapter  and  commandery  at  Pittsfield 
and  in  his  life  exemplifies  the  basic  elements  of 
the  craft  which  was  founded  upon  principles  of 
brotherly  kindness  and  mutual  helpfulness.  Both 


578 


PAST   AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  are  highly  esteemed  and 
their  influence  is  ever  found  on  the  side  of  right, 
progress  and  improvement. 


FARRELL  CONWAY. 

Farrell  Conway,  the  genial  and  popular  pro- 
prietor of  the  Barry  Hotel,  which  was  opened 
to  the  public  in  November,  1905,  and  is  a  modern 
hostelry,  which  would  be  a  credit  to  a  city  of 
much  larger  size,  was  born  in  England,  February 
4,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary 
Conway,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  that 
country.  The  father  died  in  1842  and  the  mother, 
long  surviving  him,  passed  away  in  February, 
1871. 

Farrell  Conway  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  his  native  land  and  in  1862,  crossed 
the  Alantic  to  America.  The  following  year  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  Army  while  still 
an  English  subject,  being  enrolled  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  on  the  26th  of  May,  1863,  to  serve 
for  three  years  or  during  the  war.  He  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  in  that  city 
as  a  private  under  command  of  Captain  Fred 
Hanson,  of  Company  H,  Fourth  Regiment  of 
Missouri  Cavalry,  Colonel  George  E.  Waring 
commanding.  This  regiment  was  formed  in 
January,  1862,  by  the  consolidation  of  Fremont 
Hussars,  Major  Wright's  battalion  of  cavalry 
and  the  fragment  of  a  battalion  of  cavalry  raised 
by  and  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Woods 
and  was  mustered  into  the  service  with  George 
E.  Waring  as  colonel.  In  November  of  the  same 
year  an  order  was  issued  to  consolidate  the  Fourth 
and  Fifth  regiments  of  Missouri  Cavalry  and  that 
organization  was  mustered  into  the  service  with 
the  following  field  officers:  George  E.  Waring, 
colonel;  Gustavus  VonHelmrich,  lieutenant  col- 
onel ;  and  Gustavus  Heinsrich,  major.  The 
regiment  was  assigned  to  the  cavalry  division 
of  the  sixteenth  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee and  during  its  service  bore  a  gallant  part 
in  the  following  engagements :  Pea  Ridge,  Ar- 
kansas; Cotton  Plant,  Arkansas;  the  Batesville 
expedition ;  the  campaign  in  southwestern 


Missouri;  the  pursuit  of  Price;  Little  Red 
and  White  River ;  Collierville ;  Guntown  or 
Tupelo  ;  Jackson  ;  Vicksburg ;  Clarendon  ;  In- 
dependence ;  Big  Blue;  Mine  Creek;  and 
Maria  des  Cygnes.  Pursuing  the  enemy  to 
Osage  river  and  capturing  one  hundred  men  and 
two  pieces  of  artillery,  the  troops  afterward  re- 
turned to  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  whence  the  regiment 
was  ordered  to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  and  after- 
ward was  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  and  New  Orleans  and  Greenville, 
Louisiana,  performing  garrison  duty  until  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service.  Mr.  Conway  enlisted  as 
a  recruit  and  joined  his  regiment  at  Columbus, 
Kentucky,  and  when  the  regiment  was  consoli- 
dated (recruits  and  veterans)  into  a  battalion  of 
four  companies  in  October,  1864,  he  was  assigned 
to  Company  B.  He  served  on  detached  duty 
throughout  his  entire  term,  being  orderly  for 
Colonel  Waring.  He  was  wounded  at  Okalona, 
Mississippi,  by  a  gun  shot  in  the  right  hand  and 
arm,  causing  permanent  injury  and  was  given 
medical  treatment  in  the  regimental  camp  for  the 
wound.  He  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty, 
participating  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  com- 
mand during  his  term  of  enlistment  and  he  ren- 
dered valuable  and  meritorious  service,  achieving 
a  proud  record  for  soldierly  conduct  at  all  times. 
At  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  on  the  I3th  of  No- 
vember, 1865,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
by  reason  of  the  close  of  the  war,  returning  to 
his  home  with  a  most  creditable  military  record. 

When  hostilities  had  ceased  Mr.  Conway  came 
to  Barry  and  engaged  in  clerking  for  Crandall 
Smith  &  Company,  grocers  of  Barry,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  twenty-six  years.  No  higher 
testimonial  of  capability,  faithful  service  and 
trustworthiness  could  be  given  than  the  fact  that 
he  was  so  long  retained  in  one  employ.  He  then 
went  into  the  poultry  and  egg  business,  shipping 
those  products  to  New  York  city.  He  afterward 
became  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  Barry  and  has 
since  continued  in  this  business  with  gratifying 
success.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  the  Barry  Hotel, 
which  was  recently  completed  and  opened  to  the 
public  in  November,  1905.  It  is  supplied  with 
all  modern  conveniences,  including  telephone, 
furnace  heat,  inside  closets,  electric  lights,  hot 


PAST   AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


579 


and  cold  baths  and  sample  rooms.  It  is  by  far  the 
best  hotel  in  Pike  county  and  is  a  credit  to  its 
owner  and  to  the  city  in  which  it  is  located.  Mr. 
Conway  has  now  had  a  number  of  years'  ex- 
perience in  the  hotel  business,  is  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  what  is  demanded  in  this  direction 
by  the  traveling  public,  and  in  conducting  his 
interests  has  largely  followed  the  methods  of  the 
pioneer,  who  seeks  out  a  new  idea  and  utilizes 
every  means  at  hand  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  purpose.  It  is  the  aim  of  Mr.  Conway  and 
his  estimable  wife  to  please  all  who  patronize 
them,  and  the  hotel  is  certainly  giving  uniform 
satisfaction. 

Before  leaving  his  native  country,  Mr.  Conway 
was  married  in  England  in  1861  to  Miss  Mary 
Wilcox,  by  whom  he  had  two  children :  Sarah, 
who  was  born  in  England,  January  22,  1863,  and 
is  living  at  home ;  and  Celia,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1870,  and  is  the  wife  of  Abram  Burton, 
a  resident  of  Barry.  They  have  four  sons:  Roy, 
born  August  3,  1886;  Farrell,  July  22,  1888; 
Lawrence,  September  5,  1893 ;  and  Hershal,  No- 
vember 22,  1901.  Mrs.  Conway  died  in  Decem- 
ber, 1870,  and  on  the  1st  of  February,  1874,  Mr. 
Conway  was  married  in  this  county  to  Ann  Hen- 
derson, who  was  born  in  Ballamoney,  County 
Antrim,  Ireland.  Unto  this  marriage  have  been 
born  three  children:  Edward,  who  was  born 
April  28,  1876,  married  Maud  Clingingsmith, 
and  they  reside  at  Barry  with  their  son,  Marion 
Farrell,  born  July  10,  1902.  Mary,  born  July 
28,  1878,  died  March  10,  1879.  Clara,  born  April 
8,  1 88 1,  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Berry,  a  resident 
of  Barry,  and  they  have  one  son,  Edwin  O.,  born 
January  16,  1905. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Conway  is  a 
republican,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office. 
He  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Baptist 
church;  and  he  is  a  prominent  and  influential 
member  of  John  McTucker  post,  No.  154,  G.  A. 
R.,  in  which  he  has  held  various  offices,  serving  as 
commander  for  one  term,  and  as  adjutant  and 
quartermaster  for  a  number  of  terms.  His  wife 
and  two  eldest  daughters  are  active  members 
of  John  McTucker  corps,  No.  91,  W.  R.  C.  Mr. 
Conway  likewise  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen,  and  has  filled  all  the  offices 


in  the  lodge.  He  owns  two  houses  and  lots  in 
Barry,  which  he  rents ;  and  these,  in  addition  to 
his  hotel  property,  make  him  one  of  the  substan- 
tial residents  of  the  community.  Since  coming  to 
America  he  has  made  a  creditable  position  in  the 
business  world,  gaining  the  respect  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 


HERMAN  H.  GREIWE. 

The  German  element  in  our  American  citizen- 
ship has  long  .been  recognized  as  an  important 
one,  for  the  sons  of  the  fatherland  display  many 
qualities  that  work  for  good  citizenship.  They 
are  usually  men  of  considerable  capability,  who 
look  at  life  from  a  practical  standpoint  and  utilize 
their  opportunities  to  the  best  advantage.  Of 
this  class  Mr.  Greiwe  is  a  representative,  and  he 
is  now  known  as  a  prominent  stock-dealer  and 
shipper  of  Pike  county.  He  also  owns  three  valu- 
able farms  here.  He  was  born  January  21,  1856, 
in  Germany,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  land  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  York  city.  His 
parents  were  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  (Brink- 
man)  Greiwe,  who  were  also  natives  of  Germany; 
and  in  August,  1869,  the  father  sailed  for  the  new 
world  with  his  three  sons,  the  mother  having  died 
in  Germany  in  1858.  Frederick  W.  Greiwe  event- 
ually settled  in  Guttenberg,  Iowa,  where  he  died 
in  February,  1895.  In  the  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren :  Ernest,  who  is  now  following  farming  in 
Perry  township;  Henry,  who  resides  at  Oldberg, 
Germany;  Fritz,  who  died  in  the  fatherland; 
Eleanora,  who  is  living  in  that  country;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Fahling,  of  Guttenberg,  Iowa ; 
Frederick,  who  resides  at  Sioux  Falls,  South  Da- 
kota:  William,  who  is  living  in  Perry  township; 
and  Herman  H: 

Herman  H.  Greiwe,  bidding  adieu  to  friends 
and  native  land,  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  father  when  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  after- 
ward worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  nineteen  years,  when  he  began  farming 
on  his  own  account.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  was  married  on  the  7th  of  April,  1881. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


to  Miss  Annie  L.  Lutz,  who  was  born  in  Perry 
township,  October  6,  1858.  Her  father,  Leonard 
Lutz,  was  born  in  Germany,  December  25,  1807, 
and  crossed  the  Atlantic  on  a  sailing  vessel  to 
New  York  city.  Subsequently  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  settling  north  of  the  village  of  Perry, 
in  Perry  township,  upon  a  farm  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the 
soil,  and  in  raising  stock.  His  religious  faith  was 
indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  while  his  political  views  found 
evidence  in  the  support  which  he  gave  to  the  de- 
mocracy. He  married  Miss  Lucinda  Baird,  who 
was  born  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  March  10, 
1826.  His  death  occurred  November  28,  1892, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  February  14,  1899. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children :  Sarah, 
now  deceased;  John,  who  is  living  in  Sumner 
county,  'Kansas ;  William,  who  has  also  passed 
away ;  Frederick,  a  resident  of  California ;  David, 
who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Perry 
township;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Stoner,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Perry  township;  Annie  L., 
now  Mrs.  Greiwe;  and  George,  who  is  living  in 
Oklahoma. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  Greiwe  began 
farming  on  his  own  account ;  and  the  money  which 
he  saved  from  his  earnings  he  invested,  in  June. 
1884,  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
Perry  township.  In  1891  he  purchased  another 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  in 
1902  a  third  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  acres  adjoining  the  village  limits  on  the 
south.  All  these  farms  are  well  improved  with 
fine  homes  and  with  all  modern  conveniences. 
There  is  running  water  in  his  house ;  and  he  has 
a  reservoir  from  which  a  pipe  line  leads  nearly  a 
half  mile  to  his  feed  lot.  He  raises  from  four 
to  five  hundred  head  of  hogs  each  year ;  and  in 
the  summer  of  1905  shipped  two  carloads,  and 
now  has  ready  for  shipment  two  carloads  more. 
He  also  feeds  and  ships  from  one  to  two  carloads 
of  cattle  each  year:  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Perry  Horse  Company,  of  which  he  is  manager 
and  treasurer;  and  in  this  connection  h«  has  two 
stallions,  one  Robert  Wflkes  and  the  other  a  Bel- 
gian horse  named  Deor.  All  his  hogs  and  cattle 
are  of  high  grades ;  and  at  the  present  time  he  has 


thirty-two  head  of  horses  and  mules.  He  re- 
cently sold  one  span  of  mules  for  three  hundred 
dollars.  He  is  well  known  as  a  stock-breeder  and 
dealer ;  and  since  entering  farm  life  upon  his 
own  account  has  had  a  prosperous  career,  each 
year  adding  to  his  income  until  he  is  now  one  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greiwe  were  born  three 
children:  Frank  R.,  January  31,  1882;  Rus- 
sell A..  April  7,  1883;  and  Cora,  September  18, 
1885.  They  also  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Mary 
Meyer,  who  was  four  years  of  age  on  the  22d  of 
May,  1905.  Mr.  Greiwe  has  served  as  school 
trustee.  He  belongs  to  Perry  lodge,  L  O.  O.  F. : 
and  in  politics  is  a  stalwart  democrat.  He  and  his 
wife  are  people  of  genuine  worth,  having  a  large 
circle  of  friends :  and  the  hospitality  of  their 
pleasant  home  is  greatly  enjoyed  by  many  who 
know  them.  An  investigation  into  the  life  record 
of  Mr.  Greiwe  shows  that  he  has  followed  meth- 
ods that  are  straightforward  and  principles  that 
will  bear  close  investigation;  and  in  his  pros- 
perous business  career  he  has  found  that  "hon- 
esty is  the  best  policy,"  and  that  "labor  is  the 
source  of  all  desirable  success." 


GEORGE  CARNES 

George  Carnes  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  county,  making 
very  extensive  shipments  of  stock  each  vear.  In 
fact  he  is  known  throughout  the  state  to  stock 
men  and  the  extent  and  importance  of  his  op- 
erations in  this  line  have  also  classed  him  with 
the  most  substantial  residents  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  represents  one  of  the  old  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  Pike  county  and  was  born  in  Griggsville 
township,  September  16,  1858,  his  parents  being 
Richard  and  Guldy  E.  (Moore)  Carnes.  The 
father  was  born  June  23,  1832.  in  Harrison 
county.  Ohio,  and  became  one  of  the  large  land 
owners  of  Pike  county,  his  realty  possessions  at 
one  time  comprising  eighteen  hundred  acres  in 
New  Salem  and  Griggsville  townships.  He  was 
a  son  of  John  Carnes  and  a  grandson  of  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  (Dunham)  Carnes.  who  were  born 


MR.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  CARNES 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


583 


and  reared  in  Maryland.  The  family,  .however, 
is  originally  of  English  lineage.  Following  his 
marriage  Thomas  Carnes  removed  to  Harrison 
county,  Ohio,  and  became  a  factor  in  its  pioneer 
development  and  early  progress.  As  the  years 
passed  his  labors  were  crowned  with  a  comfort- 
able competence  and  he  also  rejoiced  in  what  had 
been  accomplished  in  the  county  where  he  made 
his  home,  for  the  evidences  of  frontier  life  had 
been  replaced  by  the  conditions  of  an  advanced 
civilization.  His  loyalty  in  citizenship  was  mani- 
fested by  active  service  as  a  private  in  the  war 
of  1812  and  also  by  equal  loyalty  in  days  of  peace. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  devoted  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  church  and  each  lived  to  a 
ripe  old  age. 

John  Carnes,  grandfather  of  George  Carnes 
of  this  review,  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  in  1812,  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of. 
farming  and  made  that  pursuit  his  life  work.  He 
engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  in  his  native 
county  until  1854,  when  he  removed  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  settling  on  a  partially  improved 
farm  in  Griggsville  township.  His  capital  was 
small  but  his  industry  and  perseverance  were  un- 
limited, and  upon  those  qualities  he  builded  his 
success,  becoming  one  of  the  substantial  residents 
of  this  part  of  the  state.  In  his  native  county  he 
married  Miss  Eliza  Nelson,  who  was  also  born 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  while  her  parents  were 
natives  of  Maryland  and  were  of  Scotch  descent. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Carnes  belonged  to  the 
United  Brethren  church,  contributed  liberally  to 
its  support  and  aided  effectively  in  its  upbuilding 
and  the  extension  of  its  influence.  His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  whig  party  in  early  life. 
He  passed  away  in  New  Salem  township  in  1870, 
having  for  some  years  survived  his  wife.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  but  one  son  was  fatally 
burned  in  childhood  and  another  son  was  killed 
by  a  log  rolling  upon  him  when  eight  years  of 
age.  A  daughter  is  also  deceased. 

Richard  Carnes,  the  eldest  of  this  family,  wa^ 
reared  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio,  and  early 
acquired  an  excellent  understanding  of  agricul- 
tural affairs  and  a  comprehension  of  business 
matters  which  resulted  in  making  him  a  capable 
and  prosperous  agriculturist.  His  entire  life 


was  devoted  to  farm  work,  and  as  his  financial 
resources  increased  he  added  from  time  to  time  to 
his  property. 

Mrs.  Carnes  was  born  in  Maryland,  May  5,  1834, 
and  in  her  infancy  was  taken  by  her  parents  to 
Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  afterward  to  Adams 
county,  Illinois,  whence  they  came  to  Pike  county. 
Here  her  father  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-fiVe 
years,  while  her  mother  reached  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-three  years.  They  had  a  large  family. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carnes  were  born  the  fol- 
lowing named:  Henry,  Eliza,  John,  George, 
Sarah,  Edward,  Mary,  Salena  and  Dora. 

Richard  Carnes  voted  with  the  repub- 
lican party;  and  he  and  his  wife  held  mem- 
bership in  the  United  Brethren  church.  His 
business  career  furnished  an  example  well 
worthy,  of  emulation  to  all  who  desire  to  win  suc- 
,.gess  and  who'' wish  to  do  so  along  lines  of  honor- 
able •'and-  manly  conduct.  Although  he  achieved 
a  fortune  his"  pat}},  was  never  strewn  with  the 
wreck  of  other  men's  fortunes,  for  he  was 
straightforward  and  just  in  his  dealings  and  his 
prosperity  was  the  result  of  his  close  application 
and  judicious  investment.  He  died  in  1902  and 
is  still  survived  by  his  wife. 

George  Carnes  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  under  the  parental  roof  and  at  the  time 
of  his  marriage  started  out  upon  an  independent 
business  career,  giving  his  attention  to  general 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  lived  upon  what 
was  known  as  the  old  Taylor  place  for  seventeen 
years,  having  purchased  this  property  soon  after 
his  marriage  and  in  1896  he  removed  to  what  is 
known  as  the  Sharp  farm  near  the  Wabash  Rail- 
road at  Maysville,  where  he  now  resides.  For 
some  years  he  has  been  extensively  engaged  in 
buying,  feeding  and  shipping  stock,  and  associ- 
ated with  his  brother,  S.  E.  Carnes.  he  ships  from 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  carloads  of 
stock  each  year.  Seldom  a  week  passes  that  he 
does  not  ship  from  two  to  five  carloads,  for  which 
he  finds  a  ready  sale  upon  the  market,  as  he  never 
makes  shipments  until  his  stock  is  in  excellent 
condition.  He  is  now  farming  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  as  finely  improved  land  as  can  ue 
found  in  Pike  county.  He  attends  all  of  the  state 
fairs  of  Illinois  and  many  of  the  county  fairs  and 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


is  now  president  of  the  Illinois  Valley  Fair  As- 
sociation at  Griggsville,  whereby  effort  in  behalf 
of  agricultural  progress  is  greatly  stimulated.  He 
is  likewise  the  vice-president  of  the  Illinois  Val- 
ley bank  at  Griggsville.  A  lover  of  good  horses,  he 
always  has  some  fine  animals  upon  his  place,  and 
at  the  present  time  these  number  about  twenty. 
He  also  has  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  head  of 
cattle  on  hand,  of  which  seventy-five  head  have 
been  fattened  and  are  ready  for  the  market.  He 
has  one  steer  which  he  expects  to  exhibit  at  the 
fat  stock  show  in  Chicago  and  also  one  carload 
lot  of  fat  cattle.  He  likewise  has  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  head  of  hogs  at  the  present  writing. 
In  1903  he  and  his  brother,  S.  E.,  made  an  ex- 
hibit of  fifteen  head  of  fat  cattle  at  the  Chicago 
Stock  Show,  having  an  average  weight  of  six- 
teen hundred  and  sixteen  pounds.  He  received 
the  second  premium  in  a  special  shorthorn  class, 
and  in  this  bunch  was  a  pair  of  twins  that  weighed 
thirty-six  hundred  pounds,  on  which  he  received 
a  second  premium  in  a  special  class.  He  and  his 
brother  attend  the  stock  sales  in  Missouri  and 
throughout  Illinois  as  buyers,  and  they  have  a 
very  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  among  the 
leading  stock  dealers  of  that  state.  Both  gentle- 
men are  excellent  judges  of  stock,  so  that  they  are 
able  to  make  judicious  purchases  and  profitable 
sales. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1878,  Mr.  Carnes 
was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  White.  Her  par- 
ents were  Thomas  and  Rebecca  White,  who  had 
five  children,  namely:  Andrew,  Elizabeth,  Sanv 
tiel.  Margaret  and  John.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White 
were  active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
of  New  Salem. 

In  public  affairs  Mr.  Carnes  has  taken  a  deep 
and  helpful  interest.  He  has  been  president  of 
the  school  board  and  a  director  for  the  past  nine 
years,  the  cause  of  education  finding  in  him  i 
warm  friend.  His  political  views  arc  in 
accord  with  republican  principles  and  indeed 
he  is  one  of  the  stanch  suporters  of  the 
party,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its 
growth  and  insure  its  success,  though  never  seek- 
ing office  for  himself.  Mrs.  Carnes  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  New  Salem.  She 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Griggsville 


and  Pittsfield  and  taught  her  home  school  for  fif- 
teen months  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  travels 
with  her  husband  on  many  of  his  trips,  and  they 
are  thoroughly  progressive  people,  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  world's  progress  and  having  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  questions  of  the  day 
and  the  subjects  of  general  interest.  In  his  busi- 
ness career  he  has  made  rapid  and  substantial  ad- 
vancement, and  the  methods  he  has  followed  have 
been  such  as  will  bear  close  investigation.  He  has 
labored  along  lines  that  all  might  profitably  fol- 
low and  has  achieved  through  well  directed  ef- 
forts and  unfaltering  perseverance  splendid  suc- 
cess, and  also  gained  a  reputation  which  has 
made  him  known  as  a  leading  stock  dealer  of 
Illinois. 


SAMUEL  EDWARD  CARNES. 

The  student  of  history  can  not  carry  his  inves- 
tigations far  into  the  records  of  Pike  county  with- 
out learning  of  the  close  and  helpful  connection 
of  the  Carnes  family  with  matters  of  public  inter- 
est and  benefit.  Samuel  Edward  Carnes  is  to-day 
a  worthy  citizen,  who  is  carefully  and  success- 
fully conducting  farming  interests,  owning  three 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  New  Salem 
township.  He  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
November  30,  1865,  his  parents  being  Richard 
and  Guldy  E.  (Moore)  Carnes.  His  father's 
birth  occurred  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  near 
Cadizville,  June  23,  1832,  and  he  was  quite  a 
young  lad  when  the  family  home  was  established 
in  Illinois.  The  great-grandparents  of  Samuel  E. 
Carnes  were  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Dunham) 
Carnes,  natives  of  Maryland,  in  which  state  they 
spent  their  youth.  Following  their  marriage  they 
removed  to  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  estab- 
lished their  home  in  the  midst  of  a  district  that  was 
then  wild  and  unimproved,  but  as  the  years  passed 
by  time  and  man  wrought  many  changes  and  the 
evidences  of  frontier  life  were  replaced  by  the 
improvements  of  an  advanced  civilization.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Carnes  reached  a  venerable 
age  and  were  long  numbered  among  the  valued 
citizens  of  the  locality  where  they  made  their 
home.  The  principles  of  Christianity  found  ex- 


MR.  AND  MRS.  RICHARD  CARNES 


MR.   AND  MRS.  S.   E.   CARNES 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


589 


emplification  in  their  lives  and  they  were  num- 
bered among  the  faithful  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  church.  Thomas  Carnes  espoused  his 
country's  cause  in  the  second  war  with  England, 
serving  as  a  private. 

John  Carnes,  son  of  Thomas  Carnes,  was  born 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and,  having 
arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  was  married  to  Miss 
Eliza  Nelson,  whoso  birth  also  occurred  in  that 
county,  although  her  parents  were  natives  of 
Maryland  and  it  is  believed  were  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Carnes  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Ohio,  remaining 
residents  of  Harrison  county  until  1834 — the  year 
of  their  arrival  in  Pike  county,  Illinois.  Here 
they  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  tract  of  land  in 
Griggsville  township  but  partially  improved  and 
although  their  financial  resources  were  then -lim- 
ited their  economy,  perseverance  and  prudence  in 
the  management  of  business  affairs  supplementing 
their  unremitting  diligence  won  for  them  suc- 
cess as  the  years  passed  by  and  eventually  their 
property  holdings  in  Pike  county  were  large  and 
valuable.  Mr.  Carnes  voted  the  whig  ticket  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  active  in  the  work  of 
the  United  Brethren  church  and  contributed  lib- 
erally to  its  support.  The  death  of  John  Carnes 
occurred  in  New  Salem  township  in  1870  and  his 
wife  had  passed  away  some  years  before. 

Richard  Carnes.  father  of  our  subject,  was 
in  his  youth  deprived  of  educational  privileges, 
but  in  the  school  of  experience  learned  imny 
valuable  lessons.  Practical  work  soon  acquainted 
him  with  the  duties  of  the  farm  and  he  brought 
tu  his  business  such  knowledge  and  skill  that  as 
the  years  passed  a  high  measure  of  prosperity 
rewarded  his  efforts.  There  was  nothing  sor- 
did or  grasping  in  his  nature  and  though  he  be- 
came one  of  the  wealthy  agriculturists  In-  was 
ven  liberal  with  his  means,  giving  freely  to  church 
and  charitable  interests  and  to  many  movements 
for  the  public  good.  His  hand  was  ever  down- 
reaching  to  insist  those  less  fortunate  than  him- 
self and  he  never  judged  his  friends  by  their  pos- 
sessions, but  gave  bis  regard  in  recognition  to 
character.  He  was  anxious,  too,  that  his  children 
should  have  good  educational  privileges  and  did 
much  to  provide  them  with  a  knowledge  that 


would  prove  of  benefit  in  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible affairs.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Guldy 
E.  .Moore,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Maryland, 
May  5,  1834,  her  parents  being  John  and  Sarah 
(Simpson)  Moore,  who  in  her  infancy  removed 
from  Maryland  to  Harrison  county,  Ohio.  On 
coming  to  Illinois  they  settled  first  in  Adams 
county,  but  eventually  took  up  their  abode  in 
Pike  county,  where  the  -father  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years,  while  the  mother  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  eighty-three.  In  business  af- 
fairs Mr.  Moore  had  prospered  and,  moreover,  he 
had  gained  the'fespect  and  good  will  of  his  fel- 
low ine'ri',- who.  foun'd  him  reliable  in  all  his  meth- 
ods and  trustworthy ''HI  aril  life's  relations.  Mrs. 
Carnes  received  careful  training  from  her  parents 
in  the  duties  of  the  household  and  remained  at 
home  until  her  marriage,  when  well  equipped  to 
take  care  of  a  home  of  her  own,  she  assumed 
the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  her  household. 
Mr.  Carnes,  carrying  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits, met  with  prosperity  and  made  ju- 
dicious investment  in  real  estate  until  he 
was  the  owner  of  about  eighteen  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  Illinois  land  and  his  possessions  were 
estimated  at  about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
He  voted  with  the  republican,  party  and  was  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  as  was  his 
wife.  Their  family  numbered  nine  children. 

Samuel  Edward  Carnes,  having  acquired  his 
elementary  education  in  the  public  schools,  after- 
ward spent  four  years  in  Westfield  College  and 
was  also  a  student  in  Gem  City  Business  College 
at  Quincy,  Illinois.  He  became  acquainted  with 
the  best  methods  of  conducting  farming  interests 
in  his  youth,  receiving  his  business  training  under 
his  father,  who  was  widely  recognized  as  a  most 
capable  business  man.  He  lived  at  home  until 
his  marriage  and  since  that  time  has  lived  upon 
one  of  his  father's  farms. 

It  was  on  the  2ist  of  October,  1891,  that  he 
wedded  Miss  Birdella  May  Stone,  who  was  born 
January  9,  1871.  at  La  Prairie,  Adams  county, 
Illinois,  her  parents  being  J.  R.  and  Nancy  C. 
(Ellison)  Stone,  the  former  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. September  12,  1830,  and  the  latter  on  June 
6,  1831,  near  Millport,  Pennsylvania.  The)  were 
married  January  11,  1870,  at  Versailles,  Illinois. 


59° 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


The  father  died  in  1889  and  the  mother's  death 
occurred  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  in  1900.  Her  mother 
was  left  a  widow  with  a  family  of  small  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  Stone  was  the  youngest.  She  mar- 
ried again,  her  second  husband  having  several 
young  children,  and  in  a  short  time  he  insisted 
that  she  find  homes  elsewhere  for  her  own  chil- 
dren and  her  own  little  girl  Nancy  was  taken  by  a 
family  by  the  name  of  Ellison  living  just  across 
the  Cowanesque  river  which  flowed  past  her 
home.  The  Ellison  family  had  but  one  child,  a 
son,  and  they  wished  to  adopt  Nancy,  but  the 
mother  refused  to  give  her  up.  One  morning, 
however,  when  the  mother  arose  and  looked  across 
the  river  to  the  house  in  which  her  child  lived 
she.  noticed  that  no  smoke  curled  above  the  little 
cabin  and  when  hour  by  hour  went  by  and  she 
saw  no  trace  of  life  there  she  became  alarmed.  On 
investigation  she  found  that  the  family  had  dis- 
appeared in  the  night,  taking  the  little  daughter 
with  them.  Of  her  journey  from  the  old  place 
Mrs.  Stone  remembered  nothing,  though  she  did 
remember  their  final  settlement  in  Steuben  county, 
New  York,  their  removal  to  Pittsburg  and  then 
their  journey  to  the  west.  After  a  short  residence 
in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  which  at  that  time  contained 
only  one  house,  they  settled  in  Pike  county,  Mis- 
souri. The  Ellison  family  told  the  little  girl  that 
she  had  been  "bound"  to  them  but  at  last  they 
received  a  letter  from  the  mother  of  the  child  who 
had,  despite  all  their  wanderings,  gained  trace  of 
the  family  and  begged  them  if  Nancy  still  lived 
to  let  her  know  something  of  her  child.  The  let- 
ter was  never  answered  but  the  little  girl  over- 
heard the  letter  read  and  remembering  something 
of  her  mother,  whom  she  had  seen  last  at  the  age 
of  five  years,  stored  the  facts  away  in  her  memory. 
She  was  not  treated  kindly  by  the  Ellison  family 
and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  she  left  them  and 
went  out  to  fight  life's  battles.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  she  married  and  later  with  the  aid  of 
her  husband  tried  to  learn  something  of  her  peo- 
ple. At  last  she  secured  her  mother's  address  and 
in  1847  received  a  letter  from  her.  Several  other 
letters  followed  and  then  came  one  from  a  half- 
sister  saying  that  the  mother  was  dead.  Mrs. 
Stone,  however,  could  never  overcome  her  desire 
to  see  her  relatives  and  the  home  of  her  childhood 


and  though  nearly  sixty  years  had  passed  since 
she  left  the  east  she  determined  in  1894  to  visit 
those  who  still  remained  there.  She  was  accom- 
panied by  her  son,  Professor  J.  H.  Crafton,  of  the 
Gem  City  Business  College, — a  son  of  her  first 
marriage.  She  found  that  she  had  not  been  for- 
gotten by  her  relatives  in  Pennsylvania  and  her 
visit  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  She  and  her  son 
visited  a  number  of  important  points  in  the  east 
and  altogether  the  trip  was  one  of  great  interest. 
Mr.  Stone  had  come  to  the  west  when  a  young 
man  and  finally  settled  in  northeast  township, 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  living  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  Mrs.  Samuel  E.  Carnes. 
He 'afterward  removed  to  Tazewell  county,  where 
he  lived  for  two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  took 
up  his  abode  in  Topeka,  Mason  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  lived  for  twelve  years,  eventually  locat- 
ing in  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred 
soon  afterward.  He  was  a  blacksmith  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  throughout  his  entire  life.  Mrs. 
Stone  was  twice  married,  Mr.  Stone  rearing  her 
children  of  her  first  union,  and  Mrs.  Carnes  has 
three  half-brothers:  William  M.  Crafton,  who  is 
living  in  New  Berlin,  Illinois ;  Charles,  of  Spring- 
field, Illinois;  and  J.  H.  Crafton,  of  Quincy, 
Illinois. 

Mrs.  Carnes  pursued  her  education  in  the  public 
and  high  schools  of  Mason  county,  Illinois,  and 
for  a  short  time  attended  Chaddock  College  in 
Quincy  but  impaired  eyesight  caused  her  to  aban- 
don her  school  work. 

Mr.  Carnes  possesses  the  business  instinct, 
keen  discrimination  and  unfaltering  diligence 
which  have  ever  been  characteristic  of  the  fam- 
ily and  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  fine  land  in  New  Salem  town- 
ship, .four  miles  north  of  Pittsfield  and  equally 
distant  from  Maysville  and  New  Salem.  Here 
he  has  a  beautiful  home  with  fine  buildings  and 
all  modern  improvements.  His  farm  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  being  one  of  tin-  besl 
properties  of  New  Salem  township.  He  i?  well 
known  as  a  stockman,  he  and  his  brother  George 
being  very  extensive  stock  dealers,  making  ship- 
ments from  Maysville  and  other  neighboring 
points  and  handling  over  one  hundred  thmis-mil 
dollars'  worth  of  stock  each  vear.  Mr.  Carne?  is 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


591 


likewise  a  stockholder  in  Illinois  Valley  Bank  at 
Griggsville  and  the  Pike  County  Telephone  Com- 
pany. His  interests  are  concentrated,  however, 
upon  his  farm  and  live  stock  and  he  carries  for- 
ward to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes, having  the  quality  of  perseverance  that 
enables  him  to  overcome  all  difficulties  and  ob- 
stacles that  may  arise.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.. 
Carnes  are  active  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee  and 
lu-  is  likewise  one  of  the  trustees  of  Westfield 
College.  They  occupy  a  prominent  position  in 
public  regard  and  are  worthy  representatives  of 
one  of  the  leading  families  of  this  part  of  the 
state,  the  name  of  Carnes  being  inseparably  asso- 
ciated with  the  history  of  Pike  county. 


JOHN  WHITE. 

John  White,  deceased,  who  in  his  connection 
with  the  agricultural  interests  in  Pike  county, 
found  that  prosperity  might  be  attained  through 
earnest  and  persistent  effort,  and  won  his  success 
along  those  lines,  was  born  in  Londonderry,  Ire- 
land, in  1809,  his  parents  being  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Glass)  White,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  Emerald  Isle.  In  the  common  schools 
of  that  country  Mr.  White  obtained  his  educa- 
tion and  then,  thinking  to  improve  his  opportuni- 
ties in  the  new  world,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America  when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  locating 
at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained 
for  six  years.  During  the  greater  part  of  that 
time  he  followed  weaving,  and  later  removed  to 
Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  teaming, 
until  his  removal  to  Pike  county  in  1839.  Here 
he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers,  lo- 
cating at  New  Philadelphia. 

Subsequently  he  purchased  land,  and  he  further 
completed  his  arrangements  for  a  home  of  his 
own  by  his  marriage  in  1845  to  Miss  Margaret 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  Scotland.  They  had 
one  child,  now  deceased;  and  the  mother  died  in 
1846.  In  April,  1856.  Mr.  White  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mary  K. 
Cunningham,  who  was  born  in  Londonderry,  Ire- 


land. March  17, 1833, and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Isabella  (Smith)  Cunningham,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Ireland.  Mrs.  White  came  to 
America  with  her  brother,  Thomas,  in  1855,  sail- 
ing from"  Liverpool  to  New  York,  the  voyage 
lasting  six  weeks.  Her  parents  came  to  America 
in  1856,  locating  in  New  Salem  township,  Pike 
county.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
owning  and  operating  eighty  acres  of  land.  In 
his  family  were  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
are  yet  living,  namely :  Mrs.  White ;  Robert,  a 
resident  of  Canada ;  and  Samuel,  who  is  living  in 
Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  were  reared  in  the  same 
neighborhood  in  Ireland,  their  homes  being  sepa- 
rated by  a  distance  of  only  about  twelve  miles, 
but  they  became  acquainted  in  this  country.  Mrs. 
White  lived  with  her  aunt  until  her  marriage. 
There  were  ten  children  born  of  this  union,  of 
whom  seven  are  yet  living :  Joseph,  who  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  and  is  living  upon 
the  home  farm,  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge,  No.  218,  of  New  Salem,  and  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows lodge,  No.  834,  of  New  Salem.  Robert, 
who  acquired  a  comrnon-school  education,  also 
belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  New  Salem, 
in  which  he  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs. 
Kmmett,  who  was  educated  in  Jacksonville,  Illi- 
nois, married  Lena  Steinback  and  lives  on  his 
mother's  farm.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  New  Salem.  Frank,  who 
was  educated  in  Baylis  and  assists  in  the  operation 
of  the  home  farm,  is  likewise  an  Odd  Fellow. 
Mrs.  Margaret  Wray,  now  a  widow,  resides  in 
Quincy.  Anna  Belle  became  the  wife  of  Elliot 
Motley,  and  both  are  now  deceased,  their  three 
children  now  living  with  their  grandmother,  Mrs. 
White.  Mary  Jane  is  the  wife  of  John  Jacob, 
a  resident"  of  Kansas.  Emily  Alice  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Irick  and  lives  near  the  home  farm. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  White  owned 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he 
added  from  time  to  time  until  his  landed  pos- 
sessions comprised  eight  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
He  was  a  most  industrious  and  energetic  man. 
whose  economy  and  frugality  also  proved  an  im- 
portant element  in  his  prosperity.  He  was  a 
great  stockman,  and  engaged  quite  extensively  ir. 


592 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  raising  of  stock.  He  gave  his  political  alle- 
giance to  the  democracy ;  and  for  over  twenty 
years  served  as  a  school  director.  He  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  died  in 
that  faith  on  the  loth  of  June,  1880,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him,  because  of  his  upright  life 
and  what  he  had  accomplished.  He  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  seek  a 
home  in  the  new  world,  for  he  found  here  the 
opportunities  he  sought;  and  by  the  judicious  use 
of  the  advantages,  which  surround  all,  he  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward,,  becoming  one  of  the 
prosperous  and  representative  citizens  of  the 
county. 

Mrs.  White  is  also  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Her  home  is  pleasantly 
situated  about  four  miles  south  of  Baylis,  and 
her  postoffice  is  New  Salem.  She  owns  a  large 
amount  of  land,  and  each  of  her  sons  owns  a 
farm.  They  operate  their  own  land  and  their 
mother's  land,  comprising  eight  hundred  and 
sixty  acres ;  and  they  also  own  one  hundred  and 
thirty  head  of  fine  shorthorn  cattle,  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  head  of  hogs  of  the  Chester  White  and 
Poland  China  breeds  and  twenty-two  head  of 
horses ;  and  they  are  recognized  as  leading  stock- 
men of  the  community. 


JOHN  F.  BERRY. 

John  F.  Berry  residing  on  section  5,  Pleasant 
Hill  township,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  county.  In  his  home 
place  he  has  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
good  land,  and  in  addition  he  owns  another  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Martinsburg 
township.  He  was  born  in  the  house  which  is 
yet  his  home,  his  natal  day  being  December  12, 
r8.48.  His  father,  Willis  F.  Berry,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  born  in  1808  and  there  he  was  reared 
to  manhood.  He  afterward  removed  to  Pike 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  married  Arretta  J. 
Wells,  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  daughter  of 
George  Wells.  In  1840  Mr.  Berry  removed  with 
his  wife  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  began  fann- 
ing here  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  clearing  the 


land,  building  a  home  and  developing  a  good 
farm.  He  owned  here  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  which  he  transformed  into  highly 
cultivated  fields.  He  had  first  a  little  log  cabin, 
which  he  afterward  replaced  by  a  commodious  and 
substantial  modern  residence.  He  also  built  good 
barns  and  added  other  modern  improvements.  He 
remained  upon  the  old  family  homestead  here  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1883. 
His  wife  had  died  some  years  previously,  and  he 
afterward  married  again.  By  the  first  union  he 
had  seven  children  who  reached  years  of  maturity, 
while  four  are  yet  living. 

John  F.  Berry,  of  this  review,  was  reared  and 
educated  in  Pleasant  Hill  township,  his  common- 
school  advantages  being  supplemented  by  one  term 
of  study  in'  McKendree  College.  Through  sev- 
eral winter  terms  he  engaged  in  teaching  in  Pike 
county.  He  remained  with  his  father  and  as- 
sisted in  carrying  on  the  farm  until  he  liad  at- 
tained his  majority.  He  was  first  married  in  1878 
to  Miss  Mary  E.  Oxley,  a  native  of  Linn  county, 
Iowa,  where  she  was  reared,  and  for  several 
years,  prior  to  her  marriage,  she  followed  teach- 
ing. As  a  bride  she  was  taken  to  the  home  farm 
on  which  Mr.  Berry  yet  resides.  He  took  charge 
of  the  place  and  carried  on  the  work  for  his  fa- 
ther. In  March,  1883,  he  lost  his  first  wife,  who 
died  leaving  three  children :  Dr.  Orland  H. 
Berry,  a  practicing  physician  of  Belleview,  Illi- 
nois ;  Mary  R.,  who  has  been  a  successful  teacher 
of  the  county;  and  Frank  S.,  at  home.  In  this 
county  in  May,  1886,  Mr.  Berry  wedded  Libbie 
Briscoe,  who  was  born  in  Martinsburg  town- 
ship and  spent  her  girlhood  days  in  this  county. 
acquiring  her  education  in  the  public  schools.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Briscoe,  an  enterpris- 
ing agriculturist  of  Martinsburg  township.  By 
this  union  have  been  born  four  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living:  Everett  B.,  who  is  now  pursu- 
ing his  education  in  Pittsfield;  Emma  A.,  attend- 
ing the  home  school ;  and  Henry  Burdette  Berry. 

Politically  Mr.  Berry  has  been  a  lifelong  re- 
publican, casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
General  Grant  in  1872.  He  was  elected  and 
served  as  assessor  for  several  years,  and  has  been 
a  delegate  to  numerous  county  and  congressional 
conventions  of  his  party.  He  regards  it  the  duty 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


593 


as  well  as  the  privilege  of  every  American  citi- 
zen to  exercise  his  right  of  franchise  in  support 
of  the  measures  which  he  deems  will  prove  of 
greatest  good.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  is 
serving  as  trustee,  while  Mrs.  Berry  is  a  teacher 
and  earnest  worker  in  the  Sunday  school.  Mr. 
Berry  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  holding 
membership  in  the  blue  lodge  at  Pleasant  -Hill  and 
in  the  chapter  at  Pittsfield.  He  is  a  past  master 
of  the  lodge,  and  has  represented  the  local  organi- 
zation in  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  at  several 
sessions.  His  good  qualities  are  many,  and  have 
gained  him  favorable  regard  with  those  with 
whom  business  or  social  relations  have  brought 
him  in  contact.  Through  many  years  he  has  been 
an  interested  witness  of  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  and  is  classed  with  the  sub- 
stantial farmers  and  influential  men  of  Pleasant 
Hill  township.  His  integrity  stands  as  an  un- 
questioned fact  in  his  career,  and  his  business  ca- 
pacity is  manifest  in  his  capable  management  of 
his  large  farming  interests.  The  consensus  of 
public  opinion  concerning  Mr.  Berry  is  favor- 
able, and  that  his  entire  career  is  worthy  of  re- 
spect is  indicated  by  the  fact  he  is  best  liked 
where  best  known. 


ROBERT  BONIFIELD. 

Robert  Bonifield,  interested  in  general  farming 
and  stock-raising,  is  a  native  of  Barry  township 
born  on  the  6th  of  April,  1861,  his  parents  being 
Mareen  and  Elizabeth  (Hampton)  Bonifield.  The 
father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  July  31,  1827,  but 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Pike  county, 
whither  he  came  with  his  parents  in  1843,  tne 
family  home  being  established  near  the  village  of 
Kinderhook,  where  the  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject  died.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Mar- 
tin Hampton,  came  to  Pike  county  from  Ireland, 
at  an  early  day  in  the  settlement  of  this  part  of  the 
state,  and  his  daughter  Eliabeth  was  born  here 
on  the  2  ist  of  October.  1834.  Her  girlhood  days 
were  spent  amid  pioneer  surroundings,  and  she 
was  carefully  trained  to  the  labors  of  the  house- 
hold, as  were  all  girls  in  those  times.  On  reach- 


ing early  womanhood  she  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Mareen  Bonifield,  who  provided  for  his 
family  by  following  agricultural  pursuits ;  and  by 
the  careful  control  of  his  business  interests  he 
prospered,  becoming  owner  of  more  than  six  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  lad.  He  had  had  no  edu- 
cational privileges  whatever,  and  could  not  read 
nor  write ;  but  he  possessed  much  native  intelli- 
gence and  keen  sagacity,  and  displayed  excellent 
business  qualification  in  the  management  of  his 
affairs.  He  voted  with  the  republican  party, 
taking  some  interest  in  politics ;  and  held  member- 
ship in  the  Kinderhook  lodge,  No.  353,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  His  many  admirable  qualities  and  the 
success  which  he  accomplished  in  the  face  of 
seemingly  insurmountable  difficulties,  won  him 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  He 
died  in  April,  1896,  having  for  many  years  sur- 
vived his  wife,  who  passed  away  August  21, 
1873.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of 
whom  three  are  now  living,  namely :  Robert ; 
John,  who  resides  near  his  elder  brother ;  and 
Mrs.  Matilda  Lewton,  who  is  also  living  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  It  was  in  this  same  locality 
that  the  father  had  his  farm,  which  was  rich  bot- 
tom land. 

In  his  boyhood  days  Robert  Bonifield  acquired 
the  usual  country-school  education,  and  when  a 
young  man  of  twenty  years,  he  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account,  and  has  since  given  his  at- 
tention to  farming.  He  first  went  to  Macon 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  for  a  year  on  land  owned 
by  his  father.  He  made  the  first  purchase  of  land 
in  1897,  becoming  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  of  which  he  still  has  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  acres.  His  wife  also  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Kansas  which  she  rents. 
Her  farm  is  well  improved,  having  good  build- 
ings upon  it,  while  the  fields  have  been  carefully 
tilled.  The  home  property  of  Mr.  Bonifield  in 
Barry  township  is  also  well  developed  and  is  lack- 
ing in  none  of  the  accessories  of  the  model  farm 
of  the  twentieth  century.  Mr.  Bonifield  is  also 
a  railroad  contractor  and  has  done  considerable 
work  in  railroad  grading,  usually  keeping  several 
teams  for  this  purpose.  At  the  same  time  he  car- 
ries on  the  work  of  the  fields,  and  also  raises  stock 
upon  the  home  farm,  and  in  both  branches  of  his 


594 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


business  his  efforts  are  being  attended  with  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Bonifield  conducted  a  livery  stable  in  Kinder- 
hook  for  about  three  months. 

In  1881  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Boni- 
field and  Miss  Sarah  A.  Bridgewater,  who.  was 
born  October  31,  1860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Elias 
and  Mary  Jane  (Hankins)  Bridgewater,  the 
former  a  native  of  this  county,  while  the  mother 
was  born  in  Tennessee.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Samuel  Bridgewater,  came  to  Illinois  before  the 
town  of  Kinderhook  was  laid  out,  and  was  a  pio- 
neer resident,  whose  efforts  contributed  to  the 
early  substantial  improvement  of  his  locality. 
Reared  in  Pike  county,  Elias  Bridgewater  gave 
his  entire  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  in  the  course  of  years  accumulated  a 
large  property,  owning  four  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land  at  the  time  of  his  death,  while  pre- 
viously he  had  sold  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
He  was  a  successful  agriculturist;  and  moreover 
was  a  good  man,  just  and  fair  in  his  dealings  at 
all  times,  and  strictly  honorable  in  all  life's  rela- 
tions. He  belonged  to  Kinderhook  lodge,  No. 
353,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and  both  and  his  wife  were 
devoted  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  His  study  of  the  political  issues  and 
questions  of  the  day  led  him  to  give  his  adherence 
to  the  republican  party ;  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  courageously  espoused  the  Union 
cause,  manifesting  his  loyalty  to  the  Union  by  ac- 
tive service  with  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Regi- 
ment of  Volunteers,  in  which  he  enlisted  on  the 
5th  of  August,  1862.  He  served  with  that  com- 
mand until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion was  wounded  in  the  leg  at  Vicksburg.  He 
was  mustered  out  July  31,  1865;  and  many  more 
years  of  usefulness  were  vouchsafed  to  him,  for 
during  almost  four  decades  he  continued  a  resi- 
dent of  Pike  count}',  where  he  died  in  April,  1904, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  His  widow  is  now 
residing  in  Kansas,  and  will  have  attained  an  age 
of  sixty-four  in  May,  1906.  In  their  family  were 
eight  children  but  only  three  are  now  living:  Mrs. 
Bonifield :  John,  who  resides  in  Kinderhook  town: 
ship ;  and  Charles  A.,  who  is  living  in  Ford 
county,  Kansas. 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bonifield  have  been  born 
four  children,  of  whom  three  yet  survive.  Floyd, 
born  June  4,  1881,  and  now  living  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  married  Miss  Ilah  Gilvin,  of  Pike 
county,  and  they  have  two  children,  Charles  and 
Grace  L.  Oliver,  born  September  24,  1889,  and 
Clarence,  born  February  23,  1892,  are  still  at 
home.  The  daughter,  Tillie  May,  born  June  16, 
1883,  died  in  March,  1884.  The  family  home  is 
pleasantly  located  about  four  miles  from  Barry 
and  three  miles  from  Kinderhook,  and  is  a  com- 
fortable residence  in  the  midst  of  a  well  tilled 
farm.  Mr.  Bonifield  votes  with  the  republican 
party,  and  is  serving  for  the  second  term  as  road 
commissioner.  He  belongs  to  Odd  Fellows  lodge, 
^°-  757'  at  Kinderhook,  and  the  Mutual  Pro- 
tective League,  and  both  and  his  wife  are  con- 
nected with  the  Rebekah  lodge,  No.  133,  in  which 
she  has  filled  all  of  the  offices.  Both  are  repre- 
sentatives of  old  pioneer  families  of  the  county, 
the  names  of  Bonifield  and  Bridgewater  having 
long  figured  in  connection  with  agricultural  prog- 
ress, and  also  with  the  permanent  public  improve- 
ment of  this  part  of  the  state. 


J.  W.  KUHLMAN. 

J.  W.  Kuhlman,  who  is  engaged  in  the  imple- 
ment business  at  Hull,  was  born  in  Adams  county, 
Illinois,  on  the  5th  of  February,  1867,  and  is  son 
of  Peter  Henry  and  Fredericka  (Meyer)  Kuhl- 
man. As  the  name  indicates,  the  family  is  of  Ger- 
man lineage.  The  father  was  born  in  Germany. 
October  27,  1827,  and  was  a  son  of  Herman  and 
Louisa  (Bockeye)  Kuhlman.  The  former  was 
born  in  1794  and  died  in  Germany  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years,  while  his  wife's  death  occurred  when 
she  was  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  Herman  Kuhl- 
man learned  and  followed  the  stone-mason's  trade 
throughout  his  entire  life.  Two  of  the  members 
of  the  family,  one  son  and  one  daughter,  are  yet 
living. 

Peter  Henry  Kuhlman  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  <>f  his  native  land,  and  on  the  ist 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


595 


of  August,  1853.  left  Germany  for  America,  cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  on  a  sailing  vessel.  He  arrived 
at  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  the  loth  of  December  of 
that  year  and  began  working  out  by  the  day.  He 
was  employed  for  some  time  in  this  way,  and  later 
followed  teaming  for  several  years.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  the  country  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming  in  the  southern  part  of  Adams 
county,  carrying  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
for  about  fifteen  years.  In  1893  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Hull,  where  he  resided  for  eleven  years, 
when  he  sold  his  residence  there  to  his  son,  J. 
W.  Kuhlman,  and  removed  to  Quincy,  where  he 
has  since  lived  retired,  having  a  comfortable 
home  at  No.  919  South  Eighth  street.  He  has 
for  several  years  been  engaged  in  no  active  busi- 
ness pursuits,  for  the  years  of  his  former  toil 
supplied  him  with  a  capital  that  now  enables  him 
to  rest  in  well  earned  ease.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  his  sympathies  were  with  the  Union 
cause,  and  in  February,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Heidbreder. 
He  was  in  Arkansas  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  was  discharged  in  November,  1865,  at 
Springfield,  Illinois,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Quincy. 

On  the  i8th  of  January,  1854,  Peter  H.  Kuhl- 
man was  married  to  Fredericka  Meyer,  who  was 
born  in  Germany,  April  28,  1824,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Bemeyer)  Myrr. 
Her  father  died  when  she  was  but  six  weeks  old, 
and  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  Germany  in 
1851.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Kuhlman  were  born 
five  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  six  are  now 
living,  namely :  Herman,  who  resides  at  Hull : 
William,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Henry,  who  is 
living  in  Canada;  John  W. ;  Edward,  who  resides 
upon  a  farm  near  Hull;  and  Julia,  of  Colorado. 
Peter  H.  Kuhlman  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church  in  Quincy.  In  politics 
he  has  long  been  a  stanch  republican,  but  has 
never  held  nor  desired  office. 

J.  W.  Kuhlman  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Quincy,  and  began  life  on  his  own  account  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five  years.  He  and  his  brother 
Henry  then  entered  the  implement  business  at 
Hull,  and  he  has  since  been  connected  with  this 


trade  with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  a  year  and 
a  half,  which  he  spent  as  a  traveling  salesman  in 
the  employ  of  the  Collins  Plow  Company  of 
Quincy.  He  was  traveling  during  1902  and  1903, 
and  was  especially  successful  as  a  salesman  of 
hay  presses.  Since  his  retirement  from  the  road, 
he  has  been  sole  proprietor  of  the  business  at 
Hull,  and  he  carries  a  fine  line  of  farming  imple- 
ments, machine  oil,  pumps,  harness  supplies, 
whip.s  and  a  general  line  of  kindred  goods.  He 
now  has  a  fine  business,  a  liberal  patronage  hav- 
ing been  accorded  him,  and  his  annual  sales  have 
reached  a  large  figure. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1898,  J.  W.  Kuhlman  was 
married  to  Miss  Lilla  Miller,  who  was  born  De- 
cember 22,  1875,  in  Westfield,  Massachusetts.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Gustave  and  Emma  (West) 
Frohlick.  Her  father  was  born  October  9,  1843, 
in  Baden,  Germany,  and  is  now  living  in  Kings- 
ton, New  York.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
war,  having  given  his  services  to  the  government 
during  the  dark  days  of  our  country's  history. 
His  wife  was  born  March  12,  1856,  in  London, 
England,  and  died  July  27,  1877,  in  Westfield, 
Massachusetts.  After  the  death  of  the  mother, 
Mrs.  Kuhlman  went  Jo  live  with  her  grandmother 
West,  and  subsequent  to  the  grandmother's  death, 
she  was  adopted  by  Jarvis  W.  and  Adda  B. 
(  I'owkcr)  Miller.  Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  South 
Adams,  Massachusetts,  June  4,  1849,  and  his 
wife's  birth  occurred  there  July  13.  1850.  They 
were  married  December  26,  1869,  and  they 
adopted  Mrs.  Kuhlman  in  October,  1877.  Her 
own  mother  had  died  of  heart  disease  when  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age,  leaving  two  little  children, 
but  the  son  died  in  early  life.  When  Mrs.  Kuhl- 
man was  but  four  years  of  age  her  foster-par- 
ents came  to  the  west,  locating  in  Hannibal,  Mis- 
souri, and  she  attended  the  convent  there.  She 
afterward  went  to  Plainville,  Illinois,  to  live  with 
Mrs.  Miller's  mother,  Mrs.  Hepsy  Bowker,  and 
during  that  time  she  also  attended  school.  She 
there  resided  up  to  the  time  of  her  marriage  on 
the  2d  of  January,  1898.  Her  foster-mother  is 
now  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Aleshire,  of  Plainville, 
Adams  county,  Illinois,  one  of  the  old  practi- 
tioners of  that  county,  who  has  followed  his  pro- 
fession in  that  locality  for  more  than  thirty  years. 


596 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


He  is  now  pleasantly  situated  in  life,  having  a 
beautiful  home  in  Plainville  and  a  good  practice; 
and  he  and  his  wife  are  a  most  estimable  and 
highly  esteemed  old  couple  of  their  community. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuhlman  have  been  born 
four  children:  Fay  F.,  born  February  21,  1899; 
Adda  Rice,  February  i,  1900;  John  Merl,  July 
25,  1901 ;  and  Dorothy  Lilla,  September  17,  1904. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuhlman  may  well  feel  proud  of- 
their  family  of  beautiful  children.  Theirs  is  a 
model  home ;  and  the  husband  and  wife  enjoy  in 
large  measure  the  friendship  and  kindly  regard  of 
all  with  whom  they  have  come  in  contact.  In  his 
political  views  he  is  a  republican,  and  for  several 
terms  has  served  on  the  town  board.  Socially 
he  is  connected  with  the  Masons  and  the  Odd 
Fellows.  There  is  in  him  a  lack  of  ostentation 
and  display  and  a  true  worthy  character,  that 
have  made  him  one  of  the  respected  and  leading 
citizens  of  the  community;  and  his  nature,  too, 
is  such  as  wins  warm  personal  friendship. 


WILLIAM  MYERS,  JR. 

William  Myers,  Jr.,  is  a  farmer,  practical,  pro- 
gressive and  prosperous.  He  resides  upon  his. 
father's  old  homestead  in  Barry  township;  and 
his  birth  occurred  in  New  Salem  township,  Pike 
county,  on  the  I3th  of  March,  1855.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Mary  (Wike)  Myers.  The 
father  was  born  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, July  15,  1819,  and  was  a  son  of  Jacob 
Myers,  whose  father,  Jacob  Myers,  Sr.,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  native  of  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  whence  he  removed  to  West  Penns- 
boro  township,  Cumberland  county,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  forest.  Upon  his 
farm  there  was  a  stone  house,  while  a  small  clear- 
ing had  been  made ;  and  he  began  business  there 
as  an  agriculturist  and  blacksmith,  spending  his 
remaining  days  upon  that  place.  He  married  Mar- 
garet Marat,  who  also  died  in  Cumberland  county. 

Jacob  Myers,  grandfather  of  William  Myers, 
Jr..  \vas  born  in  Cumberland  county  in  1795,  and 
from  his  father  purchased  the  old  family  home- 
stead, upon  which  he  continued  to  reside  until 


1848.  He  then  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Pike 
county,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  wedded 
Lydia  Lyne,  a  daughter  of  William  Lyne,  and  a 
native  of  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
her  death  occurred. 

William  Myers,  Sr.,  acquired  his  education  in 
his  native  county,  and  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage.  In  1848 
he  came  to  Illinois,  traveling  by  team  to  Wheel- 
ing and  thence  by  boat  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
landed.  He  had  brought  a  team  with  him,  and 
from  that  city  drove  all  the  way  to  Barry,  Illi- 
nois. After  his  arrival  he  rented  land  for  a 
year,  and  then  purchased  a  farm  in  New  Salem 
township,  upon  which  he  lived  for  five  years, 
when  he  bought  the  farm  upon  which  William 
Myers,  Jr.,  now  resides.  His(  agricultural  in- 
terests became  extensive  and  profitable,  his  pos- 
sessions aggregating  four  hundred  acres  of  as  fine 
fanning  land  as  could  be  found  in  the  county, 
and  upon  the  property  he  made  excellent  improve- 
ments. He  was  married  in  1844  to  Miss  Mary 
Wike,  a  native  of  Cumberland  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  Wike. 
They  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom 
four  are  living.  Both  parents  are  now  deceased, 
the  mother  having  passed  away  in  August,  1887, 
while  the  father's  death  occurred  in  May,  1895. 
In  politics  Mr.  Myers  was  a  democrat  and  was  a 
very  prominent  and  influential  resident  of  his 
community.  Among  those  who  knew  him  his 
word  was  as  good  as  any  bond ;  and  he  well  mer- 
ited the  success  which  crowned  his  earnest  and 
indefatigable  efforts.  In  the  evening  of  life  he 
was  enabled  to  enjoy  many  comforts  and  luxuries 
which  were  unknown  to  him  in  his  earlier  years, 
and  which  were  made  possible  through  his  earnest 
and  persistent  labor  in  his  early  manhood. 

William  Myers  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Nor- 
mal, Illinois,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
two  years.  He  has  always  lived  on  the  old  home- 
stead with  the  exception  of  one  year,  which  he 
spent  in  Texas,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
stock  business.  He  and  his  brothers  purchased 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  there,  but  ill 
health  caused  him  to  return  to  Pike  countv.  He 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


597 


owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
where  he  now  resides  on  section  34.  Marry  town- 
ship, and  ninety  acres  in  Pleasant  Vale  township 
and  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing. The  place  is  well  fenced  and  the  property  is 
a  valuable  one.  He  has  a  good  comfortable  home 
which  was  built  by  his  father  in  1864,  and  his 
fanr,  is  situated  about  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
Barry.  _ 

In  1880  Mr.  Myers  was  married  to  Miss  Pau- 
line Mright,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Oc- 
tober 2,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Rosella  (Osburg)  Bright.  Her  father,  well 
known  as  "Uncle  Billy"  Bright,  is  a  retired  baker 
of  Barry,  and  the  number  of  his  friends  is  almost 
co-extensive  with  the  number  of  his  acquain- 
tances. He  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Prussia, 
April  25,  1825,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
A.  (Grause)  Bright.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools ;  and  in  1844  enlisted  in  the 
German  army  for  three  years'  service.  In  1850 
he  came  to  America,  making  his  way  to  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  where  he  remained  for  six  months, 
when  he  crossed  the  mountains  toPittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  then  went  down  the  Ohio  river  to 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  spent  four  years 
in  the  bakery  business,  having  learned  the  trade 
while  still  a  resident  of  Prussia.  He  came  from 
St.  Louis  to  Adams  county,  Illinois,  and  lived 
upon  a  farm  for  three  years,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  the  bakery  business  in  Barry.  He  was 
with  the  Twenty-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers in  the  Civil  war,  acting  as  baker  for  the 
regiment  until  the  battle  of  Corinth  in  1863,  after 
which  he  returned  home.  He  was  married  April 
5,  1853,  to  Mrs.  Rosella  Sanger,  nee  Osburg,  of 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  they  had  six  children,  of 
whom  five  are  now  living:  Fred  W.,  who  resides 
in  Kansas  City;  Sylvania,  at  home;  Pauline,  now 
Mrs.  Myers;  Louis  I*".,  a  merchant  of  l'.:irv\  : 
Minnie,  who  is  in  the  store  with  Louis;  and  Aldo, 
deceased.  The  parents  had  traveled  life's  jour- 
ney together  as  man  and  wife  for  forty-nine  years, 
eight  months  and  seventeen  days,  when  they  were 
separated  by  the  death  of  the  mother,  November 
22,  1902.  The  father  is  now  living  retired  and 
occupies  a  fine  home  in  Barry.  He  is  a  democrat, 
and  was  supervisor  of  Barry  township  for  four 


years,  while  for  many  years  he  has  been  school 
trustee.  He  has  also  been  many  times  a  delegate 
to  the  state  conventions,  and  has  been  recognized 
as  one  of  the  stalwart  advocates  of  the  party  and 
a  leader  in  its  local  circles.  He  is  a  communicant 
of  the  Catholic  church,  to  which  his  wife  also 
belonged. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  have  become  the  parents 
of  five  children:  Mary,  the  wife  of  Charles  S. 
Lippincott,  who  resides  near  her  father;  Maude, 
the  wife  of  George  Gray,  of  New  Canton ;  Clar- 
ence, Lewis  and  Ellis,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Myers 
votes  with  the  democracy,  and  has  been  school 
director  for  several  terms  and  also  commissioner 
of  highways  for  several  terms.  He  has  been  very 
successful  as  a  business  man,  and  in  his  interests 
has  shown  capable  control  and  unfaltering  enter- 
prise. He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  and  prominent  families  of  the  county,  and 
it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers 
this  history  of  the  family,  whose  work  has  ever 
been  an  element  in  the  substantial  progress  of  the 
community. 


ROBERT  EDMISTON. 

•  Robert  Edmiston,  deceased,  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  at  Barney  Castle  in  December, 
1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Archie  and  Nancy 
(Brown) Edmiston.  He  was  educated  in  Ireland, 
remaining  a  resident  of  that  country  until  thirty 
years  of  age,  when  he  emigrated  to  America.  He 
had  one  brother  and  two  sisters,  those  still  living 
being:  Archibald,  who  resides  in  Aurora,  Ne- 
braska ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Cunningham,  the  widow  of 
Thomas  Cunningham,  of  Baylis. 

When  Robert  Edmiston  lived  in  Ireland,  he 
would  herd  cattle  barefooted ;  and  he  only  had 
money  enough  to  bring  him  to  the  new  world.  He 
crossed  the  Atlantic  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  emp- 
ty-handed, but  with  a  courageous  heart,  began 
life  in  a  strange  land.  He  was  married  July  25, 
1871,  to  Miss  Ann  Holt,  who  was  born  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  January  20.  1847,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Martha  (Howard)  Holt, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  England,  whence 
they  cume  to  America  at  an  early  day.  In  1848 


598 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


they  removed  from  the  Empire  state  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  the  southeast  part  of  Adams  county, 
where  the  mother  spent  her  remaining  days,  her 
death  occurring  in  1852.  The  father  afterward 
married  again,  and  in  later  years  came  to  Baylis, 
where  his  last  days  were  passed.  He  owned  one 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  another 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  nearby.  He 
carried  on  both  blacksmithing  and  general  farm- 
ing; and  he  cleared  his  land,  grubbing  away  the 
stumps,  and  carrying  forward  the  work  of  im- 
provement along  modern  lines.  In  the  early  days, 
however,  he  lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  His  first 
house  had  no  regular  floor,  although  boards  were 
laid  down  upon  the  ground.  He  cut  the  timber 
in  order  to  build  the  house ;  and  as  the  years 
passed,  he  put  away  the  evidences  of  pioneer  life 
for  the  improvements  of  an  advanced  civilization. 
In  his  family  were  three  children,  born  of  his 
first  marriage :  Charles,  wTio  is  living  in  Baylis ; 
Mrs.  Martha  Sykes,  a  resident  of  Colorado ;  and 
Mrs.  Edmiston. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edmiston  were  born  three 
children :  Leah,  Charles  and  Emmett,  all  of 
whom  are  with  their  mother.  In  1869,  Mr.  Ed- 
miston purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section 
24,  Hadley  township,  where  his  wife  now  resides, 
and  to  this  property  he  added  two  hundred  acres. 
As  his  financial  resources  permitted  he  invested  in 
more  land.  He  thus  cleared  and  improved  his 
farm  which  he  fenced  and  cultivated,  carrying  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
He  built  a  fine  home  and  added  other  modern 
buildings,  continuing  to  engage  successfully  in 
general  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  August  16,  1903.  His 
widow  now  resides  upon  the  home  farm  near 
Baylis,  her  sons  operating  the  land. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Edmiston  was  n 
democrat,  but  never  cared  for  office.  His  sons 
have  followed  in  his  political  footsteps.  He  held 
nn •mhership  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  to  which 
his  wife  also  belongs,  and  he  displayed  in  his  rela- 
tion with  his  fellowmen  various  commendable 
traits  of  character,  which  .gained  for  him  the  trust 
and  respect  of  those  with  whom  he  was  associ- 
ated. His  life  was  one  of  untiring  activity,  and 
his  persistent  energy  and  sterling  purpose  gained 


for  him  the  success  which  made  him  a  representa- 
tive and  substantial  agriculturist  of  the  commu- 
nity. His  son  Charles  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  since  Febru- 
ary, 1901.  The  family  is  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity, their  home  being  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west 
of  the  village ;  and  their  interests  are  closely  allied 
with  those  things  which  tend  to  prove  of  most 
benefit  to  the  locality. 


WILLIAM  M.  HARVEY. 

William  M.  Harvey,  residing  in  Griggsville, 
Illinois,  has  met  with  well  merited  success. as  a 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  and  has  a  wide  and  fa- 
vorable acquaintance  in  Pike  county,  owing  to 
the  extent  of  his  business  interests  and  his  social 
qualities  which  have  brought  him  many  friends. 
He  was  born  in  Griggsville,  December  2,  1846, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Nancy  Harvey,  na- 
tives of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Pike  county  in  1839, 
when  it  was  largely  an  undeveloped  region. 
Much  of  the  native  timber  was  uncut  and  the  sod 
had  not  been  turned  on  many  stretches  of  prairie 
land.  Mr.  Harvey  became  connected  with  the 
early  development  of  the  county  and  figured 
prominently  in  local  interests. 

Under  the  parental  roof  William  M.  Harvey 
was  reared  and  the  public  schools  afforded  him 
the  educational  privileges  which  equipped  him 
for  the  performance  of  the  practical  and  respon- 
sible duties  of  life.  For  four  years  he  worked  in 
the  office  of  custodian  of  surveys  in  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  was  an  able  and  faithful  official. 
With  the  exception  of  this  period  he  'has  been 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  and  is  the 
owner  of  one  thousand  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
situated  near  Griggsville,  constituting  a  valuable 
property.  The  soil  is  productive  so  that  golden 
harvests  reward  him  for  the  care  and  labor  which 
are  bestowed  upon  the  fields.  The  work  of  im- 
provement is  carried  steadily  forward  in  all  de- 
partments of  farm  labor  and  Mr.  Harvey  has 
become  one  of  the  prosperous  agriculturists  of 
his  communitv. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  PIKE  COUNTY. 


599 


On  the  3d  of  February,  1876,  William  M.  Har- 
vey was  married  to  i£iss  Elizabeth  Turnbull,  a 
daughter  of  William  Turnbull,  a  prominent  and 
noted  old-time  citizen.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  two  children,  who  are  with  them  in 
Griggsville,  namely :  Raymond  W.,  who  was 
married  February  i,  1905,  to  Ellen  S.  Bierley; 
and  Mary  Grace,  who  was  married  August  30, 
1904,  to  Harry  C.  Laird  and  they  have  one  child, 
Florence  Elizabeth,  born  November  27,  1905. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  are  worthy  citizens,  highly 
esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  A 
history  of  our  subject  shows  that  he  has  ever 
been  reliable  as  well  as  energetic  in  his  business 
life,  while  in  social  relations  he  has  manifested  • 
those  sterling  traits  which  win  warm  friendships. 


MILLARD  FILLMORE  GODWIN. 

Millard  Fillmore  Godwin,  who  is  serving  for 
the  second  term  as  a  member  of  the  "honorable 
county  board  of  supervisors,  is  classed  with  the 
representative  citizens  of  Pike  county  and  is  also 
recognized  as  one  whose  opinions  carry  weight 
and  influence  in  the  local  councils  of  the  demo- 
cratic party.  Moreover  he  is  a  prosperous  and 
progressive  farmer  with  valuable  landed  hold- 
ings, having  six  hundred  acres  in  his  home  place, 
while  in  all  of  its  equipments  his  farm  is  in  keep- 
ing with  the  most  advanced  ideas  concerning 
modern  agriculture.  His  birth  occurred  in  Ross 
township,  Pike  county,  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1856.  His  father,  George  W.  Godwin,  was  also 
a  native  of  this  county,  born  near  Pittsfield  in 
1828,  the  grandfather  having  been  one  of  the 
honored  pioneer  settlers  here.  In  the  place  of  his 
nativity  George  W.  Godwin  was  reared  to  man- 
hood amid  pioneer  conditions  and  environments. 
assisting  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  new 
land  that  made  the  life  of  the  early  settler  a 
strenuous' one.  He  was  married  here  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Stewart,  also  a  native  of  Pike  county 
and  in  1849  he  made  the  overland  trip  to  Califor- 
nia, spending  two  years  in  the  mines  of  that  state, 
meeting  with  a  fair  measure  of  success.  He  then 
returned  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  and  New 


Orleans,  proceeding  up  the  Mississippi  river  and 
a  little  later  he  bought  land  and  located  in  what 
is  now  Ross  township.  There  he  carried  on 
farming  until  1860,  when  he  sold  his  property 
and  removed  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Douglas 
county  near  Lawrence,  where  he  again  purchased 
land  and  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  1862  he  lost  his 'first  wife  and  later 
married  again.  He  continued  a  resident  of  Kan- 
sas for  fifteen  years  and  then  sold  his  farm,  after 
which  he  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Louis  county, 
Missouri,  where  he  again  purchased  land,  spend- 
ing his  remaining  days  upon  that  property. 

Millard  F.  Godwin  is  one  of  two  brothers  born 
of  the  father's  first  marriage.  He  was  with  his 
father  in  Douglas  '  county,  Kansas,  for  fifteen 
years  and  then  accompanied  the  family  on  the 
removal  to  St.  Louis  county,  Missouri.  He  had 
fair  school  advantages,  pursuing  his  studies  in 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  in  Kirkwood,  Missouri, 
and  after  arriving  at  mature  years  he  went,  in 
1877,  to  Texas  and  was  there  employed  on  a 
cattle  ranch.  Subsequently  he  returned  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  on  the  Mississippi  bottoms,  where 
he  rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1889 
he  purchased  a  part  of  his  present  farm  and.  has 
since  resided  thereon.  He  began  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fourteen  acres  of  land,  which  he  com- 
menced to  cultivate  and  improve.  He  has  since 
erected  a  good,  neat  and  substantial  residence  and 
has  fair  outbuildings  and  improvements.  With 
his  farming  he  makes  a  business  of  raising  high 
grade  cattle  and  hogs  and  feeds  and  fattens  for 
the  market  from  two  to  four  carloads  of  stock 
annually. 

Mr.  Godwin  was  married  in  Pike  county,  Oc- 
tober 4.  1882,  to  Miss  Fannie  Yokem,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Yokem,  who  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer residents  of  this  county  and  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  large  landowner.  He  was  also  a 
man  of  considerable  influence  and  left  the  im- 
press of  his  individuality  upon  public  thought 
and  opinion.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Godwin  have 
been  born  ten  children :  Homer ;  William  ;  Net- 
tie and  Emma,  twins  :  Harry  F. :  Ruth  ;  Mary ; 
Fannie ;  Hallie ;  and  Lawrence. 

Throughout  his  residence  in  Pike  county  Mr. 
Godwin  has  continuously  carried  on  farming  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


his  home  place  now  comprises  six  hundred  acres, 
for  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  he 
has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by  addi- 
tional purchase  from  time  to  time.  He  also  owns 
another  farm  in  Martinsburg  township  and  he 
has  thus  become  one  of  the  large  landowners  of 
the  county,  his  business  capacity  and  enterprise 
being  indicated  by  his  realty  holdings,  for  he 
owes  his  success  entirely  to  his  well  directed  ef- 
forts. His  interests  have  been  carefully  man- 
aged and  he  has  brought  keen  discrimination  and 
untiring  industry  to  bear  upon  his  business  af- 
fairs, so  that  he  is  now  one  of  the  progressive 
farmers  and  successful  stock-feeders,  who  occu- 
pies a  position  of  affluence  in  Pike  county.  He 
has  always  voted  with  the  democracy  and  in  1893 
was  elected  supervisor  of  Pleasant  Hill  township. 
In  1904  he  was  again  chosen  for  the  office  and 
is  now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  a  member 
of  the  honorable  county  board.  He  is  acting  as  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  salaried  offices,  is 
chairman  of  the  road  and  bridge  committee,  also 
a  member  of  the  railroad  committee  and  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  directors.  Matters  of  local 
progress  are  of  deep  concern  to  him  and  elicit  his 
earnest  attention  and  active  co-operation  and 
whether  in  office  or  out  of  it  he  is  always  loyal 
to  the  public  good. 


FINIS  KILLEBREW. 

Finis  Killebrew,  in  his  farming  operations, 
keeps  fully  abreast  with  the  most  modern  methods 
of  farming,  using  the  latest  improved  machinery 
and  all  the  accessories  which  facilitate  farm  work. 
Advancement  along  agricultural  lines  has  been  as 
rapid  and  pronounced  as  in  any  other  depart- 
ment of  labor,  and  Mr.  Killebrew  is  a  typical 
representative  of  this  spirit  of  progress.  He  re- 
sides on  section  6,  Spring  Creek  township,  where 
he  has  eighty  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Killebrew  was 
born  in  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  March  23,  1858. 
and  is  a  son  of  Levi  Killebrew,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Scott  county.  Illinois.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  James  I.  Killebrew,  resided  for  a 
time  in  Missouri,  and  later  removed  to  Scott 


county,  where  his  son  Levi  was  reared.  Later 
he  went  to  Calhoun  county,  where  he  purchased 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  cultivated  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1902. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Looper,  a  native 
of  Greene  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Looper.  They  became  the  parents  of  nine 
children. 

Finis  Killebrew,  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth, 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  in  Calhoun  county,  where  he  assisted  in 
the  labors  of  the  fields  and  also  enjoyed  the  educa- 
tional advantages  afforded  by  the  common  schools. 
He  was  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  started  out 
to  work  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus 
employed  for  two  years,  which  gave  him  his 
start  in  life. 

On  the  ist  of  September,  1881,  Mr.  Killebrew 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Thursa  A.  Stark, 
a  native  of  Pike  county  and  a  daughter  of  John 
P.  Stark,  a  native  of  Indiana.  This  marriage  has 
been  blessed  with  four  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living:  Alta  Esther,  Bessie  Maud,  Neva 
Velma  and  Amanda  Buella,  all  yet  are  under  the 
parental  roof. 

Following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Killebrew  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  two 
miles  east  of  Nebo  and  later  he  bought  forty  acres 
more,  so  that  he  thus  became  the  owner  of  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  he  improved 
by  building  a  good  house  and  also  good  barns  and 
outbuildings.  He  set  out  an  orchard,  cultivated 
the  fields  and  continued  to  develop  the  property 
for  twelve  years,  when  in  1893  he  sold  out  and 
bought  where  he  now  resides  on  section  6,  Spring 
Creek  township.  He  at  once  began  the  improve- 
ment of  this  farm,  has  built  an  addition  to  the 
house,  has  put  up  a  windmill  and  stock  scales, 
and  has  added  other  mo'dern  equipments  until 
he  now  has  a  model  and  valuable  farm.  He  raises 
some  stock  and  feeds  hogs  for  the  market,  and  has 
been  a  shipper  of  cattle,  hogs  and  hay  for  fifteen 
years,  sending  his  shipments  to  various  markets. 
His  business  views  are  penetrative,  his  methods 
practical.  He  seems  to  see  readily  to  the  center 
of  things,  and  -from  the  center  to  the  outermost 
circumference  of  possibilities  in  the  line  of  his 
business  endeavor. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT   UE    PIKE   COUNTY. 


601 


Air.  Killebrew  is  a  member  of  the  Primitive 
Baptist  church,  and  Mrs.  Killebrew  and  their 
daughters  are  members  of  the  Missionary  Baptist 
church.  Politically  he  is  a  republican  where  na- 
tional issues  are  involved,  but  at  local  elections 
is  broad-minded  enough  not  to  be  "hampered  by 
party  ties,  when  only  the  capability  of  the  candi- 
date is  a  matter  for  consideration,  and  therefore 
votes  independently  at  such  times.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  highway  commissioner  for  one  term, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  for 
nineteen  years ;  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of 
office  have  little  attraction  for  him.  He  finds  that 
his  business  affairs  make  sufficient  demand  upon 
his  time  and  attention,  and  he  has  attained  through 
his  own  labors  his  position  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial and  progressive  farmers  of  the  county. 


ABEL  DUNHAM. 

Abel  Dunham,  who  since  1893  has  resided  in 
the  village  of  New  Salem  but  superintends  the 
operation  of  his  farm,  was  born  in  Ohio  on  the 
;th  of  April,  1843,  his  parents  being  Lewis  and 
Sarah  Ann  (Nelson)  Dunham.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  William  Dunham,  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  the  great-grandfather  was  of 
English  birth,  becoming  the  founder  of  the  fam- 
ily in  America.  William  Dunham  was  reared  to 
the  occupation  of  farming  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Chancy,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Maryland  and  her  parents,  like  the  Dunhams 
came  to  this  country  about  the  time  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Dunham 
lived  in  Maryland  and  Ohio  until  about  the  year 
1845,  but  in  the  evening  of  life  were  residents  of 
Illinois,  where  Mr.  Dunham  purchased  a  small 
farm  in  Griggsville  township.  There  he  died  at 
the  age  of  three  score  years  and  ten.  His  wife 
survived  him  for  a  number  of  years  and  also 
passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  on  section  17. 
Griggsville  township,  at  an  advanced  age.  •  Both 
were  active  and  devoted  members  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  church  and  were  people  of  strong 
religious  faith,  doing  all  in  their  power  to  pro- 
mote the  work  of  the  church  and  extend  its  influ- 


ence.    They  had  a  large  family  of  children,  of 
whom  Lewis  Dunham  was  the  eldest. 

The  birth  of  Lewis  Dunham  occurred  in  Mary- 
land, September  12,  1802,  and  he  died  at  his 
home  in  New  Salem  township,  September  14. 
1866.  His  early  life  was  passed  in  the  state  of 
his  nativity,  where  he  acquired  his  education. 
His  marriage  was  probably  celebrated  in  Ohio 
and  he  began  his  business  life  there  as  a  farmer 
and  cooper,  making  his  home  in  that  state  until 
1844,  when  in  the  month  of  April  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois. Three  years  later  he  settled  on  land  of  his 
own  in  New  Salem  township  and  was  there  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  general  farming.  He  was 
in  limited  financial  circumstances  at  the  time  of 
his  arrival  in  this  county,  but  he  became  a  com- 
paratively wealthy  man  and  improved  a  valuable 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  was  a 
useful  citizen  of  the  township  and  an  active  and 
conscientious  worker  in  the  United  Brethren 
church.  He  was  widely  known  for  his  truthful- 
ness, his  industry  and  other  valuable  traits  of 
character,  which  won  for  him  the  esteem  of  the 
.community  and  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  was  associated  in  business  or  social  relations. 
In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  democrat  and  his 
fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability  frequently  called  him  to  local  office.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  A.  Nelson 
and  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  Her  parents 
were  Elisha  and  Mary  (Stringer)  Nelson,  who 
were  also  natives  of  Maryland  and  are  thought 
to  have  been  of  Scotch  lineage.  They  were  farm- 
ing people  and  after  their  marriage  lived  in 
Maryland,  but  later  removed  to  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  where  they  resided  until  1842,  when  they 
came  to  Illinois,  spending  their  remaining  days 
upon  a  farm  which  Mr.  Nelson  owned  in  New 
Salem  township.  Pike  county.  They  were  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  church  for  many 
years  and  were  earnest  Christian  people.  Their 
daughter,  Sarah  Nelson,  who  became  the  mother 
of  Abel  Dunham,  was  born  in  April.  1807,  and 
was  reared  in  Maryland  and  Ohio.  She  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  husband,  whom  she  sur- 
vived for  several  years,  passing  away  when  more 
than  eighty  years  of  age.  She,  too,  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  United  Brethren  church 


602 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  her  Christian  faith  permeated  her  entire  life 
and  shaped  her  conduct  toward  those  with  whom 
she  came  in  contact.  She  was  the  mother  of 
nineteen  children,  nine  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Her  death  occurred  September  5,  1887,  and  her 
memory  is  yet  cherished  by  many  who  knew  her. 

Abel  Dunham  acquired  a  limited  education  in 
the  common  schools  but  much  of  his  time  was 
devoted  to  farm  labor  and  throughout  his  entire 
life  he  has  been  connected  with  agricultural  in- 
terests. He  purchased  his  first  tract  of  land  in 
1867,  becoming  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  New 
Salem  township  and  since  that  time  he  has  con- 
tinuously owned  and  operated  farm  property. 
He  removed  to  New  Salem  in  1893  and  he  now 
employs  a  man  to  cultivate  the  fields,  but  super- 
intends the  farm  work  himself.  He  owns  three 
hundred  acres  of  productive  and  valuable  land 
in  New  Salem  township,  which  is  well  improved, 
while  the  fields  have  been  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  All  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  property  stand  as  a  monument  to  the  enter- 
prise and  labor  of  Mr.  Dunham,  who  has  as  fine 
a  farm  as  can  be  found  in  the  county,  with  good 
buildings  upon  it,  the  latest  improved  machinery 
and  every  evidence  of  careful  and  practical  su- 
pervision. He  is  well  known  as  an  extensive 
stock  owner  and  buys,  feeds  and  sells  stock.  His 
residence  in  New  Salem  is  one  of  the  fine  homes 
of  the  town. 

In  1864  Mr.  Dunham  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Laura  Temple,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and 
unto  them  was  born  a  daughter,  Lenora,  who 
married  Frank  Holdridge.  They  reside  in  Han- 
nibal, Missouri,  and  have  one  child,  Nellie.  Mrs. 
Dunham  departed  this  life  in  the  fall  of  1866  and 
on  the  26th  of  August,  1867,  Mr.  Dunham  was 
married  to  Miss  Emily  Cobb,  who  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Hale)  Cobb,  a 
direct  descendant  of  Sir  Nathan  Hale,  of  England. 
She  came  west  to  Pike  county  in  her  early  girl- 
hood. She  had  a  brother  who  established  and  af- 
terward edited  the  Barry  Adage,  remaining  its 
proprietor  for  some  time.  Her  father  was  n 
stock-buyer  and  also  a  farmer  and  was  serving  as 
deputy  sheriff  of  Pike  county  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 


Mr.  Dunham  is  an  advocate  of  democratic 
principles  and  votes  for  the  men  pledged  to  sup- 
port the  party.  For  several  years  he  served  as 
supervisor  of  New  Salem  township.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  lodge  at  New  Salem  and  his  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  In  the 
community  where  they  reside  they  are  esteemed 
because  of  genuine  worth,  social  natures  and 
kindly  manner,  and  Mr.  Dunham  ranks  with  the 
leading  and  prominent  business  men  of  the  county. 
In  connection  with  the  superintendence  of  his 
farming  interests  he  is  also  president  of  the  Illi- 
nois Valley  Bank  of  Griggsville,  which  position 
he  has  occupied  since  its  establishment  in  1902. 
This  is  a  state  bank,  capitalized  for  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  and  George  Carnes  is  vice-presi- 
dent and  Fred  Farrand  cashier.  Mr.  Dunham 
is  watchful  of  business  opportunities  and  his 
judgment  is  seldom  at  error  in  business  matters. 
He  has  advanced  steadily  through  his  own  efforts, 
regarding  all  obstacles  and  difficulties  in  his  path 
as  an  impetus  for  renewed  effort  and  his  business 
integrity  and  genuine  worth  make  him  a  popular 
and  honored  citizen. 


SAMUEL  A.  WILLARD. 

Samuel  A.  Willard,  who  died  upon  his  farm  in 
Martinsburg  township  March  25,  1899,  was  one 
of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  his 
locality  and  owned  a  farm  of  three  hundred  acres, 
which  in  its  well  improved  appearance  indicated 
his  careful  supervision  and  practical  methods.  He 
was  a  native  son  of  Pike  county,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Hardin  township  on  the  25th  -of  Au- 
gust, 1843.  He  was  a  son  of  Orlando  Willard,  a 
native  of  New  York  and  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  county,  having  come  here  when  this  was  a 
frontier  district,  in  which  the  work  of  improve- 
ment and  progress  had  scarcely  begun.  He  was 
married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Miss  Nancy  Bixby.  a 
nartive  of  the  Keystone  state,  and  unto  them  were 
born  ten  children. 

Of  this  number  Samuel  A.  Willard  was  reared 
under  the  parental  roof  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farm  lads  of  the  period,  dividing  his  time  between 


SAMUEL  A.  WILLARD 


LIBRARY 

0*   THE 

UNIVERSITY  Of   IU1NQIS. 


PAST   AXD    PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


605 


the  work  of  the  schoolroom  and  of  the  fields, 
during  the  period  of  his  minority,  or  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  when,  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1862,  he  responded  to  his  country's  call  and  with 
patriotic  spirit  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company 
E,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  for  three  years,  taking  part  in  a  number 
of  important  engagements.  He  was  in  some  of 
the  movements  of  the  army  in  Missouri  and  was 
also  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  promoted 
from  the  ranks  to  regimental  fifer  and  at  the  close 
of  the  war  was  honorably  discharged  at  Spring- 
field in  August,  1865,  having  been  a  faithful  and 
loyal  soldier,  whose  fidelity  to  duty  was  never 
called  into  question. 

Following  the  cessation  of  hostilities  Mr.Wil- 
lard  returned  to  his  father's  farm,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  ist  of  January,  1867,  when  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Frances  Miller,  who 
was  born  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  James  B.  Miller,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Her  father  was  reared,  however,  in 
the  Buckeye  state  and  was  married  there  to  Miss 
Mary  Griffin,  a  native  of  Ohio,  where  she  spent 
her  girlhood  days.  In  the  fall  of  1853  they  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  settling  in  Hardin  township, 
Pike  county,  where  Mrs.  Willard  was  reared  and 
where  she  afterward  gave  her  hand  in  marriage. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard  began  their  domestic  life 
in  Martinsburg  township,  settling  upon  a  new 
and  unimproved  farm  of  eighty  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  Mr.  Willard  placed  under  cul- 
tivation. Subsequently  he  added  to  this  property 
and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  further 
extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  he 
owned  over  three  hundred  acres  of  rich,  product- 
ive and  valuable  land.  He  erected  a  good  residence 
and  fair  outbuildings  and  was  energetic  and  deter- 
mined in  his  work  and  reliable  and  trustworthy 
in  all  his  dealings.  He  was  quite  extensively 
engaged  in  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of 
raising  and  fattening  hogs  for  the  market  for 
several  years.  Together  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard 
labored  earnestly  and  effectively  and  he  found 
in  her  a  most  capable  helpmate.  Their  success 
was  attributable  entirely  to  their  own  efforts  and 
following  her  husband's  death  Mrs.  Willard  took 
charge  of  the  farm  and  business,  remaining  there- 
30 


on  until  1903,  when  she  purchased  a  residence  in 
Pittsfield,  where  she  now  resides.  She  also  owns 
her  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in 
Hardin  township. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard  had  no  children  of  their 
own,  but  reared  an  adopted  daughter,  Martha, 
who  is  a  niece  of  Mr.  Willard,  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  their  household  when  four  years  of  age. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  J.  F.  Roberts,  of  Martins- 
burg  township.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Willard 
was  a  stanch  republican  but  did  not  care  for 
office,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and  energies  to 
his  business  affairs,  in  which  he  met  with  well 
merited  success.  His  integrity  was  above  ques- 
tion and-  in,  his  life  he  exemplified  many  sterling 
,traits  of  character.  His  widow  is  a  member  of 
the '  Methodist '  Episcopal  church,  active  and 
earnest  in  its  work,  and  belongs  to  the  Ladies 
Aid  Society. 


FRED  S.  GAY,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Fred  S.  Gay,  actively  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  Atlas  township,  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  distinguished  families  of 
Pike  county,  the  name  of  Gay  having  long  fig- 
ured prominently  and  honorably  in  connection 
with  business  interests  and  public  life  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  His  parents  were  William  H. 
and  Elizabeth  (Shinn)  Gay.  The  father  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  and  is  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  having  loyally  defended  the 
Union  cause  in  the  dark  hours  of  the  •  country's 
peril.  He  is  now  living  a  retired  life,  and  makes 
his  home  in  Summer  Hill. 

Dr.  Gay  was  born  in  Atlas  township,  July  23, 
1878,  and  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  ac- 
quiring his  preparatory  education  in  the  country 
schools  of  his  native  township,  and  afterward 
attended  the  high  school  at  Pittsfield.  Upon  leav- 
ing school  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  three  years 
in  Pleasant  Hill  and  Pleasant  Vale  townships,  and 
subsequently  he  engaged  with  the  Milwaukee 
Harvesting  Company  as  a  traveling  salesman,  oc- 
cupying that  position  for  about  three  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to 
reading  medicine,  for  he  had  become  imbued  with 


6o6 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


a  desire  to  enter  upon  the  practice  of  the  profes- 
sion as  a  life  work.  In  1900  he  entered  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  Barnes  University,  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  and  was  graduated  therefrom 
in  the  spring  of  1904,  the  degree  of  M.  D.  being 
conferred  upon  him.  He  at  once  located  for 
practice  in  Rockport,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained, and  he  now  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative 
business,  being  ably  assisted  by  his  wife,  who  is 
also  a  physician. 

On  the  i8th  day  of  July,  1905,  Dr.  Gay  was 
married  to  Dr.  Emma  Von  Greyerz,  a  daughter 
of  K.  G.  and  Mary  (Gygax)  Von  Greyerz, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Bern,  Switzerland. 
On  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  they 
made  their  way  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  Mrs.  Gay 
being  at  that  time  three  years  of  age.  They  lived 
in  Louisville  for  ten  years,  when  they  went  to 
Kirkwood,  Missouri,  where  they  now  reside. 
Mrs.  Gay  attended  the  medical  department  of  the 
Barnes  University  in  St.  Louis,  spending  four 
years  in  that  institution.  She  was  graduated  with 
the  professional  degree  in  1905.  Both  have  early 
in  their  professional  careers  attained  enviable  rep- 
utations as  skilled  physicians,  and  it  is  safe  to  pre- 
dict still  greater  success  in  the  future  as  repre- 
sentatives of  the  medical  fraternity.  They  are  also 
prominent  socially,  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  this  part  of  the  county  being  cordially 
extended  to  them. 


JACOB   POWELL. 

Jacob  Powell,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Pike  county.  He  was  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  near  Knoxville,  September,  1828, 
and  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  about  1835, 
settling  about  four  miles  west  of  Perry,  Pike 
county,  where  the  family  resided  on  a  farm  for 
several  years.  From  there  they  moved  to  the 
north  part  of  Hadley  township,  his  father  having 
purchased  a  tract  of  land,  which  was  well  cov- 
ered with  timber  and  hazel  brush,  on  which  by 
hard,  persistent  labor  they  laid  the  foundation 
for  a  future,  pleasant  home.  At  that  time  there 
was  no  regular  laid-out  public  roads,  in  their 


part  of  the  country,  but  in  going  to  the  little  in- 
land towns,  the  settlers  would  take  the  most  di- 
rect line  going  through  timber  and  brush,  cross- 
ing necks  of  prairie,  creeks  and  ravines,  moving 
from  their  pathways  only  such  trees  as  was 
necessary. 

At  that  time  Quincy  was  but  a  little  trading 
post  and  steamboat  landing,  with  but  a  few  set- 
tlements along  the  road  between  that  place  and 
the  Powell  home.  Yet  Jacob,  a  mere  boy,  oft- 
times  had  to  take  breaking  plows  to  Quincy  to  a 
somewhat  renowned  blacksmith,  who  had  learned 
the  art  of  plow  sharpening.  The  blacksmith  oc- 
cupied a  small,  log  building.  To  this  market  he 
used  to  haul  grain  with  ox  teams,  and  for  sev- 
eral years,  during  the  summer  and  fall  months, 
broke  hazel  and  prairie  lands  for  new  settlers  in 
his  section  of  country. 

Lands  were  cheap  at  that  time,  and  fully  real- 
izing that  .prices  would  advance,  he  invested  his 
hard  earned  money  in  Pike  county  lands,  until 
he  had  acquired  over  eleven  hundred  acres  be- 
side purchasing  quite  a  tract  in  Iowa.  In  after 
years  he  sold  and  divided  a  portion  of  his  lands 
among  his  children  but  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  the  possessor  of  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  was  divided  among  the  surviving 
children. 

In  1847  ne  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mc- 
Cleery,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Mc- 
Cleery,  of  Hadley  township.  To  this  union  were 
born  nine  children,  six  of  whom  died  in  youth. 
Those  surviving  are:  Richard  W.,  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stock-faiser.  of  Hadley  township: 
Emily,  wife  of  Samuel  Grammer ;  and  Franklin 
M.  Powell,  owner  of  and  dealer  in  lands,  being  a 
member  of  the  Baylis  Real  Estate  Agency.  Both 
he  and  his  sister  are  residents  of  Baylis. 

After  the  death  of  his  parents  Mr.  Powell 
bought  from  the  other  heirs  the  old  home  farm, 
where  he  continued  to  live  until  1887,  when  he 
moved  to  Baylis  and  here  he  and  his  wife  spent 
•  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Mr.  Powell  de- 
parted this  life  September  27,  1903,  and  his  wife 
July  5,  1905.  His  life  was  marked  throughout 
by  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress,  coupled 
with  an  unyielding  integrity  that  won  for  him 
respect  and  friends  from  all  classes  with  whom 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


607 


he  came  in  contact.  He  was  always  ready  to  ex- 
tend a  helping  hand  to  suffering  and  needy  hu- 
manity. His  sphere  of  usefulness  was  in  the 
walks  of  private  life.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  church  work,  assisting  in  the 
building  and  maintaining  of  a  church  which  was 
located  on  one  of  his  farms.  Politically  he  was 
a  stanch  republican. 


EDWARD  S.  HOYT. 

The  consensus  of  opinion  concerning  the  busi- 
ness ability  and  public  service  of  Edward  S. 
Hoyt,  cashier  of  the  Griggsville  National  Bank, 
is  most  favorable,  for  through  many  years  he  has 
been  a  factor  in  business  and  political  circles,  his 
labors  being  of  a  character  that  have  contributed 
to  general  progress  as  well  as  to  individual  suc- 
cess. He  was  born  in  Griggsville  township,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1846. 

His  father,  Sylvester  C.  Hoyt,  was  born  in 
Hartland,  Vermont,  October  11,  1818,  and  se- 
cured his  education  in  the  schools  of  Charles- 
town,  Massachusetts.  In  the  year  1836  he  came 
to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  the  family  home  being 
established  in  Pike  county.  They  made  their 
way  westward  from  Charlestown,  and  after  com- 
ing to  this  county,  Mr.  Hoyt  rented  land  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  operated  a  threshing  ma- 
chine with  horse  power.  He  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  merchandising,  continuing  in  business 
until  1856,  when  he  extended  the  field  of  his  ac- 
tivities by  engaging  in  the  pork-packing  busi- 
ness, having  built  a  packing  house.  In  1872  he 
retired  from  active  life,  having  in  the  meantime 
acquired  a  handsome  competence.  He  took  a  deep 
interest  in  all  public  affairs,  and  served  as  a  school 
director  for  many  years,  also  held  various  village 
offices.  His  interest  in  community  affairs  was 
deep  and  sincere,  and  led  to  his  co-operation  in 
many  movements  that  resulted  beneficially  to  the 
village.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
whig  party  until  the  dissolution,  when  he  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  republican  party.  He  was  mar- 


ried March  11,  1845,  to  Malinda  M.  Reid,  who 
was  born  in  Tennessee,  August  13,  1820,  and  died 
May  28,  1854,  leaving  three  children:  Edward 
S.;  Frank  H.,  who  was  born  April  12,  1849,  anc' 
died  May  21,  1894;  and  Alice  M.,  born  January 
21,  1851,  and  died  May  24,  1882.  Mr.  Hoyt 
was  married  on  the  I5th  of  June,  1858,  to  Almira 
P.  Graham,  a  daughter  of  Israel  Graham,  of 
Muscatine,  Iowa.  His  third  wife  was  Mrs.  Eliz- 
abeth Brakefield,  a  daughter  of  Deacon  Carmer, 
to  whom  he  was  married  May  10,  1883.  Mr. 
Hoyt  passed  away  May  6,  1894.  He  had  for 
many  years  been  a  resident  of  the  county  and 
was  respected  as  a  man  of  genuine  worth  and  of 
unfaltering  integrity  in  business  life. 

Edward  S.  Hoyt,  spending  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental  roof,  ob- 
tained his  early  education  in  the  public  schools, 
and  afterward  attended  the  Jones  Business  Col- 
lege in  St.  Louis.  When  his  text-books  were  put 
aside  he  entered  the  field  of  business  activity 
and  was  engaged  in  clerking  in  a  store  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age.  He  then  went  upon 
the  river  as  a  clerk  on  a  steamboat  running  on 
the  Illinois,  for  seven  years.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  the  shipping  and  commission  business 
at  Griggsville  Landing  for  ten  years.  He  was 
then  appointed  postmaster  under  President  Har- 
rison, serving  in  that  capacity  for  four  years, 
and  on  his  retirement  from  office  gave  his  at- 
tention to  the  insurance  business  and  to  the 
settlement  of  estates.  In  1902  he  entered  the 
Griggsville  National  Bank  as  cashier  and  has 
since  acted  in  that  capacity.  He  is  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  banking  business  and  is  a 
popular  official  with  the  patrons  of  the  institution, 
while  the  officers  of  the  bank  recognize  his  thor- 
oughness, his  capability  and  unfaltering  devotion 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  company  which  he 
represents. 

On  the  1 2th  of  November,  1868,  Mr.  Hoyt 
was  married  to  Miss  Emily  Rider,  who  was  born 
September  30.  1847,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Samuel  and  Angeline  (Carlton)  Rider, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
Her  father  was  a  seafaring  man  while  living  upon 
the  Atlantic  coast.  On  his  removal  to  the  west 
he  settled  in  Illinois,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 


6o8 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


are  now  deceased.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoyt  three 
children  were  born:  Herbert,  born  March  26, 
1870;  Clara  L.,  October  17,  1871 ;  and  M.  Alice, 
August  16,  1873.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
August  7,  1883,  and  on  the  i6th  of  January,  1888, 
Mr.  Hoyt  was  married  to  Mrs.  Zilpha  S.  Wilson, 
who  was  born  July  7,  1852,  and  is  daughter  of 
Benjamin  T.  and  Ila  (Howell)  Shoemaker.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  came  to 
^Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1867,  settling  in  Perry 
township.  While  in  the  east  he  followed  farming 
and  possessing  considerable  mechanical  ingenuity, 
he  did  horse-shoeing  and  made  his  own  farm 
implements.  Since  the  second  marriage  of  Mr. 
Hoyt  one  son  has  been  born,  Arthur  Sherman, 
born  May  21,  1890. 

Mr.  Hoyt  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  republican 
principles  and  has  filled  a  number  of  offices,  to 
which  he  has  been  called  by  the  vote  of  his  fellow 
townsmen,  who  recognized  his  worth  and  ability. 
He  was  mayor  of  Griggsville  for  the  term  of 
1895-6  and  was  school  treasurer  for  six  or  eight 
years.  In  discharging  his  official  duties  he  has 
ever  been  found  prompt  and  reliable  and  his 
capability  has  made  him  an  officer  whose  service 
has  been  of  value  to  the  city.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  is  interested 
in  all  that  pertains  to  the  material,  intellectual, 
social,  political  and  moral  welfare  of  the  city. 
He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  his  many  good 
qualities  are  such  as  entitle  him  to  the  regard 
which  is  uniformly  tendered  him. 


H.   WALLACE   HAINES. 

H.  Wallace  Haines,  who  in  his  business  career 
has  manifested  the  alert  and  enterprising  spirit 
which  has  been  a  salient  feature  in  the  -rapid  and 
substantial  upbuilding  of  the  middle  west,  is  well 
known  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Haines,  Rupert 
&  Company  at  Rockport,  general  mercliants,  con- 
ducting a  large  and  prosperous  business.  He 
was  born  February  17,  1870,  in  Gilgal,  Pike 
county,  a  son  of  William  M.  and  Ellen  L. 
(Crenshaw)  Haines.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey  and  on  coming  to  Illinois  resided 
for  several  years  in  Rockport.  subsequent  to  which 


time  he  removed  to  Gilgal,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried. Following  farming  he  became  a  prominent 
representative  of  agricultural  interests  and  won 
a  satisfactory  reward  for  his  well  directed  labors. 
His  death  occurred  in  1881,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  the  Rockport  cemetery.  His  widow 
afterward  married  James  D.  Rupert,  whose 
death  occurred  in  1895.  Mrs.  Rupert  still  re- 
sides in  Rockport  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady, 
whose  circle  of  friends  is  a  very  extensive  one. 

H.  Wallace  Haines  began  his  education  in  the 
Rockport  public  schools  and  supplemented  his 
preliminary  intellectual  training  by  study  in  the 
National  Normal  University  at  Lebanon,  Ohio, 
where  he  pursued  a  three  years'  course  and  was 
graduated  with  high  honors,  holding  two  diplomas 
and  receiving  the  degrees  of  Bachelor  of  Science 
and  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Subsequent  to  his  grad- 
uation he  returned  to  Rockport  and  entered 
business  life  here  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Anderson,  Taylor  &  Company,  with  which 
he  continued  for  a  year.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  Mr.  Taylor  retired  and  the  business 
was  then  conducted  under  the  name  of  Anderson 
Rupert  &  Company  until  1897,  when  the  business 
was  closed  out  and  the  partnership  was  dissolved. 
Mr.  Haines,  however,  continued  in  mercantile 
life  in  Rockport,  opening  a  store  in  the  old  Nichols 
Building,  in  which  he  continued  for  six  months. 
In  the  spring  of  1898  he  was  joined  in  busness 
by  his  mother,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Rupert,  and  the  store 
was  then  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of 
Haines  &  Rupert  until  1900,  at  which  time  the 
establishment  with  all  of  the  stock  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  At  once,  however,  work  was  begun  on 
a  new  building  and  after  two  months  business 
was  resumed  under  the  present  firm  name  of 
Haines,  Rupert  &  Company.  This  company 
carries  the  largest  stock  of  general  merchandise 
and  lumber  of  any  house  in  the  western  part  of 
Pike  county  and  almost  everything1  that  is  in 
demand  by  the  general  public  can  be  purchased 
there  save  farm  implements.  Their  stuck  is. 
always  modern  and  is  carefully  selected  and  their 
reasonable  prices  and  honorable  dealings  recom- 
mend them  to  the  patronage  of  the  general  public. 

On  the  2Oth  of  April.  1893,  Mr.  Haines  \vas 
united  in  marriage  to  .Miss  Amy  L.  Martin,  a 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


609 


daughter  of  Hudson  and  Lyclia  Martin,  of  Derry 
township.  Pike  county.  They  now  have  two 
children,  a  daughter  and  son:  Gertrude  Martin, 
who  is  eleven  years  of  age ;  and  Charles  Wallace 
Haines,  a  young  lad  of  seven  years.  Their  po- 
sition socially  is  a  foremost  one  and  their 
own  home  is  justly  celebrated  for  its  pleasing 
and  gracious  hospitality.  Mr.  Haines  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Rockport  and  also 
the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  the  Maccabees 
tent.  He  votes  with  the  republican  party  and 
is  deeply  interested  in  its  success  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  give  un- 
divided attention  to  his  business  affairs.  In  his 
mercantile  career  he  has  wrought  along  modern 
lines,  keeping  in  touch  with  the  onward  march 
of  progress  in  the  line  of  trade  and  his  careful 
management  and  keen  and  clear  discernment  in 
business  affairs  have  been  salient  elements  in  a 
prosperous  career. 


WILLIAM   H.   JOHNSON,   M.   D. 

Dr.  William  H.  Johnson,  popular  profession- 
ally and  in  social  circles,  enjoying  a  large  practice 
in  Barry  and  the  surrounding  districts,  is  a  native 
of  Florida,  Monroe  county,  Missouri,  born  on 
the  29th  of  May,  1855.  His  parents  were  Dr. 
Robert  J.  and  Mary  (Tandy)  Johnson.  The 
father  was  born  in  Rockbridge  count}-,  Virginia, 
October  7,  1828,  while  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Palmyra,  Missouri,  February  12,  1839. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  January  26,  1854, 
Dr.  Robert  J.  Johnson  having  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio  with  his  parents  in  his  early 
boyhood  days  and  afterward  accompanied  them 
when  they  went  to  Alissouri.  He  prepared  for 
his  profession  under  the  direction  and  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  William  N.  Tandy,  formerly  of 
Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  but  at  that  time  a 
resident  of  Missouri.  Having  prepared  for  the 
practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  he  then  opened 
an  office  in  Monroe  county  and  for  thirty-two  or 
three  years  was  an  active  practitioner  at  Florida, 
giving  his  time  and  attention  to  the  alleviation  of 
human  suffering  up  to  his  demise.  He  was  a 


member  of  Santa  Fe  lodge,  No.  462,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  was  a  democrat  in  his  political  adherence, 
and  his  religious  -faith  was  indicated  by  his 
membership  in  the  Christian  church,  to  which 
his  wife  also  belonged.  He  died  June  2,  1881, 
and  his  death  came  as  a  personal  loss  to  many 
who  knew  him  for  he  was  the  loved  family 
physician  in  many  households  and  his  pa- 
tients had  come  to  value  not  only  his 
professional  skill  but  also  his  warm  friend- 
ship and  cheering  presence.  Unto  him  and 
his  wife  were  born  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
six  are  now  living,  William  H.  being  the  eldest. 
The  others  are  as  follows :  Adolphus,  who  was 
born  June  8,  1858,  and  is  residing  in  Chicago, 
where  for  the  past  twenty-five  years  he  has  been 
connected  with  a  wholesale  house  as  traveling 
salesman;  Eva  L.,  who  was  born  April  7,  1861, 
and  is  the  wife  of  T.  S.  Gaitskill,  a  resident  of 
Monroe  City,  Missouri;  Ina,  who  was  born 
January  6,  1868,  and  is  the  wife  of  George 
Guthrie  and  is  residing  at  Medicine  Lodge, 
Kansas;  Albert  S.,  who  was  born  April  26,  1867, 
and  married  Miss  Mary  Harrell,  their  home  being 
in  Houston,  Texas,  where  he  if  superintendent 
of  the 'Galveston,  Houston  &  New  Orleans  Rail- 
road ;  and  James  J.,  who  was  born  March  9,  1870, 
and  married  Pearl  Smith.  Their  home  is  a  in 
Houston,  Texas,  where  he  occupies  a  position  as 
train  dispatcher. 

After  losing  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Robert 
Johnson  was  married,  on  the  2ist  of  January, 
1896,  to  Burton  Gray  and  they  are  now  residing 
in  Barry.  He  was  born  in  New  York,  November 
5,  1822,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  in 
1830.  He  has  long  been  a  contractor  and  builder, 
having  erected  some  of  the  first  houses  built  in 
Barry,  while  many  of  the  best  structures  of  the 
town  still  stand  as  monuments  to  his  still 
and  capability  in  the  line  of  his  chosen 
occupation.  He  is  now  living  a  retired  life, 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He 
served  as  revenue  collector  for  one  term  under 
President  James  Buchanan  and  was  a  soldier  of 
the  Mexican  war,  marching  from  Fort  Leaven- 
worth,  -Kansas,  to  Mexico.  He  has  long  been 
a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance  and  Baptist 
church,  affiliations  which  indicate  his  upright 


6io 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


life  and  his  devotion  to  the  principles  which  tend 
to  benefit  and  uplift  humanity.  His  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  republican  party.  He,  too, 
has  been  twice  married,  his  first  union  being  with 
Sophronia  Babcock,  who  died  in  1857.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom  two  are 
now  living:  Ellen  M.,  the  wife  of  Richard  Evans; 
and  Frank  R.,  who  is  living  in  Allegheny,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Dr.  William  H.  Johnson,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  having  acquired  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  attended  the  Mis- 
souri University  at  Columbia,  Missouri,  and 
having  determined  upon  the  practice  of  medicine 
as  a  life  work  he  followed  his  preliminary  reading 
by  a  course  in  the  Missouri  Medical  College, 
formerly  the  McDowell  Medical  College  and 
now  the  Washington  University.  There  he 
completed  the  regular  course  and  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1879,  when  twenty-four  years 
of  age.  He  then  opened  an  office  and  located 
for  practice  at  Elizabeth,  Monroe  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  remained  for  one  year,  after 
which  he  removed  to  Florida,  where  he  was 
associated  in  practice  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  death,  relieving  him  in  his  later  years  of 
the  more  ardous  duties  of  the  profession.  In 
August,  1883,  he  removed  to  Kinderhook,  Pike 
county,  where  he  became  associated  with  Dr. 
Mark  Pinnick,  with  whom  he  was  connected 
for  two  years.  In  1887  he  came  to  Barry  and 
entered  into  business  relations  with  Dr.  A.  C. 
Baker,  with  whom  he  remained  for  seven  years. 
He  was  then  alone  in  practice  until  the  ist  of 
August,  1905,  when  he  admitted  his  son,  Dr. 
Charles  Johnson,  to  a  partnership.  His  practice 
soon  grew  to  gratifying  proportions  and  he  has 
kept  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  has  marked 
the  medical  fraternity  through  his  association 
with  various  medical  societies  to  which  he  has 
belonged  and  also  by  his  extensive  reading  and 
research. 

On  the  I3th  of  January,  1880,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Dr.  Johnson  and  Miss  Jennie  E.  Poage 
who  was  born  June  25,  1855.  Her  parents  were 
John  D.  and  Susan  M.  (Wright)  Poage.  The 
former  was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Missouri, 
July  2,  1829,  and  is  now  living  in  the  Indian 


Territory.  His  wife,  however,  who  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  April  26,  1831,  died  July  9, 
1903.  They  had  long  traveled  life's  journey 
together,  for  they  were  married  when  she  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  their  family  were 
three  children  but  one  has  passed  away.  The 
brother  of  Mrs.  Johnson  is  William  Poage,  who 
was  born  September  7,  1853,  and  married  Miss 
Alice  Calhoun,  now  deceased.  For  his  second 
wife  he  chose  Effie  Poage,  and  now  resides  in  . 
Indian  Territory.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Johnson 
engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Missouri  for  a 
number  of  years  and  served  as  assessor  of 
Monroe  county.  During  much  of  his  residence 
there,  however,  he  followed  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  carrying  on  the  business  until  1875,  when 
he  removed  from  his  farm  to  Paris,  Missouri, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  for  three 
or  four  years.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  in 
Florida,  Missouri,  and  subsequently  came  to  Pike 
county,  settling  in  Barry,  where  he  lost  his  wife. 
In  the  fall  of  1903  he  removed  to  Tahlequah, 
Indian  Territory,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Florida, 
Missouri,  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  affiliation, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  in  the  work  of  which  he 
has  been  a  most  earnest  an  consistent  member. 
The  marriage  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  was 
blessed  with  five  children.  The  eldest,  Dr. 
Charles  A.  Johnson,  born  January  8,  1881,  was 
graduated  from  the  Keokuk  Medical  College 
with  the  class  of  June,  1903,  winning  the  honors 
of  the  class  although  but  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  He  then  engaged  in  practice  at  Beverly, 
Adams  county,  and  is  now  associated  with  his 
father.  He  has  made  an  excellent  record  both 
as  a  physician  and  citizen  and  is  a  popular  young 
man,  warmly  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
He  was  married  in  1905  to  Miss  Viola  Mayes. 
Sue  B.  Johnson,  born  August  18,  1884,  was 
graduated  from  the  high  school  of  Barry  and 
spent  one  year  in  the  Missouri  University. 
Archie  C.,  born  October  7,  1887,  Hazel  F.,  born 
May  28,  1889,  and  Mary  Louise,  born  June  12, 
1892,  are  all  at  home. 

Dr.    Johnson    is   affiliated    with    Pleasant   Vale 
lodge.  No.  381,  K.  P.  and  with  Ilderim  Temple, 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


611 


D.  O.  K.  K.,  at  Jacksonville.  In  politics  he 
is  a  democrat  and  he  belongs  to  the  Christian 
church,  while  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  contributes  to  the  support 
of  both  churches  and  is  a  generous  man,  whose 
kindly  spirit  is  manifest  in  his  benevolent  work 
in  the  line  of  his  profession.  He  has  prospered 
in  his  business  career  and  has  acquired  a  good 
home  and  comfortable  living  for  his  family.  He 
is  conscientious  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor  and 
has  ever  manifested  a  high  standard  of  profes- 
sional ethics,  so  that  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  fellow  members  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity as  well  as  of  the  public  at  large. 


EVAN  MEREDITH  ROBERTS. 

Evan  Meredith  Roberts,  the  owner  of  valuable 
farming  and  stock-raising  interests,  makes  his 
home  at  Valley  City,  in  Flint  township.  He  is  a 
native  of  London,  born  June  23,  1828,  and  he 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents  in  1834. 
He  is  a  son  of  E.  M.  and  Sarah  (Ward)  Roberts, 
who  were  Welsh  people.  The  father  was  born 
in  Wales  in  1792  and  died  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois, 
on  the  1 2th  of  May,  1868,  while  the  mother's 
death  occurred  in  December,  1863,  when  she  was 
sixty-nine  years  of  age.  They  crossed  the  At- 
lantic on  a  sailing  vessel  which  weighed  anchor 
at  Gravesend,  and  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks 
reached  the  harbor  of  New  York  city.  He  did 
not  tarry  long  in  the  east  but  came  at  once  to 
Illinois  and  finally  located  north  of  Jacksonville. 
Later  he  returned  to  New  York  and  brought  his 
family  to  this  state,  making  the  journey  by  way 
of  the  Hudson  river  to  Albany,  thence  by  canal 
to  Buffalo  and  around  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chi- 
cago. There  were  seven  hundred  Indians  in  Chi- 
cago at  that  time,  having  gone  there  for  their  al- 
lowances granted  them  by  the  government.  Mr. 
Roberts  continued  his  journey  by  canal  to  Utica. 
New  York,  and  after  a  week  spent  there  made 
his  way  to  Beardstown  by  boat  and  on  to  Ar- 
cadia, where  he  located.  He  there  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  until  18^9,  but  in  1858  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Flint  township. 


Pike  county.  Subsequently  he  added  to  this  a 
tract  of  forty  acres  and  in  1859  he  built  a  house 
upon  his  farm,  making  it  his  home  until  1865.  In 
that  year  he  went  east  to  visit  his  brothers  in 
Massachusettts  and  spent  two  years  in  the  old 
Bay  state.  He  afterward  went  to  Jacksonville, 
Illinois,  and  was  with  his  son,  Rev.  James  G. 
Roberts,  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy.  In  the 
family  were  four  sons,  of  whom  Evan  M.  is  the 
eldest.  Rev.  James  G.  Roberts,  the-  second,  was 
born  in  England,  February  n,  1830,  was  gradu- 
ated from  Illinois  University  and  from  the  Ban- 
gor  (Maine)  College,  in  which  he  prepared  for 
the  ministry.  For  ten  years  he  was  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  church  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois, 
for  nine  years  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  at 
the  present  time  is  pastor  of  a  Congregational 
church  in  New  York  city.  He  is  a  man  of  broad 
scholarly  attainments,  accounted  one  of  the  lead- 
ing divines  of  the  Congregational  ministry.  He 
has  two  sons  who  are  graduates  of  Columbia  Uni- 
versity of  New  York.  George  Roberts,  born  in 
England,  December  i,  1832,  also  prepared  for  the 
ministry  at  Bangor  College  and  was  pastor  of  a 
Congregational  church  in  LaSalle,  Illinois,  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  Jacob  J.  Roberts  was  born  in 
England  in  1834  and  died  in  December,  1860. 

Evan  M.  Roberts  spent  the  first  six  years  of  his 
life  in  .the  land  of  his  birth  and  then  came  with 
his  parents  to  America.  He  had  poor  health  in 
his  boyhood  days  but  availed  himself  of  the  op- 
portunity of  acquiring  an  education  and  took  up 
the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  his 
father.  He  was  also  engaged  in  farming  with  his 
father  until  1868.  He  would  not  leave  his  parents, 
but  continued  to  assist  them  as  long  as  they  needed 
his  services.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to  general 
agricutural  pursuits  and  at  the  present  time 
he  is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of 
rich  and  valuable  land  in  Pike  county  and  one 
hundred  and  seventy-three  acres  in  Scott  county, 
his  attention  being  given  to  general  farming  and 
stock-raising.  In  the  year  1905  he  had  about  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  planted  to  corn  and 
to  the  work  of  the  farm  he  gave  his  personal 
supervision,  his  sons,  however,  largely  perform- 
ing the  labors  of  the  fields. 


612 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


On  the  igth  of  February,  1868,  Mr.  Roberts 
was  married  to  Miss  Susan  W.  Kempton,  who 
was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  April 
20,  1838,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Betsy 
(Williamson)  Kempton,  the  former  born  in  New 
Bedford,  Massachusetts,  in  1798,  and  the  latter 
in  Fair  Haven,  Massachusetts.  The  father  was  a 
cabinetmaker  by  trade,  following  that  pursuit  for 
a  considerable  period  in  New  Bedford.  He  held 
membership  in  the  Congregational  church  and 
exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
men  who  at  the  election  stood  for  democratic 
principles.  He  died  in  the  year  1844,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  in  July,  1868.  In  their  family 
were  nine  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living, 
Margaret  and  Mrs.  Roberts.  The  former  is  the 
widow  of  Benjamin  Fairfield,  who  died  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  she  is  now  living  in  Fair  Haven.  Mas- 
sachusetts. At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Francis 
Kempton.  her  brother,  entered  the  service  and 
was  in  the  navy,  being  assigned  to  the  ship  Semi- 
nole.  He  was- in  the  squadron  which  captured  the 
city  of  Mobile  and  was  largely  engaged  in  guard- 
ing the  coast.  They  captured  the  blockade  run- 
ner, Sir  Robert  Peel,  off  the  coast  of  Texas.  Mr. 
Kempton  served  his  full  time  on  this  ship  and 
was  one  of  its  officers  and  after  the  war  he  was 
with  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company  running  a 
line  of  boats  between  New  York  and  Savannah, 
Georgia.  He  acted  as  captain  of  the  ship  Kan- 
sas City  and  others,  and  eventually  was  made 
commodore  of  the  fleet. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  were  born  four 
sons  and  a  daughter.  Sarah,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 17,  1868,  is  the  wife  of  Leonard  Hall,  of 
Pike  county.  Frank  died  in  infancy.  Evan  M., 
born  August  20,  1872,  married  Stella  Hobson. 
Louis  F.,  born  June  i,  1874.  married  Stella  Lynn 
and  is  living  on  his  father's  farm  in  Scott  county. 
George  R.,  born  September  23,  1876,  married 
Jennie  French  and  is  also  farming  in  Scott 
county. 

Mr.  Roberts  formerly  gave  his  political  alle- 
giance to  the  republican  party  but  is  now  a  stanch 
prohibitionist  because  of  his  views  upon  the  tem- 
perance question.  He  has  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  but  otherwise  has  never  held  nor  sought 
public  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 


copal church,  while  is  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church.  The  Roberts  family  have 
long  been  active  and  influential  in  church  work, 
three  uncles  of  our  subject  and  two  brothers  being 
isters  of  the  Congregational  denomination.  One 
of  his  uncles,  Thomas  Jenkins,  was  president  of 
Coward  College  of  London  and  was  the  author  of 
two  volumes,  one  entitled,  "The  Spirit  and  the 
Church"  and  the  other  "The  Atonement."  The 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  has  been  conferred 
upon  him.  George  Arnold,  his  mother's  uncle, 
was  a  painter  of  one  of  the  famous  pictures  of  the 
battle  of  Trafalgar  in  which  Nelson  was  killed. 
Like  the  representatives  of  his  family  Mr.  Rob- 
erts has  ever  stood  for  all  that  is  right  and  just 
between  man  and  his  fellowman,  for  honesty, 
temperance  and  benevolence,  for  the  good,  the 
true  and  the  beautiful  and  now  in  the  evening  of 
his  days  he  receives  the  veneration  and  respect 
which  should  ever  be  accorded  one  who  has  ad- 
vanced far  on  life's  journey  and  has  traveled  in 
the  path  marked  by  high  and  lofty  principles. 


JOHN  SIGSWORTH. 

John  Sigsworth,  who  is  now  practically  living 
a  retired  life  in  New  Salem  but  is  the  owner  of  a 
good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to 
which  he  gives  his  personal  supervision,  is  famil- 
iar not  only  with  the  history  of  pioneer  life  in 
Pike  county,  but  also  with  the  eventful  varied  in- 
teresting experiences  connected  with  early  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  California  following  the 
discovery  of  gold  upon  the  Pacific  slope.  He  was 
among  those  who  made  the  long  journey  across 
the  plains  and  over  the  mountains  when  there 
were  no  railroads  and  when  it  required  several 
months  in  order  to  complete  the  trip,  the  trav- 
elers often  bearing  many  hardships  as  they  slowly 
proceeded  on  their  way  toward  the  setting  sun, 
over  roads  that  were  little  more  than  a  trail,  hav- 
ing to  carry  all  of  their  provisions  and  supplies 
with  them  because  of  the  impossibility  to  obtain 
anything  as  they  journeyed  over  the  great  desert 
or  through  the  mountain  passes. 


JOHN  SIGSWORTH 


vt^ 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Mr.  Sigsworth  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
on  the  26th  of  January,  1825.  His  parents  were 
Joseph  and  Ann  (Coleman)  Sigsworth,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  England,  in  which  country 
they  were  reared  and  married.  In  the  year  1830 
(our  subject  being  then  a  lad  of  five  years), 
they  started  with  their  family  for  the  new  world, 
taking  passage  on  the  sailing  vessel  St.  Mary, 
which  weighed  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Liver- 
pool and  arrived  at  Quebec  after  a  voyage  of 
seven  weeks.  Mr.  Sigsworth  at  once  made  his 
way  from  Canada  into  the  United  States,  locat- 
ing in  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1835,  when 
he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  first  in  La  Salle 
Bounty,  but  he  removed  to  Pike  county  in  1836. 
He  then  took  up  his  abode  in  Derry  township, 
which  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  government  land,  on 
which  he  built  a  log  cabin.  He  then  cut  down 
the  trees,  grubbed  out  the  stumps,  broke  the  wild 
prairie  and  in  fact  performed  all  the  labor  inci- 
dent to  the  establishment  of  a  farm  upon  the  fron- 
tier. He  was  one  of  the  worthy  pioneer  settlers, 
carefully  directing  his  labors  as  the  years  went 
by  and  prospering  in  his  undertaking  until,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  was  the  owner  of  five 
hundred  and  sixty-three  acres  of  land,  which  had 
become  very  valuable  because  of  the  rapid  settle- 
ment of  the  county  and  also  because  of  the  care 
he  had  bestowed  upon  the  fields  and  the  splendid 
improvements  he  had  placed  upon  the  farm.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Church  of 
England.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  whig  party  but  he  was  without  aspiration  for 
office.  Classed  among  the  representative  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  community,  his  position  in  this 
regard  was  due  to  the  active  and  helpful  part 
which  he  bore  in  the  early  progress  and  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  passed  away 
December  27,  1858,  when  past  the  age  of  sixty- 
two  years,  while  his  widow  surviving  him,  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Their  three 
children  were  also  born  in  England  but  Elizabeth 
and  Benjamin  are  both  deceased. 

John  Sigsworth,  who  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth,  can  remember  the  time  when  the  family 
lived  in  a  pioneer  district  of  Ohio  and  also  the 
trip  to  Illinois,  he  being  then  about  ten  years  of 


age.  When  a  youth  of  eleven  years  he  became  a 
resident  of  Pike  county  and  assisted  in  the  diffi- 
cult task  of  transforming  wild  and  unbroken  land 
into  productive  fields.  His  educational  privileges 
were  necessarily  limited  because  of  the  primitive 
condition  of  the  schools  in  a  front'ier  district  but 
his  training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meagre.  He 
was  first  married  when  about  twenty-one  years  of 
age  and  lived  upon  his  father's  farm  until  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  In  1850  he  went  to  California, 
attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  on  the  Pacific 
slope  and  the  business  opportunities  that  were 
thereby  opened  up.  He  traveled  with  a  wagon 
train  overland- from  Derry 'township,  being  on 
the  road  for  three  months,  following  the  old 
government  trail  to  Coloma.  '"He -then  engaged 
in  herding  stock,  being  first  employed  by  Johnson 
&  Company.  Later  he  succeeded  in  obtaining 
news  tending  to  the  whereabouts  of  his  brother 
Benjamin  Sigsworth,  who  was  then  in  California, 
and  joining  him  they  together  engaged  in  pur- 
chasing from  the  emigrants  cattle  which  had  been 
driven  overland.  The)'  bought  over  one  hundred 
head  in  this  way  which  they  then  herded  and  sold 
as  beef  cattle.  The  brothers  also  took  up  a  claim 
of  government  land,  on  which  they  erected  a 
house,  which  was  built,  however,  in  New  York 
and  shipped  to  California,  it  being  necessary  only 
to  put  the  parts  together  there.  Mr.  Sigsworth 
of  this  review  remained  in  California  until  the 
fall  of  1853,  when  he  returned  to  Pike  county 
by  the  way  of  the  isthmus  and  bought  one  hun- 
dred head  of  cattle,  with  which  he  started  over- 
land to  California  in  1854.  He  journeyed  as  far 
westward  as  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  sold  the 
cattle  and  purchased  mules,  continuing  on  his 
way  to  California  with  four  teams.  He  had  with 
him  on  this  trip  seven  men  and  his  wife.  They 
were  five  months  on  the  road  and  after  reaching 
his  ranch  Mr.  Sigsworth  began  raising  barley  and 
stock,  continuing  in  the  far  west  until  the  fall 
of  1858.  He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
Pike  county,  locating  at  New  Salem.  He  has 
since  been  a  factor  in  business  life  in  this  part  of 
the  county  and  at  one  time  owned  two  hundred 
acres  of  land.  He  also  engaged  in  merchandising 
for  three  years  and  he  and  his  wife  now  own  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  is 


6i6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


farming,  although  he  lives  in  the  village.  For 
twenty-five  years  he  was  engaged  quite  exten- 
sively in  buying  stock  and  grain  and  built  an  ele- 
vator in  New  Salem,  where  he  bought  wheat  and 
corn.  He  also  bought  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep  and 
conducted  an  extensive  and  profitable  business 
but  now  gives  his  attention  merely  to  the  super- 
vision of  his  farming  interests  and  therefore  is 
largely  enjoying  a  rest,  which  he  has  truly  earned 
and  richly  deserves. 

Mr.  Sigsworth  was  married  about  the  time  he 
attained  his  majority  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Brawley, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio.  She  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years  and  of  the  seven  children  born  of 
their  union  two  have  also  passed  away,  Jane  and 
John,  who  were  the  fourth  and  fifth  respectively 
in  order  of  birth.  Those  still  living  are,  Dennis 
Benjamin,  Lydia,  Mary  E.,  Alice  and  William. 
For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Sigsworth  chose  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Gleckler,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Harri- 
son county,  Ohio,  December  29,  1847.  Her 
parents  were  John  and  Casander  (Lyons)  Fife, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  father 
died  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  while 
her  mother  passed  away  in  1871,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-eight  years.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, following  that  pursuit  in  Ohio  until  the 
spring  of  1867,  when  he  removed  to  Illinois  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Ohio  on  business  and  died  while  in  that 
state.  In  his  family  were  twelve  children,  of 
whom  eight  are  now  living :  Rachel ;  James  and 
Easter,  both  deceased ;  Jacob  V. ;  Sarah,  who  has 
departed  this  life;  Robert;  Martha;  Elizabeth, 
deceased  ;  Rebecca,  now  Mrs.  Sigsworth  ;  Cassie 
J. :  Samuel  G. ;  and  John  W.  In  early  woman- 
hood Miss  Rebecca  Fife  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Andrew  Gleckler,  who  died  leaving  two 
children,  Albert  and  Ralph.  She  afterward  mar- 
ried Mr.  Sigsworth  on  the  ist  of  December.  1891, 
and  they  now  occupy  a  pleasant  home  in  New 
Salem. 

Mr.  Sigsworth  on  each  election  day  is  found 
at  the  polls  to  support  the  candidates  of  the 
republican  party  for  he  has  long  been  a  stanch 
advocate  of  its  principles  and  policy.  He  has 
served  as  assessor  and  tax  collector  and  has  been 
a  member  of  the  school  board  for  twenty-five 


years  or  more.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in  Barry 
in  1859  and  is  now  affiliated  with  New  Salem 
lodge,  No.  218,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  acted  as 
its  treasurer.  In  the  evening  of  his  life  he  can  look 
back  over  many  interesting  experiences  and  relate 
many  incidents  concerning  the  pioneer  history  of 
this  county  and  of  his  sojourn  in  California  in 
days  of  its  early  mining  excitement  and  the  de- 
velopment which  followed  upon  the  discovery  of 
gold  there.  He  was  a  great  hunter  while  in  the 
west  and  had  some  exciting  experiences  when 
bear  hunting.  He  figured  for  many  years  as  a 
prominent  and  reliable  factor  in  business  circles 
in  this  county  and  is  still  managing  his  farming 
interests.  With  a  wide  acquaintance  and  many 
warm  friends  in  the  county  which  has  so  long 
been  his  home  the  history  of  his  life  can  not  fail 
to  prove  of  interest  to  the  large  majority  of  our 
readers. 


J.  D.  THURMON.  M.  D. 

Dr.  J.  D.  Thurmon  is  one  of  the  progressive 
and  successful  young  men  of  Pike  county  who 
has  already  given  marked  evidence  of  his  skill 
and  ability  as  a  representative  of  the  profession 
which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life  work.  He  is  prac- 
ticing in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage has  been  accorded  him.  His  birth  oc- 
curred December  7,  1870,  on  the  farm  in  Pike 
county  now  owned  by  William  H.  Hess,  his 
parents  being  William  H.  and  Lucy  L.  (Smith) 
Thurmon.  Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  he  was 
reared  and  his  preliminary  education  was  ac- 
quired in  Bedford  and  West  Grove  schools  in 
Montezuma  township,  later  taking  a  course  in 
the  Normal  School  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana.  He 
remained  upon  the  farm  until  twenty-seven  years 
of  age,  largely  engaged  in  the  work  incident  to 
its  further  cultivation  and  improvement  but  think- 
ing that  he  would  find  other  occupation  more 
congenial,  in  the  fall  of  1897  'le  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  accepted  a  position  as  traveling  sales- 
man with  John  E.  Hoham  &  Company,  publish- 
ers, with  whom  he  remained  for  about  two  years. 
In  1890  he  went  to  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  where  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine,  entering  the  Barnes 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


617 


Medical  College,  from  which  lie  was  graduated 
with  honors  in  the  class  of  1904,  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  being  conferred  upon  him  in  that  year. 

Dr.  Thurmon  following  his  graduation  re- 
moved to  St.  Francis  county,  Missouri,  locating 
in  the  town  of  Esther,  where  he  engaged  in  prac- 
tice for  a  year.  He  next  opened  his  office  in  St. 
Louis,  where  he  has  since  remained  and  now  has 
a  lucrative  practice  which  is  constantly  growing 
in  volume  and  importance.  He  early  demon- 
strated his  ability  to  cope  with  the  difficult  prob- 
lems which  continually  confront  the  physician. 
He  had  been  well  equipped  for  his  profession  by  a 
study  that  broadened  his  knowledge  and  pro- 
moted his  efficiency.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of 
the  Woodmen  Circle,  the  Woodmen  of  the  World 
and  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor.  Although 
yet  a  young  man  his  life  may  well  serve  as  an  ex- 
ample to  others,  showing  what  courage  and  am- 
bition can  accomplish.  He  has  had  no  assistance 
and  has  chosen  as -a  life  work  a  profession  in 
which  advancement  depends  entirely  upon  indi- 
vidual merit.  Already  he  has  attained  success 
and  prominence  that  many  an  older  physician 
might  well  envy  and  it  is  safe  to  prophesy  that 
still  greater  success  will  attend  his  efforts  in 
the  future. 


CAPTAIN  A.  J!  LOVELL. 

Captain  A.  J.  Lovell  is  now  practically  living 
retired  from  active  business  life  in  Pittsfield, 
where  he  has  made  his  home  for  the  past  twenty- 
nine  years.  He  is,  however,  the  owner  of  con- 
siderable real  estate  in  the  city  and  several  farms 
in  Pike  county,  to  which  he  gives  his  personal 
supervision.  A  native  of  Pike  county,  Missouri, 
he  was  born  on  the  25th  of  December,  1829,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Sarah  (Updegrove) 
Lovell,  who  removed  from  North  Carolina  to 
Missouri  in  the  fall  of  1829,  and  there  resided  un- 
til called  to  their  final  rest.  The  father  died  when 
his  son  was  but  five  years  of  age,  and  the  wife 
passed  away  several  years  later.  Captain  Lovell 
had  five  brothers  and  two  sisters  but  only  two  of 
this  number  are  yet  living,  the  sister,  Mrs.  Polly 
Lovelace,  now  residing  in  Missouri,  at  the  age  of 


over  ninety  years,  while  her  brother,  Joseph  C. 
Lovell,  is  engaged  in  mining  and  makes  his  home 
in  Billings,  Montana. 

Captain  Lovell,  reared  and  educated  in  the 
county  of  his  nativity,  remained  there  until  1856, 
when  he  removed  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Pleasant  Hill  township.  For  thirty  years 
he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  with  gratifying 
success  such  as  comes  as  the  result  of  close  ap- 
plication, unremitting  diligence  and  strong  and 
honorable  purpose.  During  that  time  he  pur- 
chased several  tracts  of  land  and  is  today  the 
owner  of  about  twelve  hundred  acres,  although 
his  realty  possessions  at  one  time  were  much 
larger.  His  farms  lie  in  Newburg,  Ross  and 
Pittsfield  townships  and  are  leased  to  various 
parties  but  to  the  business  interests  connected 
therewith  Captain  Lovell  gives  his  personal 
supervision.  In  June,  1876,  he  removed  to  Pitts- 
field  and  completed  his  present  home,  which  had 
been  begun  by  Samuel  Hayes.  In  this  city  he 
established  a  jewelry  store,  which  he  conducted 
for  a  few  years  and  then  sold  out.  At  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war  Captain  Lovell  raised  a  company 
for  service  in  defense  of  the  Union  and  was  mus- 
tered in  on  the  6th  of  August,  1861,  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Illinois  quota 
had  been  filled.  He  therefore  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  C,  Tenth  Missouri  Infantry,  and 
was  elected  and  served  as  captain  for  nine  months, 
the  regiment  being  assigned  to  the  Western 
Army.  He  was  discharged  in  May,  1862,  and 
then  resumed  business  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he 
continued  until  his  removal  to  Pittsfield.  He  has 
for  many  years  been  a  director  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  this  city  but  is  largely  living  re- 
tired in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well  earned  rest. 

Captain  Lovell  was  married  in  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  to  Miss  Rebecca  A.  Bar- 
ton, who  was  born  in  that  village  in  1842  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  Barton,  a  pioneer  and 
prominent  farmer  who  died  before  the  Civil  war. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lovell  have  become  the  parents  of 
six  children:  Charles  T.,  a  salesman,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  has  two  children  and  makes  his  home 
in  Louisiana,  Illinois:  A.  B..  who  is  connected 
with  the  board  of  trade  of  Chicago :  F.  P.,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in  Somerset, 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Kentucky,  and  is  married  and  has  two  children ; 
Addie  F.,  the  wife  of  Florin  Knox,  of  Beards- 
town,  Cass  county,  Illinois,  by  whom  she  has 
one  child,  a  son;  and  Eva  V.  and  Otis  D..  both 
at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Captain  Lovell  is  an  earn- 
est democrat  and  has  filled  some  local  offices, 
serving  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  also  as  super- 
visor. Socially  he  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having 
been  initiated  into  the  order  in  May,  1853,  and  he 
has  since  taken  the  degrees  of  the  blue  lodge, 
commandery  and  chapter  at  Pittsfield.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Methodist  church.  In  his  business 
life  he  has  made  a  creditable  record,  manifesting 
the  diligence,  perseverance  and  keen  discernment 
which  never  fail  to  win  success,  while  in  other 
relations  _of  life  he  has  been  found  as  a  loyal  sol- 
dier and  public-spirited  citizen  and  a  faithful 
friend.  He  has  reached  the  seventy-sixth  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey,  respected  and  honored  by 
all  who  know  him. 


MRS.  JANE  E.  ADAMS. 

Mrs.  Jane  E.  Adams,  one  of  the  worthy  pioneer 
women  of  Pike  county,  having  long  resided  with- 
in its  borders  where  she  has  a  wide  and  favor- 
able acquaintance,  was  born  in  Troy,  New  York, 
on  the  20th  of  June,  1829.  and  there  spent  the  first 
seven  years  of  her  life,  after  which  she  came  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1836,  with  her  parents. 
John  and  Abigail  (Bennett)  Sanderson.  Her 
father  was  called  to  Rockport  in  that  year  to 
build  and  tike  charge  of  the  flour  and  grist 
mill  there.  He  was  both  a  millwright  and  car- 
penter by  trade  and  he  performed  the  task  as- 
signed to  him  in  a  capable  manner.  He  lived 
alternately  at  Rockport  and  at  Summer  Hill  until 
1883  and  after  abandoning  the  milling  business 
he  concentrated  his  energies  upon  carpentering 
and  erected  the  church  and  many  residences  in 
Summer  Hill  and  other  parts  of  the  county,  in- 
cluding some  in  Rockport.  On  the  7th  of  May. 
1853.  he  lost  his  wife,  who  died  at  Summer  Hill 
and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  there.  He  after- 
ward wedded  Mrs.  Merrill,  of  Pittsfield,  and  at 


her  death  her  grave  was  made  in  the  West  ceme- 
tery of  that  city.  Mr.  Sanderson  passed  away  in 
Pittsfield  on  the  3ist  of  October,  1893,  and  was 
buried  in  Summer  Hill  cemetery  by  the  side  of  his 
first  wife.  By  that  marriage  there  had  been  born 
eight  children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely :  Mary  A-,  Charles  H.,  Robert  B.,  William 
H.,  George  R.,  Charles  F.,  Jane  E.  and  one  son 
who  died  at  birth.  Of  these  William  H.,  George 
R.  and  Mrs.  Adams  are  still  living. 

Being  brought  to  Pike  county  when  a  little 
maiden  of  only  seven  years  Mrs.  Adams  ac- 
quired her  education  in  the  early  district  schools 
and  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  and  environ- 
ments of  pioneer  life,  so  that  her  mind  bears  the 
impress  of  early  events  and  conditions  in  the 
county  when  all  families  were  forced  to  meet 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  the  establish- 
ment of  homes  on  the  frontier.  She  was  trained 
to  the  duties  of  the  household  and  was  thus  well 
qualified  to  take  charge  of  a  home  of  her  own. 
when  on  the  Hth  of  October,  1849,  s^e  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Jeremiah  G.  Adams,  a  son 
of  Israel  A.  and  Harriet  (Green)  Adams,  natives 
of  Rensselaer  county,  New  York.  The  father 
was  a  woolen  manufacturer  of  the  Empire  state 
and  on  leaving  the  east  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  the  Ross  homestead  in  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1843.  Here  Mrs.  Adams  has  lived  for 
fifty-six  years.  Her  father  engaged  in  farming 
for  many  years,  carefully  cultivating  his  land  and 
carrying  on  the  work  of  improvement  until  he 
had  a  splendidly  developed  property  in  Atlas 
township.  He  died  September  17,  1883,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  His 
wife  survived  until  February  12,  1884,  when  her 
grave  was  then  made  by  the  side  of  her  husband's. 

Jeremiah  G.  Adams  was  sixteen  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  came  to  Pike  county.  He  had 
been  educated  in  the  schools  of  Stephentown. 
New  York,  and  following  the  removal  to  the  west 
he  engaged  in  farming  with  his  father  up  to  the 
time  of  his  marriage  in  1849.  His  father  then 
retired  from  the  active  management  of  the  home 
farm  and  he  took  charge  of  the  property,  continu- 
ing its  further  cultivation  and  development  for 
many  years.  He  added  substantial  improvements 
to  the  home  place  and  transformed  it  into  a  valu- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


619 


able  farm  property,  from  which  he  annually  har- 
vested good  crops  that  found  a  ready  sale  on  the 
market.  In  addition  to  his  capable  management 
of  his  farming  interests  he  found  time  and  oppor- 
tunity to  serve  in  public  office  and  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  supervisor  of  Atlas  township  for  several 
years.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of 
levee  commissioners,  was  school  trustee  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  road  commissioner.  He 
held  membership  in  the  Congregational  church, 
to  the  teachings  of  which  he  was  most  loyal  and 
in  the  work  of  which  he  took  an  active  and  help- 
ful part.  His  life  at  all  times  was  honorable  and 
upright  and  he  was  fair  in  his  dealings  with  his 
fellowmen  and  just  in  his  treatment  of  those  with 
whom  he  was  associated.  Moreover,  he  pos- 
sessed a  kindly,  generous  spirit  and  cordial  dis- 
position that  won  him  warm  friendships  and 
made  him  popular  with  those  whom  he  met.  His 
death  occurred  at  the  family  home  in  Atlas  town- 
ship, April  30,  1903,  and  his  remains  were,  in- 
terred in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  He  was 
a  devoted  husband,  a  kind  and  indulgent  father, 
and  his  personal  qualities  were  such  that  his 
death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and  widespread 
regret  throughout  the  entire  community.  He 
had  lived  in  the  county  from  pioneer  times  to  the 
present  era  of  progress  and  development  and 
had  not  only  witnessed  the  trend  of  events  but 
also  bore  his  part  in  the  movements  which  have 
resulted  beneficially  to  his  part  of  the  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  were  born  nine 
children,  of  whom  one  died  unnamed  at  birth, 
while  the  others  were  Hattie  A.,  Mary  E..  Clar- 
ence A.,  Fannie,  Laura  V.,  George  S.,  Maggie  A. 
and  Jennie.  Of  these  all  are  yet  living  with  the 
exception  of  Clarence  A.  and  Jennie,  the  latter 
dying  July  24,  1865,  and  the  former  on  the  5th  of 
January,  1875.  They,  too,  were  interred  in  the 
Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  Mrs.  Adams  still 
resides  upon  the  old  farm  homestead  in  Atlas 
township  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-six  years 
and  for  seventy  years  she  has  lived  in  Pike 
county,  few  having  arrived  here  prior  to  the  time 
when  her  parents  established  their  home  on  what 
was  then  a  wild  western  frontier.  She  has  led 
a  busy  and  useful  life,  has  reared  a  family  of 
children  who  have  done  credit  to  her  name  and 


teachings,  and  is  now  one  of  the  esteemed  and 
valued  pioneer  women  of  the  county,  held  in  lov- 
ing regard  by  many  for  her  acts  of  kindliness  and 
many  good  qualities. 


ASAHEL  DUFF. 

Asahel  Duff,  a  resident  of  Spring  Creek  town- 
ship, is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land,  his  farm  being  devoted  to  the  produc- 
tion of  cereals  and  fruit.  His  land  is  located  on 
sections  i  and  12  and  two  hundred  acres  have 
been  placed  under  cultivation.  His  time  and 
energies  are  concentrated  upon  the  further  im- 
provement and  development  of  the  place  and  he 
has  come  to  be  known  as  an  enterprising  agricul- 
turist. 

Mr.  Duff  was  born  in  Detroit  township,  Pike 
county,  February  10,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Asahel 
and  Abigail  (Milligan)  Duff.  Tradition  says 
that  the  Duff  family  in  America  were  descended 
from  thirteen  Irish  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  in 
revolt  against  King  George  and  the  English  gov- 
ernment when  living  in  Ireland.  The  family 
name  at  that  time  was  spelled  McDuff.  A  price 
was  set  upon  the  heads  of  these  brothers  by  the 
English  crown  and  therefore  they  emigrated  to 
America  and  changed  their  name  to  Duff.  Before 
separating  after  they  came  to  America  they  agreed 
to  maintain  the  old  Christian  names  commonly  in 
use  in  the  McDuff  family,  including  John,  James, 
Andrew,  Philip,  Joseph  and  Dennis.  These 
names  frequently  appear  among  the  relatives  of 
this  day.  The  brothers  served  in  the  cause  of 
liberty  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  doing  their 
full  share  in  winning  the  independence  of  the 
thirteen  colonies.  After  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tion they  separated  and  settled  in  different  states 
of  the  newly  formed  Union. 

Philip  Duff,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky  and  was  a  son  of  one  of  the 
original  thirteen  McDuff  brothers  who  came  to 
the  new  world.  He  married  a  Miss  Duncan,  and 
unto  them  were  born  eight  children,  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  namely:  Andrew  D.,  Alfred, 
John,  Hiram,  Asahel,  Ann,  Jane  and  Lydia  Duff. 


620 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Of  these  Andrew  D.  and  John  served  in  the  Mexi- 
can war.  Andrew  D.  Duff  was  also  distinguished 
in  public  life,  serving  for  eighteen  years  as  a  cir- 
cuit judge  in  a  district  which  contained  Jackson, 
Marion,  Franklin,  Williamson  and  Saline  counties. 

Asahel  Duff,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Kentucky  and  at  an  early  age  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  from  that  state  to  Sa- 
line county,  Illinois,  where  they  lived  for  a  short 
time  and  then  removed  to  Franklin  county,  Illi- 
nois. Later  Asahel  Duff,  Sr.,  came  to  Pike 
county,  where  for  many  years  he  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits.  He  married  Miss  Abi- 
gail Milligan,  whose  parents  were  natives  of 
Milledgeville,  Tennessee,  in  which  state  they  were 
married.  The  mother's  name  in  her  maidenhood 
was  Hicks.  Following  their  marriage  they  re- 
moved to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  Mrs.  Duff  be- 
ing at  that  time  a  little  maiden  of  about  four 
years.  In  their  family  were  two  sons,  while  Mrs. 
Duff  was  the  only  daughter.  Her  father  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  in  a  muster 
of  his  company  he  was  overcome  by  heat,  which 
caused  his  death.  The  death  of  Asahel  Duff, 
father  of  our  subject,  occurred  in  Newburg  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  in  1857,  at  *he  age  of  fifty-six 
years.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  1808,  also 
passed  away  in  this  county  when  seventy-seven 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  nine  children, 
of  whom  Asahel  Duff,  of  this  review,  was  the 
seventh  in  order  of  birth.  The  record  is  as  fol- 
lows :  George  B.,  Mary,  Nancy,  William  C,  Den- 
nis, Elizabeth,  Asahel,  Hugh  H.  and  Philip.  The 
last  named  died  in  infancy  and  others  now  de- 
ceased are:  George  B.,  who  died  in  1861 ;  Den- 
nis in  1881 ;  and  Nancy  in  1903.  Dennis  and  Wil- 
liam Duff  served  in  the  Union  army  throughout 
the  Civil  war,  Dennis  acting  for  four  years  as  a 
member  of  Company  E,  Twenty-eighth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  while  William  was  for  three 
years  a  member  of  Company  I,  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois Regiment  of  Volunteers. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of 
one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Pike 
county.  He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm 
in  Newburg  township  and  in  the  neighborhood 
acquired  a  good  common-school  education,  pur- 


suing his  studies  in  one  of  the  old-time  log 
schoolhouses.  On  the  8th>;of  October,  1874,  he 
secured  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  jour- 
ney by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ruth  H.  Sweat,  and 
unto  them  have  been  born  seven  sons,  as  follows : 
Andrew  D.,  Asahel  C.,  Cicero  A.,  Henry  E., 
Harry  C.,  Virgil  A.  and  Homer  V.  Of  this  num- 
ber Cicero  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Duff  is  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Rachel  Sweat.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Maine  and  came  to  Pike  county 
in  1840.  He  was  of  Irish  descent,  while  his  wife, 
who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  was  of  Eng- 
lish lineage.  They  were  married  in  Scott  county, 
Illinois,  and  soon  afterward  came  to  Pike  county. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children,  namely:  Eva- 
line  G.,  Clara' V.,  Edwin  T.,  James  M.,  Ruth  H., 
Mary  E.,  Augustus  J.,  Rosaline  J.  and  Lestina  V. 
Sweat.  Of  these  Edwin  T.  and  Mary  E.  are  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Duff  has  always  been  independent  in  his 
political  affiliation,  regarding  rather  the  capability 
of  the  candidate  than  his  party  connection.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  activity  and  since  starting  out 
in  life  on  his  own  account  he  has  made  steady 
progress.  His  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  has  been  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, two  hundred  acres  of  the  tract  being 
now  improved.  He  raises  good  crops  of  wheat, 
corn  and  hay  and  he  also  makes  a  specialty  of 
raising  cattle  and  hogs,  having  fine  graded  short- 
horn cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  Both 
branches  of  his  business  are  proving  profitable. 
He  also  raises  fruit  and  take  it  all  in  all  his  farm 
is  a  well  developed  property,  neat  and  thrifty  in 
appearance  and  equipped  with  all  modern  im- 
provements and  accessories. 


ALBERT   EDWARD  HESS. 

Albert  Edward  Hess,  owner,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher of  the  Barry  Adage,  was  born  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin,  October  ii,  1843.  His  father, 
Adam  Valentine  Hess,  was  a  musician,  devoting 
his  life  to  the  art.  The  son,  after  acquiring  his 
education,  entered  a  printing  office  and  thus  pre- 
pared for  the  business  which  he  has  made  his 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


621 


life  work.  When  only  eighteen  wears  of  age  he 
responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  serv- 
ing for  years,  from  1861  until  1864,  as  a  soldier  of 
the  Union  Army  in  the  Civil  war.  On  the  6th 
of  June,  1874,  he  removed  to  Quincy,  Illinois, 
and  was  editor  of  the  Quincy  Whig  for  a  long 
period.  On  the  ist  of  November,  1898,  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Barry  and  is  now  publisher  of 
the  Barry  Adage,  a  well  conducted  paper  with  a 
good  circulation  and  advertising  patronage. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1865,  Mr.  Hess  was  married 
in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Fish- 
back.  They  have  three  sons,  Chester  A.,  Eugene 
L.  and  Gus  R.  Mr.  Hess  belongs  to  the  following 
societies :  The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, of  which  he  has  been  grand  master  for  Illi- 
nois, the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity.  Of  the  last 
named  he  has  been  past  chancellor  and  has  been 
a  member  of  the  grand  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows. 


WILLIAM    H.    GOODWIN. 

William  H.  Goodwin,  a  merchant  and  constable 
of  Rockport,  thus  actively  connected  with  the 
village  interests,  his  efforts  being  so  directed 
that  his  public-spirited  citizenship  is  a  recognized 
element  in  his  life,  was  born  August  26,  1863, 
in  Atlas  township,  and  was  reared  to  farm  life 
on  the  homestead  property  of  his  father,  Ben- 
jamin Goodwin,  who  was  a  native  of  Indiana 
and  became  a  pioneer  settler  of  Pike  county. 
Thoroughout  his  entire  life  Benjamin  Goodwin 
carried  on  farming,  following  that  pursuit  in 
order  to  provide  for  his  family.  He  continued 
the  work  of  the  fields  until  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death  in  1890,  his  last  days  being  passed 
in  his  home  near  Dutch  Creek  church,  while  his 
remains  were  interred  in  the  old  Samuel  Taylor 
cemetery  about  a  mile  and  three-quarters  from 
Rockport.  He  was  a  Union  soldier  during  the 
Civil  war,  enlisting  twice  during  the  progress  of 
hostilities,  and  he  served  with  the  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B  until  the  end  of  the  war.  He  married 


Miss  Minerva  Billings,  who  is  yet  living  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

William  H.  Goodwin  at  the  usual  age  entered 
a  district  school  on  Dutch  creek  about  five  miles 
from  Rockport  and  therein  pursued  his  studies, 
dividing  his  time  between  the  work  of  the  school- 
room and  of  the  home  farm.  After  puting  aside 
his  text-books  he  concentrated  his  energies  upon 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  was  thus  closely 
connected  with  farming  interests  in  Pike  county 
until  September,  1899.  At  that  date  he  put  aside 
the  work  of  the  fields  and  removed  to  Rockport, 
taking  up  his  abode  in  his  present  residence. 
Here  he  engaged  in  loaning  money  on  chattel 
merchandise  for  a  time  and  in  December,  1901, 
he  opened  the  general  store  which  he  is  conduct- 
ing, having  a  good  establishment,  in  which  his 
carefully  selected  line  of  merchandise,  combined 
with  reasonable  prices,  finds  favor  with  the  public 
and  secures  a  good  patronage. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1887,  Mr.  Goodwin 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Louisa  Flint,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  P.  and  Mary  E.  (McCall- 
ister)  Flint,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
They  were  natives  of  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where 
they  spent  their  entire  lives,  and  on  being  called 
to  the  home  beyond  their  remains  were  interred 
in  the  Taylor  cemetery  near  the  Taylor  school- 
house.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  Mrs. 
Goodwin  were  natives  of  Tennessee  and  her 
maternal  grandparents  were  natives  of  Kentucky. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodwin  have  been  born  two 
children,  Chloe  and  Grover. 

Interested  in  community  affairs  Mr.  Goodwin 
has  assisted  in  executing  the  plans  for  general 
improvement  and  progress  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  valued  and  representative  citizens  of 
the  western  part  of  Pike  county.  His  earlier 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  democracy 
but  during  the  past  four  years  he  has  been  an  ad- 
vocate of  republican  principles  and  upon  the  ticket 
of  the  party  was  elected  to  the  office  of  constable 
of  Atlas  township  in  April,  1905.  He  is  in  hearty 
sympathy  with  the  teachings  and  principles  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  in  both  of 
which  fraternities  he  is  a  valued  member.  He 
has  accumulated  his  possessions  through  his  own 


622 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


energy  and  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term  a  self- 
made  man.  There  have  been  no  startling  chap- 
ters in  his  life  history  but  his  record  is  that  of 
one  who  has  been  true  to  duty  in  every  environ- 
ment. He  has  recognized  that  the  present  and 
not  the  future  holds  his  opportunity  and  that 
the  conditions  with  which  he  has  been  surrounded 
have  been  sufficient  for  success  if  the  individual 
has  the  perseverance  and  determination  to  utilize 
these  for  his  own  ends.  This  Mr.  Goodwin  has 
done  and  his  life  record  has  therefore  been  that 
of  a  successful  farmer  and  merchant. 


H.  D.  FORTUNE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  H.  D.  Fortune,  who  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent members  of  the  medical  profession  of  Pike 
county  and  one  of  its  old  practitioners,  is  now 
living  in  Pleasant  Hill,  having  followed  his  pro- 
fession in  this  village  and  vicinity  for  a  third  of  a 
century.  He  located  here  in  1874  and  his  profes- 
sional service  has  been  attended  with  a  gratifying 
measure  of  success,  while  public  opinion  is  un- 
divided concerning  his  ability.  A  native  of  Mis- 
souri, Dr.  Fortune  was  born  in  Pike  county  on 
the  2ist  of  March,  1841,  his  father  being  Cap- 
tain R.  C.  Fortune,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Xel- 
son  county,  Virginia,  in  1803.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  George  Fortune,  was  also  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  Cap- 
tain R.  C.  Fortune  was  reared  in  the  Old  Do- 
minion and  when  a  young  man  emigrated  west- 
ward to  Missouri,  settling  in  Pike  county  in  1830. 
He  had  been  married  in  his  native  state  to  Miss 
Mary  Vaughan,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
was  of  Welsh  lineage.  He  became  a  farmer  in 
Pike  county  and  there  successfully  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits,  reared  his  family 
and  spent  his  last  days.  He  was  connected  with 
many  pioneer  events  and  served  as  a  captain  in 
the  Black  Hawk  war,  the  sword  which  he  car- 
ried during  that  struggle  being  now  in  possession 
of  his  son,  Dr.  Fortune.  His  death  occurred  in 
1872,  his  wife  having  passed  away  only  a  few 
days  previously. 

Dr.  Fortune  was  reared  in  Pike  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  pursued  his  literary  education  in  a 


select  school.  Having  determined  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  as  a  life  work  he  began  reading 
in  1858  with  Dr.  M.  N.  Clark  as  his  preceptor. 
At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  the 
Confederate  service  as  a  member  of  Company  D, 
Third  Missouri  Infantry.  He  participated  in  a 
number  of  engagements,  the  first  being  at  Car- 
thage, Missouri,  on  the  5th  of  July,  1861.  He 
was  also  in  the  battle  at  Wilson  Creek  and  he 
was  detailed  as  escort  to  take  the  body  of  General 
Lyon  to  Springfield,  Missouri,  after  that  com- 
mander fell.  Subsequently  he  was  in  the  battle  of 
Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  and  his  last  engagement 
was  in  Callaway  county,  Missouri,  a  most  hotly 
contested  engagement,  the  Union  troops  being 
under  command  of  General  Prentiss.  Dr.  For- 
tune was  at  that  time  attempting  to  get  through 
to  the  Confederate  lines  with  new  recruits.  The 
doctor  managed  to  make  his  escape.  Each  side, 
however,  captured  quite  a  large  number  of  pris- 
oners from  the  other  army,  but  they  were  ex- 
changed the  following  day.  Becoming  disabled, 
Dr.  Fortune  was  honorably  discharged  in  1862 
and  following  his  return  home  resumed  the  study 
of  medicine.  He  pursued  his  first  course  of 
lectures  in  the  winter  of  1863-4  in  St.  Louis 
Medical  College  and  following  his  return  home 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  C.  R.  Banhead,  at 
Paynesville,  Missouri,  with  whom  he  studied  dur- 
ing the  summer  months.  In  the  fall  he  again  re- 
sumed his  college  course  and  was  graduated  in 
the  spring  of  1865.  He  had  been  studying  under 
different  perceptors  for  about  six  years  and  had 
gained  a  broad  and  intimate  knowledge  of  not 
only  the  science  of  medicine  but  also  of  its  prac- 
tical workings.  He  entered  upon  the  prosecution 
of  his  chosen  profession  in  Paynesville,  Missouri, 
where  he  remained  in  practice  for  about  eighteen 
months,  when  he  refnoved  to  Prairieville,  Pike 
county,  where  he  continued  for  several  years. 
He  then  came  to  Pleasant  Hill,  Illinois,  on  the  gth 
of  August,  1874,  and,  opening  an  office  here,  has 
since  given  his  time  and  energies  to  his  profes- 
sional duties,  being  accorded  a  very  liberal  pat- 
ronage, which  is  indicative  of  the  trust  imposed 
in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 

Dr.  Fortune  was  married  first  in  Pike  county 
on  the  2d   of  September,    1865,  to  Miss  E.   I. 


DK.  H.  D.  FORTUNE 


tt»* 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


625 


Dougherty,  a  native  of  Pike  county.  She  died 
in  Pleasant  Hill,  February  28,  1888,  leaving  four 
children:  J.  R.,  who  is  engaged  in  farming;  G. 
D.,  now  in  Louisiana,  Missouri;  Hallie  M.,  at 
home ;  and  Dr.  H.  C.  Fortune,  who  is  also  men- 
tioned in  this  work.  On  the  8th  of  August,  1892, 
Dr.  H.  D.  Fortune  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Julia  Richards,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Pike  county,  Missouri. 

Politically  Dr.  Fortune  has  been  a  lifelong 
democrat,  supporting  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  party  since  casting  his  first  ballot  for  Samuel 
J.  Tilden.  He  has  never  sought  or  desired  politi- 
cal preferment,  yet  has  served  as  health  officer. 
He  is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  Pleasant  Hill 
lodge,  No.  565,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  is  a 
past  master.  He  has  resided  within  twenty 
miles  of  his  present  home  throughout  his  entire 
life  and  for  a  third  of  a  century  has  lived  in 
'Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  is  prominent  both  so- 
cially and  professionally,  his  business  having 
constantly  grown  until  it  has  now  reached  exten- 
sive proportions,  and  is  the  source  of  a  gratify- 
ing income. 


SAMUEL  A.  KEYS. 

Samuel  A.  Keys  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  and 
Well  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  acres  in  Montezuma  township,  lying  on  sec- 
tions 27  and  34.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
this  township,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1854.  His  parents  were  Andrew  and 
Margaret  (Armstrong)  Keys,  natives  of  Ireland, 
born  in  County  Fermanagh.  They  were  mar- 
ried on  the  Emerald  Isle  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  were 
born  in  Ireland,  while  three  were  born  in  this 
country  after  the  emigration  of  the  parents  to  the 
new  world.  Only  three  of  the  number  are  now 
living:  Samuel  A.,  who  is  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  Frank  and  Marjorie.  Of  those  deceased 
John  and  Andrew  were  buried  in  Pittsfield,  Illi- 
nois; Tom.  Robert  and  Sarah  Jane  in  the  Keys 
graveyard  on  the  old  Frank  Keys  farm ;  and 
William  and  Joseph  H.  in  the  Green  Pond  ceme- 
tery in  Montezuma  township.  Pike  county.  Bes- 


sie died  January  7,  1906.  The  father  died  No- 
vember 19,  1888,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
old  cemetery  near  Milton,  while  his  wife  Mar- 
garet died  in  1879,  an(^  was  buried  in  the  Keys 
graveyard,  but  afterward  the  remains  were  ex- 
humed and  placed  beside  those  of  her  husband 
in  the  Milton  graveyard. 

Samuel  A.  Keys  of  this  review  was  reared  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  performing  the 
duties  of  the  fields  from  the  time  of  the  early 
spring  planting  until  crops  were  harvested  in  the 
late  autumn.  In  the  winter  seasons  he  attended 
the  public  schools,  acquiring  a  fair  knowledge  of 
the  common  branches  of  study.  He  was  mar- 
ried, October  4,  1885,  to  Miss  Delila  A.  Ligon,  a 
daughter  of  John  H.  and  Isabel  (Bennett)  Ligon. 
Her  great-grandfather,  Henry  Ligon,  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the'  Revolutionary  war  and  died  in  Lincoln 
county,  Missouri,  at  an  advanced  age.  Her  fa- 
ther, John  H: -Ligorij  was  born  in  Lincoln  county, 
Missouri,  in  1836,  and  throughout  his  business 
career  has  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  farm- 
ing. He  is  still  living  in  Montezuma  township, 
Pike  county,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years — 
one  of  its  respected  and  worthy  citizens.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky,  April  6,  1839, 
and  was  married  in  Lincoln  county,  Missouri,  is 
also  living,  and  they  have  a  pleasant  home  in 
Montezuma  township.  Unto  them  were  born 
eight  children:  Delila,  born  October  13,  1859; 
Douglas  W.,  born  December  13,  1860;  William 
H.,  July  6.  1862;  James  R..  December  6,  1863; 
Mary  E.,  June  7,  1868;  Charles  E.,  November 
16.  1869 ;  Lura  B.,  January  9,  1870;  and  John  A., 
October  31,  1874.  Of  these,  two  are  deceased — 
Charles  E.  and  Lura  B.,  the  former  having 
passed  away  in  1898,  and  the  latter  April  10, 
1903.  Both  were  laid  to  rest  in  Green  Pond 
cemetery.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keys  were  born 
three  children:  John  A.,  who  was  born  in  Sep- 
tember, 1886,  died  July  26,  1888,  and  was  buried 
in  the  Green  Pond  graveyard;  Maud  M.,  born 
March  8.  1888.  is  at  home:  and  Harvey  A.,  born 
April  25,  1889,  died  February  17.  1904,  and  was 
buried  in  the  same  cemetery  as  his  brother. 

Mr;  and  Mrs.  Keys  and  their  daughter  have  a 
pleasant  home  in  Montezuma  township,  where  his 
farm  is  well  improved  with  modern  equipments 


626 


PAST   AND   PRESEXT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  conveniences,  the  land  having  been  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Politically  Mr. ' 
Keys  is  a  republican,  unfaltering  and  inflexible 
in  his  advocacy  of  the  party  and  its  principles. 
He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  of  gen- 
eral interest,  political  and  otherwise,  and  is  deeply 
interested  in  community  affairs,  giving  his  co- 
operation to  many  movements  for  the  benefit  of 
his  township  and  county.  He  and  his  wife  and 
daughter  Maud  hold  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tian church.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the 
county  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  and 
where  he  has  so  directed  his  labors  as  to  win 
signal  success  in  his  business  life  and  friendly 
regard  in  his  social  relations. 


JOHN  C.  F.  BOGGS. 

John  C.  F.  Boggs,  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Pike 
county,  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Illinois,  born 
in  Morgan  county  on  the  8th  of  March,  1846. 
The  family  is  of  Scotch  lineage  and  was  founded 
in  America  by  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject,  who  settled  in  this  country  prior  to  the 
war  for  independence.  His  son,  John  Boggs,  the 
grandfather,  lived  and  died  in  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio.  His  father,  William  G.  Boggs,  was  born 
in  Nova  Scotia  in  1803,  and  when  a  young  lad 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Virginia,  whence  he 
afterward  removed  to  Ohio  with  his  father  and 
mother.  He  arrived  in  Illinois  about  the  year 
1840  and  later  began  farming  on  his  own  account 
in  Morgan  county,  having  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land.  On  this  tract  he  built  a 
log  cabin,  which  he  occupied  until  1856,  after 
which  he  spent  two  years  in  Jacksonville  on  ac- 
count of  the  health  of  his  wife.  On  the  28th  of 
September,  1857,  he  removed  to  Pike  county, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  that  was  partially  improved.  He 
placed  the  remainder  under  cultivation  and  car- 
ried on  general  farming,  the  fields  becoming  very 
productive,  so  that  good  harvests  were  annually 
gathered.  He  never  cared  for  public  office  al- 
though he  acted  as  school  director.  He  kept  well 
informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day. 


however,  and  voted  with  the  republican  party. 
His  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  he  was  found  straight- 
forward and  honorable  in  all  his  relations  with 
his  fellowmen,  never  taking  advantage  of  the 
necessities  of  another  in  any  business  transac- 
tions. William  G.  Boggs  wedded  Miss  Caroline 
Fry,  who  was  born  in  Chemung  county,  New 
York,  April  n,  1820.  His  death  occurred  Janu- 
ary 7,  1876,  while  his  wife  departed  this  life  De- 
cember 17,  1900,  her  last  days  being  passed  in 
Nebraska.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  a  daughter:  Henry  C.,  born 
in  1844,  served  for  three  years  in  the  Civil  war 
as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry  and  is  now  living  in  Flor- 
ence, Colorado.  John  C.  F.  Boggs  is  the  next  of 
the  family.  Samuel  H.,  born  May  6,  1850,  is  now 
living  in  Trumbull,  Clay  county,  Nebraska.  Myra 
J.,  born  April  29,  1856,  married  W.  F.  Cobb  and 
is  living  in  Chicago. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  near  Big 
Flats,  New  York,  April  n,  1820,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Phoebe  (Burk)  Fry, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state,  where 
their  ancestors  settled  at  a  very  early  period  in 
the  history  of  the  new  world,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fry 
becoming  residents  of  Illinois  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  '303,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Morgan 
county,  where  their  remaining  days  were  passed. 
It  was  at  Meredosia,  Morgan  county,  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boggs  were  married  in  1842. 

John  C.  F.  Boggs  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  of  Morgan  and  Pike  counties  for 
the  educational  privileges  he  enjoyed,  having 
come  to  the  latter  with  his  parents  when  eleven 
years  of  age.  He  early  became  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist  and  has  made  farming  his  life  work. 
As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
he  chose  Miss  Sarah  M.  Stauffer,  whom  he  wed- 
ded on  Christmas  day  of  1879.  She  was  born 
August  18,  1853,  of  the  marriage  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Hilliard)  Stauffer.  Her  father  was  born 
in  Fayette  county.  Pennsylvania,  April  15,  1817. 
and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Virginia.  Janu- 
ary 4.  1814.  Both  reached  an  advanced  age.  Mr. 
Stauffer  passing  away  in  Fairmount  township. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


627 


April  25,  1885,  an(l  his  wife  in  the  same  town- 
ship, November  6,  1882.  When  a  boy  Mr.  Stauf- 
fer  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  and  later  came  with 
them  to  Illinois,  where  they  settled  about  1834. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  in  this  state,  was 
married  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  and  then 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  He  en- 
tered eighty  acres  of  timber  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment, from  which  he  cut  the  trees  and  pre- 
pared the  land  for  plowing.  His  marriage  to 
Miss  Milliard  was  celebrated  in  her  father's  dou- 
ble log  cabin.  The  young  couple  built  them  a 
home  of  logs  on  forty  acres  of  land,  which  the 
wife  had  entered  from  the  government.  The  fur- 
niture in  the  little  home  consisted  mostly  of  stools 
and  a  table  which  Mr.  Stauffer  made.  Later  he 
bought  more  land  and  became  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  farmers  and  extensive  property  hold- 
ers of  the  locality,  having  eighteen  hundred  acres 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  very  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizen  and  his  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  whig  party.  He  acted  as 
justice  of  the  peace  and  school  director  and  he 
belonged  to  the  Christian  church.  In  their  family 
were  nine  children,  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living: 
George  W.,  born  October  13,  1840,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  D,  Fiftieth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  is  now  residing  in  Missouri ;  Jacob  E., 
born  January  19,  1842,  served  with  Company  F, 
of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  now  resid- 
ing in  Missouri ;  Mary  E.,  born  August  19,  1843, 
is  the  wife  of  Jasper  Seybold  and  they  reside  in 
Harvard,  Clay  county,  Nebraska ;  Louisa  died  in 
infancy:  William  H..  born  January  23.  1847,  is 
living  in  New  Salem  township ;  Nancy  L.,  born 
April  16.  1850,  is  the  wife  of  John  Hoffsess,  of 
Missouri ;  Mrs.  Boggs  is  the  next  of  the  family : 
John  C..  born  August  7,  1855,  ls  living  in  Fair- 
mount  township.  Their  youngest  child  died  in 
infancy. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
four  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy,  while 
John  W..  born  November  5.  1882,  died  October 
3.  1897.  Chrissic  H.,  born  September  12,  1886. 
and  Sarah  E.,  October  4,  1891,  are  at  home. 

P>efore  his  marriage  John  C.  F.  P>oggs  began 
farming  for  himself  upon  eighty  acres  of  land  in 


Piatt  county,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  four 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Fairmount  township, 
where  he  resumed  general  agricultural  pursuits 
and  subsequently  he  purchased  the  interests  of 
of  the  other  heirs  in  the  old  homestead  property 
in  1878.  He  has  since  added  to  this  tract  until 
within  its  borders  are  now  comprised  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven  acres  of  valuable  land  all 
under  cultivation  except  about  one  hundred  acres 
of  timber.  He  has  just  completed  a  new  residence 
built  in  modern  style  of  architecture  and  supplied 
with  all  the  conveniences  and  comforts  that  go  to 
make  a  desirable  home.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  upon  this  place 
for  the  past  twenty-three  years  and  its  excellent 
appearance  indicates  his  careful  supervision  and 
earnest  efforts.  He  has  never  wished  public  of- 
fice but  has  given  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
business  affairs,  in  which  he  has  met  with  grati- 
fying success.  He  holds  membership  in  the 
Church  of  Christ  and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  repub- 
lican. His  farm  gives  every  evidence  of  careful 
supervision  and  practical  methods  and  the  owner 
is  a  man  who  in  his  business  relations  has  been 
found  thoroughly  reliable  and  trustworthy.  He 
has  therefore  gained  the  respect  of  his  fellowmen 
and  has  also  won  warm  friendships  by  reason  of 
a  genial  manner -and  cordial  disposition. 


W.   H.   MEISENBACH. 

W.  H.  Meisenbach,  practical  and  progressive, 
is  one  of  the  oldest  merchants  of  Pike  county, 
conducting  a  large  and  profitable  business  in 
Pearl.  He  was  born  in  Bedford  on  the  i7th  of 
September,  1858,  his  parents  being  Charles  and 
Caroline  (Lange)  Meisenbach,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Germany,  whence  they  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1849.  The  father  settled  in  St.  Louis  and 
there  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Caroline 
Lange,  to  whom  he  was  married  on  the  nth  of 
October,  1857.  He  afterward  took  up  his  abode 
in  Bedford,  Pike  county,  where  he  engaged  in 
blacksmithing  for  a  year  and  in  1859  he  removed 
to  Bee  Creek,  where  he  continued  to  work  at 
his  trade  until  1872.  He  then  abandoned  black- 


'628 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


smithing  in  order  to  engage  in  merchandising 
and  in  various  speculations  and  in  1882,  associated 
with  his  son,  W.  H.  Meisenbach,  he  opened  a 
store  at  Pearl,  the  relation  between  them  being 
maintained  until  1894,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  son 
and  partner,  who  has  since  successfully  carried 
on  the  business.  In  the  meantime  the  father  had 
made  extensive  and  judicious  investments  in  real 
estate,  becoming  the  owner  of  over  one  thousand 
acres  of  the  best  farming  land  in  Pike  and  Cal- 
houn  counties.  His  property  is  very  valuable 
and  returns  to  him  a  large  annual  income.  He  is 
now  permanently  retired  from  active  business 
cares  and  is  living  with  his  wife  at  Whitehall. 
Illinois.  His  life  record  stands  as  a  splendid  ex- 
ample of  what  may  be  accomplished  through  de- 
termined and  earnest  effort  and  the  exercise  of 
good  business  judgment.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Meisenbach  were  born  seven  children,  namely: 
W.  H.,  of  this  review;  Charles  D.,  deceased;  a 
son  who  died  in  infancy  unnamed;  August; 
Louisa  F.,  Albert  E. ;  and  Julia  C. 

W.  H.  Meisenbach  acquired  a  good  common- 
School  education  and  has  carried  on  business  for 
himself  since  1882,  when  his  father  placed  him  in 
charge  of  their  general  mercantile  store  in  Pearl. 
He  is  an  active,  prosperous  and  leading  mer- 
chant, carrying  a  large  and  well  selected  line  of 
goods  and  meeting  with  excellent  success  in  his 
undertakings.  He  was  associated  with  his  father 
until  1894,  when  he  purchased  his  partner's  inter- 
est and  became  sole  proprietor.  He  has  since  con- 
ducted the  business  alone  and  has  found  it  a 
profitable  undertaking.  In  addition  he  also  owns 
four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  farming  land,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  is  devoted  to 
fruit,  while  the  remainder  is  used  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  cereals  or  for  pasturage,  and  in  the  town 
of  Pearl  he  has  a  beautiful  residence. 

On  June  20,  1884,  Mr.  Meisenbach  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Kate  I.  Stillwell,  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Catharine  Stillwell,  of  Pike  county. 
Illinois.  She  was  one  of  the  prominent  teachers 
of  this  county  and  was  acting  as  principal  of  the 
public  schools  of  Pearl  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meisenbach  have  been 
born  eight  children:  Eloise,  Halbert  L..  Carolyn, 
Rollin.  Vera,  Hilda  Catharine,  Hila  and  Carl 


Meisenbach.  Of  these  all  are  yet  living  with  the 
exception  of  Halbert  L.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years. 

Mr.  Meisenbach  is  one  of  the  most  prominent, 
successful  and  leading  citizens  of  Pearl  and  has 
done  much  for  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of  the 
town.  His  influence  is  ever  on  the  side  of  right, 
progress  and  improvement.  In  politics  he  is  and 
has  always  been  a  stanch  prohibitionist  and  has 
ardently  advocated  the  temperance  cause,  feeling 
that  it  is  best  for  the  interests  of  the  community. 
He  was  elected  on  the  first  temperance  board  of 
Pearl  and  proposes  to  keep  up  his  work  in  this  di- 
rection. He  belongs  to  Milton  lodge,  No.  275. 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Nebo  camp,  No.  970,  M.  W.  A., 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  prominent  and  influ- 
ential members  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Pearl. 
He  has  a  very  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance 
and  in  business  life  has  made  a  splendid  record, 
never  incurring  obligations  that  he  does  not  meet 
nor  making  engagements  that  he  does  not  fill. 


FRANK  CLAUS. 

Frank  Claus,  a  general  merchant  of  Atlas,  who 
has  followed  the  "merit  system"  in  his  business 
career,  winning  success  because  he  deserves  it, 
owing  to  honorable  and  straightforward  methods, 
and  earnest  desire  to  please  his  customers,  was 
born  in  Maroa,  Macon  county,  Illinois,  on  the 
24th  of  January,  1868.  He  was  but  four  years 
of  age  when  brought  to  Pike  county  by  his  par- 
ents, George  and  Cyrena  (Carey)  Claus.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  America  about  1853,  settling  at  first 
in  Ohio.  He  afterward  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Pike  county.  Following  his  marriage  he  re- 
moved to  Maroa,  Macon  county,  the  birthplace 
of  our  subject ;  and  about  1872  he  again  came  with 
his  family  to  Pike  county,  settling  in  Derry 
township.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  de- 
voting his  entire  life  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  the  family  were  a  son  and  daughter, 
but  the  latter,  Josephine  Claus,  died  in  1888  and 
was  buried  in  the  \Yest  cemetery  at  Pittsficld. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


629 


When  Frank  Claus  first  came  to  Pike  county 
he  resided  with  his  grandfather,  Peter  Carey,  a 
pioneer  farmer  of  Derry  township,  who  came  to 
this  county  from  New  York  city  in  1837.  During 
the  gold  excitement  in  California  in  1849  the 
grandfather  went  to  the  Pacific  coast  accompanied 
by  Carlisle  Burbridge,  William  Gorden  and  Isaac 
Holman,  of  Pike  county.  They  made  an  overland 
trip  with  ox  teams,  and  eventually  reached  the 
land  of  gold;  but,  not  meeting  with  the  success 
they  had  anticipated  in  their  search  for  fortune, 
they  all  returned,  but  separately,  to  Pike  county. 
Here  Peter  Carey  took  up  the  pursuit  of  farming 
again,  which  he  continued  until  the  disabilities 
of  age  prevented  his  further  active  work.  He 
died  in  1899  at  his  home  in  Derry  township,  hav- 
ing for  several  years  survived  his  wife,  who 
passed  away  in  1884,  in  Macon  county,  Illinois. 

Frank  Claus  was  reared  in  his  grandfather's 
home,  and  acquired  his  primary  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  Derry  township,  while  later 
he  attended  the  public  schools  of  Pittsfield.  His 
work  during  the  summer  months  enabled  him  to 
continue  his  studies  through  the  winter  seasons, 
for  he  depended  entirely  upon  his  own  resources 
in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of  his  school  course. 
Later  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Atlas  for 
a  year,  and  subsequently  taught  in  various  coun- 
try schools  in  Pike  county  for  about  ten  years, 
proving  an  able  educator.  After  putting  aside  the 
duties  of  the  schoolroom  in  1898,  he  built  his 
present  store  in  Atlas  and  stocked  it  with  a  large 
line  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  hardware,  boots  and 
shoes,  drugs  and  notions.  In  this  business  he  his 
since  continued,  meeting  with  good  success.  He 
now  has  a  well  appointed  store,  and  through  his 
honorable  methods  and  unfaltering  energy,  has 
secured  a  large  and  paying  trade. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1897,  Mr.  Claus  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Marietta  Dodge,  a 
daughter  of  Harland  1'.  and  Emma  T.  (Carter) 
Dodge.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Maine,  and 
after  his  marriage,  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  levee  work,  be- 
ing recognized  as  an  expert  authority  on  matters 
connected  with  the  building  of  levees.  He  died 
in  Atlas,  June  27,  1899.  His  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren survive  him.  Mrs.  Dodge  with  two  daugh- 


ters resides  in  Louisiana,  Missouri.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Claus  have  been  born  four  children:, 
Frank  Leslie,  who  was  born  September  5,  1898; 
Harold  P.,  December  27,  1900;  Eugene  C,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1903;  and  Edna  May,  May  31,  1905. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Claus  is  an  earnest 
and  stalwart  republican,  who  has  long  upheld  the 
principles  of  the  party.  He  holds  membership  re- 
lations with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  Dependent  upon  his  own 
resources  for  his  education,  as  well  as  for  his 
business  advancement,  he  early  displayed  the  ele-- 
mentary  strength  of  his  character  in  strong  arid 
earnest  purpose,  which  enabled  him  to  prose- 
cute his  studies  in  the  face  of  difficulties. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  shown  marked 
self-reliance  and  business  activity,  coupled  with 
sound  judgment  and  resolution ;  and  he  certainly 
deserves  much  credit  for  the  success  he  has  ac-' 
complished  as  the  years  have  gone  by. 


GEORGE  D.  BUSH. 

George  D.  Bush,  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Pike  county,  who  has  been  an  active  business- 
man of  Nebo  for  fourteen  years,  dates  his  resi- 
dence in  Illinois  from  1880  and  since  1891  has 
lived  in  this  section  of  the  state.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  on  the 
27th  of  March,  1842.  He  is  a  son  of  O.  E.  Bush, 
a  native  of  Vermont  and  a  grandson  of  Squire 
Bush,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  New 
York,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Jefferson  county 
in  1803.  O.  E.  Bush  was  there  reared  and  edu- 
cated and  when  he  had  attained  man's  estate  he 
was, married  there  to  Miss  Janette  Heald,  a  na- 
tive of  Jefferson  county  and  a  daughter  of  David 
Heald.  who  was  born  in  Vermont  and  became 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Jefferson  county,  New 
York.  He  was  influential  and  active  in  public  af- 
fairs there  and  served  as  the  first  supervisor  of 
Antwerp  township.  O.  E.  Bush  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  an  active  business  man.  He 
went  to  California  in  1849,  making  the  overland 
trip  and  spent  twenty  years  upon  the  Pacific  coast 


630 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


engaged  in  mining  and  farming.  After  he  had 
been  there  for  a  time  he  was  joined  by  his  fam- 
ily. Eventually  he  returned  to  the  east,  locat- 
ing at  Colecamp,  Missouri,  whence  he  removed 
to  Ceredo,  West  Virginia,  where  he  lived  re- 
tired up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  1888  or  1889.  His  wife  died  two  years 
later. 

George  D.  Bush  was  reared  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, New  York,  and  was  a  student  in  the  public 
schools  there.  When  a  young  man  he  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  Watertown 
and  was  thus  employed  for  several  years.  In 
1861  he  went  to  California,  joining  his  father's 
family  there  and  in  that  state  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion in  a  mercantile  house  at  Chico,  where  his 
business  capacity  and  enterprise  won  him  promo- 
tion and  eventually  secured  his  admission  to  the 
firm  as  a  partner  under  the  style  of  Chapman, 
Titcom  &  Bush,  general  merchants.  He  thus 
continued  at  Chico  for  several  years,  doing  a 
good  business,  but  eventually  sold  out  on  account 
of  poor  health  and  removed  east  to  Missouri, 
locating  at  Colecamp  in  Benton  county,  where  he 
carried  on  business  for  two  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  disposed  of  his  busi- 
ness there  and  returned  to  California,  where  he 
again  engaged  in  merchandising  and  when  he 
once  more  sold  out  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  made 
his  way  to  West  Virginia,  where  he  turned  his 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  continuing  upon 
a  farm  there  until  coming  to  Illinois.  Locating 
in  Calhoun  county,  this  state,  he  once  more 
bought  out  an  established  business,  which  he 
conducted  for  three  years,  when  he  disposed  of 
his  store  and  removed  to  Frankford.  There  he 
again  bought  a  store  and  sold  goods  for  eight 
years  and  in  1891  he  came  to  Nebo  and  estab- 
lished a  new  store  in  this  village.  He  has  been 
quite  active  in  business  here.  He  put  in  a  large 
stock  of  general  merchandise  and  now  occupies 
three  large  store  rooms,  well  filled  with  goods 
of  every  description  found  in  a  first-class  estab- 
lishment of  this  kind.  He  has  built  up  a  large 
and  profitable  trade  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  business  men  of  the  county. 

In  1867,  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  Mr.  Bush  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Marv  Lee,  a  native  of  Illinois, 


where  she  was  reared,  and  educated.  There  are 
three  children  of  this  marriage.  Charles  Bush, 
the  eldest,  is  married  and  is  a  partner  in  his  fa- 
ther's mercantile  business.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  Keokuk  and  Frankford.  Nettie  is 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Walter  Urban,  a  dentist  of  Perry- 
ville,  Missouri.  Harry  is  married  and  clerks  in 
his  father's  store  in  Nebo. 

Politically  Mr.  Bush  has  been  a  lifelong  re- 
publican, having  supported  the  party  since  cast- 
ing his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  takes  a  great  interest  in  the  political 
affairs  of  the  country  but  has  never  sought  of- 
fice, giving  his  unremitting  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Nebo  and  since  1863 
he  has  been  identified  with  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  in  Cali- 
fornia. He  has  served  through  various  chairs, 
and  is  past  grand  of  the  lodge  with  which  he 
now  holds  membership.  For  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury he  has  made  his  home  in  Illinois  and  since 
coming  to  Nebo  has  been  thoroughly  identified 
with  the  interests  of  Pike  county.  An  active, 
prosperous  merchant  and  public-spirited  citizen. 
his  labors  have  been  effective  in  promoting  gen- 
eral progress  and  improvement  as  well  as  indi- 
vidual success  and  the  public  opinion  regard- 
ing his  ability  and  worth  is  very  favorable.  Mr. 
Bush  is  a  close  observer  and  his  knowledge, 
gained  from  travel  and  experience,  is  of  great 
value  to  him  and  a  pleasure  to  those  with  whom 
he  meets.  In  1865-6  he  visited  Central  America 
and  Mexico  and  on  several  occasions  has  visited 
the  provinces  of  Canada,  besides  having  been 
over  many  parts  of  the  United  States. 


A.    M.    APPLEGATE. 

A.  M.  Applegate  is  a  grain-dealer  of  Pearl, 
whose  intense  and  well  directed  efforts  have  made 
him  a  leading  representative  of  business  activity 
in  Pike  county.  The  unostentatious  routine  of 
private  life,  although  of  vast  importance  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community,  has  not  figured  to  any 
great  extent  on  the  pages  of  history,  but  the  names 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


631 


of  men  who  have  distinguished  themselves  by 
the  possession  of  those  qualities  of  character 
which  mainly  contribute  to  the  success  of  private 
life  and  to  the  public  stability  and  who  have  en- 
joyed the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  around 
them  should  not  be  permitted  to  perish.  Their 
example  is  more  valuable  to  the  majority  of  read- 
ers than  that  of  heroes,  statesmen  and  writers,  as 
they  furnish  means  of  subsistence  for  the  mul- 
titude, whom  in  their  useful  careers  they  have 
employed  and  promote  the  commercial  activity 
whereon  depends  the  welfare  of  every  community. 
Such  are  the  thoughts  that  involuntarily  come  to 
our  minds  when  we  consider  the  life  of  him  whose 
name  introduces1  this  review  and  who  has  made 
a  splendid  record  in  business  circles  and  is  to- 
day in  control 'of  an  extensive  grain  trade. 

Mr.  Applegate  was  born  in  Spring  Creek  town- 
ship, Februay  22,  1871.  His  parents  were  Har- 
rison C.  and  Ellen  (Stone)  Applegate.  The 
.paternal  grandparents  were  James  Monroe,  who 
was  born  October  31,  1804,  and  Jerusha  (Stark) 
Applegate,  born  February  16,  1816.  The  former 
came  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming  here  until 
his  death  on  March  5,  1874.  His  wife  lived 
to  an  advanced  age  and  spent  her  last  days  in 
Texas,  dying  on  February  5,  1898.  The  mater- 
nal grandparents  of  Mr.  Applegate  were  Nathan 
and  Mildred  Stone,  who  both  died  in  1874.  He 
was  a  farmer,  stock-raiser  and  butcher  and  both 
died  in  Pike  county.  Harrison  C.  Applegate 
was  born  July  17,  1843,  in  Indiana  and  became 
a  farmer  of  Illinois,  removing  to  his  state  with 
his  parents  in  pioneer  times.  For  many  years 
he  was  closely  associated  with  agricultural  inter- 
ests in  Pike  county  and  he  died  in  Spring  Creek 
township  on  March  14,  1874.  His  wife  was  born 
August  26,  1850,  in  Kentucky,  her  parents,  who 
were  natives  of  Virginia,  having  come  to  this 
state  at  an  early  day.  Following  the  death  of 
her  first  husband  she  was  married  in  the  fall 
of  1880  to  Martin  Whalen,  of  Greene  county, 
Illinois.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Applegate  were 
born  two  children,  the  sister,  who  was  the  young- 
er, being  Viola  Applegate,  who  still  resides  with 
her  mother  in  Pearl.  By  the  second  marriage 
there  were  three  children,  namely :  Mary,  Jennie 
and  James  Whalen. 


A.  M.  Applegate  acquired  his  primary  education 
in  the  country  schools  of  his  native  township 
and  afterward  continued  his  studies  in  White- 
hall, Greene  county,  Illinois,  to  which  place  the 
family  removed  in  1881.  In  the  spring  of  1882 
they  became  residents  of  Pearl  and  here  Mr. 
Applegate  completed  his  education.  He  suc- 
cessfully passed  a  teacher's  examination  in  1885, 
but  decided  not  to  give  his  attention  to  the  work 
of  public  instruction  and  entered  upon  his 
business  career  in  connection  with  the  grain 
trade,  becoming  an  employ  of  I.  L.  Lemon,  a 
grain  merchant  of  Pearl,  who  was  afterward  suc- 
ceeded by  Joseph  Schultz,  Sr.  Mr.  Applegate 
remained  in  his  employ  until  the  spring  of 
1896,  when  Mr.  Schultz  made  an  assignment.  A 
receiver  was  appointed  and  the  plant  was  rented 
by  the  receiver  to  Mr.  Applegate  until  the  ad- 
justment of  the  property  under  his  charge.  Our 
subject  then  purchased  the  plant  under  the  fore- 
closure1 and  thus  embarked  in  the  grain  trade  on 
his  own  account.  The  property  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  the  warehouse,  corn  crib  and  corn  sheller, 
located  on  the  Kne  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Rail- 
road. Bringing  to  his  business  great  enterprise, 
thorough  understanding  of  the  trade  and  a  land- 
able  ambition,  Mr.  Applegate  gradually  increased 
his  business  and  in  time  found  it  necessary  to 
provide  a  grain  elevator,  which  he  erected  at  a 
cost  of  four  thousand  dollars,  including  machinery 
and  a  gasoline  engine.  It  was  constructed  in 
1903  and  is  a  fine  structure,  having  storage  ca- 
pacity for  fifteen  thousand  bushels.  It  is  pro- 
vided with  a  Hopper  scale  and  necessary  cleaner 
for  weighing  and  handling  grain  for  shipment. 
The  corn  crib  has  a  storage  capacity  of  ten  thou- 
sand bushels  of  ear  corn.  Mr.  Applegate  is 
now  conducting  a  large  and  profitable  business 
and  in  addition  to  the  operation  of  his  elevator 
and  management  of  his  other  interests  he  buys 
salt  in  carloads  and  supplies  to  the  wholesale 
and  retail  trade  and  in  the  same  way  handles 
northern  seed  potatoes.  Mr.  Applegate  is  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  Grain  Dealers  Association 
and  is  one  of  Pike  county's  most  prosperous 
and  public-spirited  citizens,  who  has  contributed 
largely  to  the  prosperity  and  welfare  of  Pearl. 
Considering  the  limited  opportunities  which  he 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


enjoyed  in  his  youth  he  has  achieved  much  more 
success  than  is  ordinarily  gained  and  is  indeed 
one  of  the  most  prosperous,  energetic  and  re- 
spected business  men  of  Pearl  township.  He  is 
a  self-made  man,  who  without  any  extraordinary 
family  or  pecuniary  advantages  at  the  commence- 
ment of  life  has  battled  earnestly  and  energetically 
and  by  indomitable  courage  and  integrity  has 
achieved  both  character  and  prosperity,  having 
by  sheer  force  of  will  and  untiring  effort  worked 
his  way  upward. 


BLUFORD  HEAVNER. 

Bluford  Heavner,  a  banker  and  merchant  at 
Pearl,  was  born  October  25,  1858,  near  Time, 
Hardin  township,  and  is  a  son  of  Oliver  and  Sa- 
rah (Brace)  Heavner.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  born  near  Bowling  Green  and  about 
1840  came  to  Pike  county,  after  which  he  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  in  Hardin  town- 
ship up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred, 
however,  in  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  in  the  latter 
part  of  August,  1885.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Hardin  township  in  1834.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Samuel  Heavner,  came  from  Kentucky  to 
Illinois  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  and  died  near 
Bayville,  Pike  county. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  to 
vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Bluford  Heavner 
in  his  boyhood  days.  He  spent  his  youth  in  his 
parents'  home,  acquired  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  of  Pike  and  Calhoun  counties 
and  worked  in  the  fields  through  the  summer 
months,  assisting  largely  in  the  farm  labor.  It 
was  in  1871  that  he  removed  with  his  father's 
family  to  the  vicinity  of  Belleview,  Calhoun 
county,  where  he  completed  his  education.  He 
continued  a  resident  of  that  county  until  1880, 
during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  but  thinking  that  he  would 
find  other  business  interests  more  congenial  he  re- 
turned to  Pike  county  and  located  at  Pearl,  where 
he  has  resided  continuously  since.  Here  he  first 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  but  after  a  few 
years  sold  his  interest  in  this  line  and  turned  his 


attention  to  general  merchandising.  Soon  after- 
ward he  added  a  line  of  furniture  and  under- 
taking goods  and  he  continues  this  branch  of  his 
business.  He  has  a  large  and  well  selected  stock 
of  hardware  and  furniture  and  his  business  is 
carefully  conducted,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  real- 
ize a  good  financial  return  from  his  investment. 
He  has  never  been  known  to  overreach  his  fellow- 
men  in  a  business  transaction  but  is  just  and 
straightforward  and  has  secured  a  liberal  patron- 
age. In  July,  1905,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Man- 
ker  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Bank  of 
Hillview  and  thus  become  an  active  factor  in 
financial  circles  in  Pike  county. 

Mr.  Heavner  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  with  which  he  has  affiliated  for 
eighteen  years  and  he  likewise  has  membership 
.relations  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  a 
self-made  man  in  every  sense  of  the  term  and 
while  promoting  his  individual  interests  he  has 
also  labored  earnestly  for  the  general  welfare. 
He  opposes  strongly  every  measure  which  he  be- 
lieves inimical  to  the  public  good  and  at  the  same 
time  supports  with  earnest  and  unfaltering  loyalty 
any  plan  or  measure  which  he  deems  will  prove 
of  public  benefit.  It  is  said  that  he  and  his  asso- 
ciate in  the  banking  business,  Mr.  Manker,  have 
done  more  for  Pearl  than  any  five  residents  of  the 
village.  Mr.  Heavner  is  a  representative  of  a 
pioneer  family  and  from  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  the  county  the  name  has  ever 
stood  as  a  synonym  for  good  citizenship  and  de- 
voted loyalty  to  the  interests  of  both  public  and 
private  life. 


HARRY  A.  MASSIF. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  New 
Canton,  Illinois,  April  n,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of 
M.  D.  and  Mary  E.  Massie.  He  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  New  Canton  and  spent  two 
years  at  the  Western  Normal  College  at  Bush- 
nell,  Illinois.  He  learned  telegraphy  when  quite 
young  and  after  leaving  school  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway  as  tele- 
graph operator  and  has  since  worked  in  the  fol- 
lowing states  as  an  operator  and  train  dispatcher: 
Missouri,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Texas,  Arkansas, 


HARRY  A.   MASSIE 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


635 


Colorado,  Wyoming  and  Illinois,  the  principal 
cities  in  which  he  worked  being  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  Atchison,  Kansas,  Little  Rock  and 
Pine  Bluff,  Arkansas,  Denver,  Colorado,  and 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska.  In  March,  1903,  he 
moved  back  to  New  Canton  and  succeeded  his 
father  in  the  general  merchandise  business  and 
is  conducting  a  successful  business  now. 

Mr.  Massie  was  united  in  marriage  in  1887 
with  Miss  Lucretia  Crews,  of  New  Canton.  They 
have  had  three  children :  Lelah,  Paul  and  Helen. 
The  youngest,  Helen,  died  at  the  age  of  nearly 
eleven  years.  Mr.  Massie  is  a  member  of  the 
Woodmen,  Mutual  Protective  League.  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security  and  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  is  one  of  the  town  trustees  and  is  a  useful 
and  energetic  citizen. 


SAMUEL  MOORE. 

Samuel  Moore,  a  retired  farmer  living  in  New 
Salem,  is  a  native  of  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  his 
birth  having  there  occurred  on  the  I2th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1842.  His  parents,  John  and  Sarah  (Simp- 
son) Moore,  were  both  natives  of  Allegany 
county,  Maryland,  born  near  Harper's  Ferry. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Moore,  Sr.,  was 
for  seven  years  a  soldier  in  the  American  army 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, Reese  Simpson,  was  also  one  of  the  he- 
roes of  the  Revolution,  being  for  two  years  on 
the  sea  as  a  member  of  the  navy  and  for  five 
years  operating  with  the  military  forces  on  land. 
Soon  after  their  marriage  John  and  Sarah 
(Simpson)  Moore,  traveling  on  horseback, 
made  their  way  to  Ohio  and  located  on  a  farm 
in  Harrison  county,  where  they  remained  until 
1844,  when  they  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois. 
They  located  first  at  Quincy,  however,  where 
they  spent  nine  months  and  then  took  up  their 
abode  in  New  Salem  township,  Pike  county, 
about  three  miles  northeast  of  New  Salem.  Mr. 
Moore  entered  forty  acres  of  government  land, 
which  he  cleared  and  improved,  building  there- 
on a  log  house  in  which  he  raised  his  family. 
He  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  New  Salem 


township,  devoting  his  energies  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  there  his  death  occurred  in 
1885.  He  was  one  of  the  worthy  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  the  community  and  aided  in  the  early 
work  of  improvement  and  progress  in  pioneer 
times.  His  wife  survived  him  for  about  ten 
years,  passing  away  in  1895.  In  their  family 
were  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Samuel;  Marcus,  who  resides  in  New 
Salem  township ;  Hiram,  who  is  living  in  El- 
dara  township ;  and  Mrs.  Guldy  Carnes,  a  resi- 
dent of  Maysville  and  the  mother  of  S.  E.  and 
George  Carnes  and  Mrs.  Gay  Williamson,  well 
known  in  this  county. 

Samuel  Moore  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  New  Salem  township  and  began  work 
when  twelve  years  of  age,  being  employed  at 
farm  labor  for  seven  years.  When  he  was  twen- 
ty-four years  of'agejhe  invested  his  earnings  in 
one  hundred  and,  sixty  acres  of  land  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  southeast  of .vNew  Salem,  all  being 
covered  with  timber.  He  cleared  a  part  of  this 
and  built  a  house  in  1866.  He  fenced  the  entire 
quarter  section  and  cleared  twenty-five  acres  of 
the  land,  after  which  he  traded  the  farm  for 
eighty  acres  in  Christian  county,  Illinois,  but 
still  lived  in  New  Salem  township.  He  after- 
ward traded  his  property  in  Christian  county  for 
land  in  New  Salem  township,  added  to  it  by 
additional  purchase  and  is  now  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  not  far  from  the  old 
family  homestead  on  which  he  was  reared.  He 
also  has  a  tract  of  thirty-seven  acres  near  by 
which  is  in  grass.  He  continued  in  active  farm- 
ing until  1897,  when  he  put  aside  the  work  of 
the  fields  and  took  up  his  abode  in  New  Salem, 
since  which  time  he  has  made  several  trips  to 
California.  He  owns  a  fine  block  of  land  and  a 
beautiful  residence  which  he  purchased,  it  being 
a  large  two  story  square  house,  comfortable  and 
convenient  in  arrangement,  and  tastefully  fur- 
nished. He  has  also  a  good  barn  upon  the  place. 
His  farm  is  well  improved  and  returns  to  him  a 
very  gratifying  income. 

On  the  i6th  of  October,  1862,  Mr.  Moore  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amanda  Dunham,  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Abel  and  Rachel  (Harden) 
Dunham.  The  father  was  born  in  Harrison 


636 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


county,  Ohio,  July  16,  1819,  and  was  a  son  of 
William  and  Mary  (Chancy)  Dunham.  Lewis 
Dunham,  the  father  of  William  Dunham,  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  who  cheerfully  bore  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  meted  out  to  the  soldier 
in  order  to  aid  in  securing  liberty  to  the  Amer- 
ican colonists.  At  one  time  he  was  so  near  star- 
vation that  he  made  a  kind  of  tea  out  of  the 
crisp  pieces  of  his  own  boot  soles  in  order  to 
sustain  his  life.  The  American  forces  were  re- 
duced to  the  utmost  straits  in  order  to  provide 
necessities  and  their  descendants  may  well  be 
proud  of  the  fact 'that  they  had  ancestors  who 
were  willing  to  meet  the  greatest  hardships  in 
order  to  establish  a  free  and  independent  nation. 
William  Dunham  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
state  of  Maryland  and  wedded  Miss  Mary 
Chancy,  who  was  of  Scotch  ancestry.  Some 
years  later  they  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in 
what  was  then  a  new  and  undeveloped  region 
included  within  the  present  boundaries  of  Harri- 
son county.  In  the  spring  of  1845  tney  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  what  is  now  Griggsville  town- 
ship, where  they  spent  their  remaining  days. 
William  Dunham  departed  this  life  September 
15,  1845,  and  his  wife  died  November  2,  1852. 
Rev.  Abel  Dunham  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Rachel  Harden  on  the  I3th  of  August,  1839.  She 
was  born  March  7,  1816,  in  Jefferson  county, 
Ohio,  and  in  1840  she  became  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  and  during  the  ensuing 
years  was  frequently  called  upon  for  exhortation. 
She  was  a  fluent  speaker,  her  spirit  being  in  the 
work,  and  she  exerted  a  strong  and  beneficial  in- 
fluence upon  her  hearers.  For  some  years  before 
her  death  she  was  an  invalid  but  her  mind  re- 
tained its  perfect  strength  and  a  short  time  be- 
fore she  breathed  her  last  she  gave  earnest 
Christian  advice  to  her  friends  and  bade  them 
farewell.  She  passed  away  Sunday,  February 
28.  1886,  a  smile  upon  her  face,  showing  that 
she  was  at  perfect  content  with  her  condition. 
She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  including 
Mrs.  Moore.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Rev. 
Dunham  had  but  one  dollar  and  one  cent.  He 
gave  the  dollar  to  the  officiating  clergyman  and 
after  the  infair  donated  the  cent  to  a  little 
nephew.  He  was  then  ready  to  start  out  in  life 


with  his  wife  in  a  way  more  frequently  seen  at 
that  time  than  at  present.  He  began  farming 
on  a  small  scale  in  his  native  county,  where  he 
remained  until  1845,  when  he  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  to  begin  a  new  life  here.  Of 
earnest  purpose  and  unfaltering  diligence,  he 
began  work  and  by  his  good  judgment  and  econ- 
omy aided  by  the  prudence  and  careful  manage- 
ment of  his  wife  he  was  enabled  to  accumulate 
over  six  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  this 
county  together  with  other  property.  After  los- 
ing his  first  wife  he  was  married  again,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Brown,  nee 
Anderson,  who  was  born  near  Hillsboro,  High- 
land county,  Ohio,  August  23,  1840.  The  Rev. 
Abel  Dunham  was  a  prominent  abolitionist  dur- 
ing the  prevalence  of  slavery  and  when  the  re- 
publican party  was  formed  to  prevent  its  further 
extension  he  joined  its  ranks.  In  later  years, 
long  after  the  slavery  question  had  been  settled, 
he  felt  that  the  temperance  question  was  the 
dominant  issue  before  the  people  and  became  an 
ardent  prohibitionist.  His  work  and  influence 
were  ever  on  the  side  of  righteousness,  reform 
and  improvement  and  the  world  is  better  for  his 
having  lived.  He  died  August  18,  1899,  having 
for  a  number  of  years  survived  his  wife,  who 
passed  away  February  28,  1886. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  have  been  born 
nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  Rachel  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Wallace  Little,  a  resident  of  New  Salem  township 
and  has  one  child,  Veta.  Sarah  is  the  widow  of 
James  Snowhill  residing  in  Baylis,  Illinois,  and 
has  six  children.  John  married  Fannie  Whitten. 
by  whom  he  has  two  children,  and  makes  his 
home  near  the  village  of  New  Salem.  Abel 
married  a  Miss  Johnson  and  resides  near  Mays- 
ville,  Missouri.  Colonel  Elsworth  is  married 
and  resides  upon  his  father's  farm  in  New  Salem 
township.  William  H.  married  Minnie  Cox  and 
lives  upon  the  home  farm  belonging  to  his  fa- 
ther. Samuel  Lee  married  Elsie  Pease  and  re- 
sides in  New  Salem,  being  engaged  in  the  stock 
business.  Anna  May  is  living  at  home. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren church  and  Mr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  lodge 
No.  218.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  New  Salem,  and  is  a 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


637 


charter  member  of  lodge  No.  832,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
Baylis,  of  which  he  is  also  a  past  noble  grand. 
Mr.  Moore  is  a  man  of  excellent  attainments,  of 
splendid  qualities  and  of  good  ability.  He  justly 
deserves  all  the  praise  that  the  term  a  self-made 
man  implies,  for  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  years 
he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  and 
has  since  worked  his  way  steadily  upward,  never 
taking  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  others,  but 
through  earnest  purpose  and  honorable  effort, 
realizing  that  labor  is  the  basis  of  all  true  suc- 
cess. He  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  prop- 
erty which  returns  to  him  an  income  sufficient 
to  enable  him  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest. 


MARION  N.  PETTY. 

Marion  N.  Petty  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  of  two  hundred  acres  on  section  29,  Mon- 
tezuma  township.  His  birth  occurred  in  Hardin 
township,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  December  3, 
1850,  and  he  is  descended  from  good  old  Revo- 
lutionary stock,  having  a  great-grandfather  in 
both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines  who  were 
soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  grand- 
father, Fisher  Petty,  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
served  as  a  major  in  the  Ohio  State  Militia  and 
had  a  varied  experience  with  the  Tories,  as  re- 
corded elsewhere  in  this  volume.  He  died  upon 
the  old  homestead  farm  when  about  sixty-six 
years  of  age. 

Alvin  Petty,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Pike  county,  Missouri,  in  1826  and  was  reared 
upon  the  old  Petty  homestead  farm  in  Martins- 
burg  township  near  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  his  educa- 
tion being  largely  acquired  under  the  direction 
of  Jon  Shastid.  He  married  Miss  Julia  A.  Duf- 
field,  who  was  born  in  Greencastle,  Indiana,  in 
1828,  this  marriage  being  celebrated  in  1848. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Catharine  Duf- 
field.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  entered  the 
army  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  taking  his  fa- 
ther's place.  He  was  quite  a  traveler,  visiting 
many  of  the  states  of  the  Union,  making  his  way 
from  place  to  place  on  horseback.  In  early  life 


he  followed  merchandising  and  after  his  re- 
moval to  Pike  county  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
in  Martinsburg  township,  where  he  carried*  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death. 

Throughout  his  entire  business  career  Alvin 
Petty  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
during  a  part  of  that  time  he  also  operated  a 
sawmill  upon  his  place  in  Hardin  township.  He 
built  this  mill  and  continued  the  manufacture  of 
lumber  for  about  twenty  years,  his  son  Marion 
hauling  many  a  load  of  timber  to  the  mill.  Alvin 
Petty  was  a  natural  mechanic  and  could  con- 
struct anything  in  wood  or  iron.  He  died  in 
Martinsburg  township,  September  5,  1892,  within 
a  half  mile  of  where  he  was  reared  and  educated, 
being  then  sixty-six  years  of  age.  His  remains 
were  interred  in  the  Highland  cemetery.  His 
wife  is  still  living  in  Pittsfield  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  seventy-seven  years.  In  the  family  of 
this  worthy  couple  were  eight  children,  six  sons 
and  two  daughters,  of  whom  Marion  was  the  first 
born.  The  others  are  John T.,  Sarah  C.,  Isaac  A.,  J. 
F.,  Mary  E.,  William  H.  and  Frederick.  At  this 
date,  1906,  all  of  the  children  are  living  with  the 
exception  of  the  second,  John  T.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy and  was  buried  in  the  old  Highland  grave- 
yard, and  J.  F.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  forty- 
three  years  and  was  buried  in  the  West  cemetery 
at  Pittsfield,  Illinois. 

Marion  N.  Petty  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  of  Pike  county  for  the  educational 
privileges  he  enjoyed  for  his  preliminary  train- 
ing was  received  in  Hardin  township  and  later 
he  spent  two  years  as  a  student  in  Pittsfield.  He 
early  became  familiar  with  the  task  of  developing 
the  fields  and  caring  for  the  crops  and  through- 
out his  entire  life  gave  his  attention  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits. 

He  has  been  married  twice,  his  first  union 
being  with  Harriet  S.  Troutner,  by  whom  he  had 
four  children:  William,  born  November  3, 
1874,  died  January  13,  1876,  and  was  buried  in 
the  Highland  graveyard  near  Pittsfield ;  Paul  A., 
born  March  i,  1877.  and  Jerome  G.,  born  Octo- 
ber 5.  1879.  are  at  home:  and  the  fourth  child 
died  at  birth.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Petty 
chose  Miss  Lvdia  Miller,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 


638 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


ried  November  29,  1883.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
James  B.  and  Mary  (Griffin)  Miller.  Her  pa- 
ternal grandfather  was  Samuel  Miller,  who  was 
a  miller  by  trade  and  lived  in  Pennsylvania  but 
became  one  of  the  early,  settlers  of  Ohio  and  died 
in  Brown  county,  that  state.  He  married  Lydia 
Baird,  a  sister  of  the  famous  missionary,  Robert 
Baird.  William  Miller,  the  paternal  grandfa- 
ther of  Mrs.  Petty,  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
whence  he  removed  to  Brown  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  engaged  in  wagon  manufacturing. 
Coming  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  he  here  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  Here  he  died  and  he 
and  his  wife  have  been  laid  to  rest  in  the  Time 
cemetery  in  Hardin  township. 

James  B.  Miller,  father  of  Mrs.  Petty,  was 
born  in  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  25, 
1817,  and  when  seven  years  of  age  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Brown  county, 
Ohio.  He  afterward  worked  in  the  flour  mill  of 
his  father,  who  was  a  miller  both  by  name  and 
by  trade.  He  was  thus  employed  for  a  number 
of  years  and  in  Ohio  he  was  married.  The  fam- 
ily removed  from  Brown  to  Clermont  county, 
Ohio,  and  afterward  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 
where  Mr.  Miller  engaged  in  farming  in  Hardin 
township  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred February  II,  1873,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  Time  cemetery.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Brown  county,  Ohio,  December  30,  1817,  and 
died  on  the  homestead  farm  in  Hardin  town- 
ship. March  3,  1893,  her  remains  being  interred 
by  the  side  of  her  husband's  grave.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Miller  were  born  the  foHowing  named : 
Samuel  W.,  Sarah  F.,  William  F..  Elizabeth  C, 
Mrs.  Lydia  Petty,  Anna.  Robert  B.,  James  A.. 
Lydia  Ann,  John  N.  and  an  infant  daughter,  who 
died  at  birth.  Seven  of  these  are  now  living, 
while  of  the  deceased,  Lvdia  A.  was  buried  in 
•Brown  county,  Ohio,  John  F.  in  Clermont 
county,  Ohio,  and  Robert  B.  in  Time  cemetery  in 
Hardin  township. 

In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pettv  are  the 
following  children:  Robert  E..  born  September 
IT,  1884:  Archie  Miller,  September  28,  1885: 
Willard  Duffield,  born  February  10.  1887 ;  Ruth 
A.,  born  December  8,  1888;  Man-  C..  born  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1891;  Alvin  J.,  May  27.  1894;  and  a 


daughter,  who  was  born  and  died  December  22, 
1892.  The  son  Alvin  died  March  22,  1895,  and 
was  buried  in  Green  Pond  cemetery  as  was  also 
the  daughter  who  died  unnamed. 
-  Mr.  Petty  and  his  family  reside  upon  an  ex- 
cellent farm  on  section  29,  Montezuma  township, 
where  he  has  a  valuable  property,  comprising 
two  hundred  acres.  The  farm  is  well  equipped 
with  all  modern  conveniences  and  in  its  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  indicates  his  careful  super- 
vision. His  energy,  discrimination  and  earnest 
labor  have  been  the  resultant  factors  in  his  suc- 
cess, making  him  a  substantial  and  representative 
farmer  of  his  community. 


H.  COLVIN. 

H.  Colvin,  conducting  a  hotel  and  also  engaging 
in  business  as  a  merchant  and  confectioner,  was 
born  April  27,  1866,  in  Montezuma  township,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Nancy  (Brookens) 
Colvin,  in  whose  family  were  six  children,  the 
subject  of  this  review  being  the  youngest.  His 
youth  was  passed  upon  the  home  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  be- 
gan earning  his  own  living  as  an  employe  of  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company.  He  contin- 
ued in  the  service  of  that  corporation  in  differ- 
ent capacities  for  about  eighteen  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time,  in  1883,  he  resumed  farming, 
which  he  carried  on  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  for 
two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
came  to  Pearl  and  worked  for  the  Chicago  &  Al- 
ton Railroad  Company  on  the  rock  crusher  for 
about  a  year,  after  which  he  began  business  here 
on  his  own  account. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1900,  Mr.  Colvin  was 
married  to  Miss  Phoebe  J.  Gauntt,  a  daughter  of 
John  T.  and  Abigail  (Chaplin)  Gauntt.  In  their 
family  were  eight  children,  Mrs.  Colvin  being  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  In  1903  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Colvin  purchased  the  lunch  counter  business  at 
Pearl  from  Harry  Rule,  and  for  over  a  year  con- 
ducted the  only  lunch  counter  in  the  town,  known 
as  the  Star  Lunch  Room.  When  he  bought  the 
business  he  paid  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  dol- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


639 


lars  fot  it,  but  he  has  gradually  made  improve- 
ments and  added  to  -his  stock  to  the  amount  of 
seven  hundred  dollars.  Their  hotel  is  one  of  the 
neatest  and  best  in  Pearl,  and  was  built  in  1905, 
of  concrete  blocks.  It  was  completed  on  the  28th 
of  August,  and  has  since  been  used  for  hotel 
purposes.  The  building  is  an  ornament  to  the 
town  and  a  pride  to  its  owner.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Colvin  also  own  a  house  and  lot  on  the  south  side 
of  the  railroad  in  Pearl.  Formerly  Mrs.  Colvin 
was  engaged  in  dressmaking  for  nine  years,  and 
had  an  excellent  patronage,  but  retired  from  that 
business  on  account  of  her  health.  As  a  merchant 
and  confectioner  Mr.  Colvin  is  enjoying  a  large 
and  lucrative  business,  having  the  most  extensive 
trade  in  his  line  in  the  town.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Mutual  Protective  League  of 
Pearl,  and  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who 
know  them.  Their  business  success  is  creditable 
having  been  gained  through  well  directed  and 
earnest  effort,  the  enterprising  labors  of  Mr.  Col- 
vin being  ably  supplemented  by  the  assistance  of 
his  estimable  wife. 


FREDERICK  GILLINGS. 

Frederick  Gillings,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  .war 
and  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Atlas  township,  liv- 
ing on  section  6,  where  he  owns  two  hundred 
•acres  of  rich  and  productive  land,  was  born  in 
London,  England,  August  19,  1837,  and  ac~ 
quired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  city. 
His  parents  were  George  and  Mary  (Beckem) 
Gillings.  The  former  was  a  plasterer  by  trade 
and  followed  that  occupation  throughout  his  en- 
tire life.  LTnto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  of  whom 
George  and  Mary  are  both  deceased,  leaving 
Frederick  as  the  only  surviving  member  of  the 
family,  and  outside  of  his  own  immediate  fam- 
ily he  has  no  relatives  in  America.  The  father 
died  in  London  in  June,  1867,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  a  few  years  later. 

Prior  to  his  parents'  death,  when  a  youth  of 
fourteen  years,  Frederick  Gillings  ran  away  from 
home,  being  possessed  of  an  ardent  desire  to  go 
to  sea,  and  shipped  as  a  cabin  boy  aboard  her 


majesty's  gunboat  Rattlesnake,  with  which  he 
cruised  in  the  Black  and  Baltic  seas  during  the 
Crimean  war,  spending  eight  months  in  that  way. 
He  then  returned  with  the  vessel  and  landed  at 
Wolwich  on  the  River  Thames  and  his  father 
paid  a  sum  of  money  to  secure  his  release.  He 
then  returned  to  his  father's  home,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  short  time,  when  he  again  ran  away 
and  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  bound  for 
America,  crossing  in  the  steerage.  He  landed 
in  New  York  city  after  a  tempestuous  voyage  .of 
one  month  and  was  without  a  dollar  in  a  strange 
land  where  he  had  neither  friends  nor  relatives. 
After  passing  through  quarantine  at  Castle  Gar- 
den he  finally  secured  a  position  as  waiter  in  the 
St.  Nicholas  Hotel  in  New  York  city,  occupying 
that  position  for  eight  months.  He  next  went  to 
Lyons,  Wayne  county,  New  York,  where  he  se- 
cured employment  as  a  farm  hand  on  the  farm 
of  Silas  Patten,  where  he  remained  for  a  year, 
receiving  eight  dollars  per  month  and  his  board. 
He  afterward  went  to  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  he  engaged  in  making  plaster  of  Paris 
casts,  the  knowledge  of  which  he  had  gained 
while  with  his  father.  He  continued  in  that  line 
of  business  for  a  year,  after  which  he  came  west- 
ward to  Chicago,  where  he  continued  in  the  same 
business  for  about  four  months.  He  afterward 
walked  to  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  where  he  spent 
the  succeeding  winter,  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  plaster  of  Paris  casts.  Later  he  made 
his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  was 
employed  in  a  similar  way  for  eight  months  and 
afterward  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  a  year.  He 
then  went  to  Monroe,  Butler  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  worked  as  a  plasterer  until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  war. 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Gillings  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  B.  First  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  with  his  company  went  to  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  fitted  out 
with  uniforms,  being  there  mustered  in  for 
three  months'  service.  He  participated  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  the  Union  arms 
suffered  defeat,  after  which  his  regiment  re- 
treated to  Washington  and  was  there  mustered 
out  of  service  on  account  of  the  expiration  of 
their  term,  in  July.  1861.  Mr.  Gillings  returned 


64o 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


to  Monroe,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
until  the  23d  of  August,  1862,  when  he  re-en- 
listed for  three  years'  service  in  Company  A, 
Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as 
a  corporal  at  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  to  serve  for 
three  years  and  was  discharged  with  the  rank 
of  sergeant  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on  a  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability,  on  the  igth  of  April, 
1864.  In  the  meantime  he  had  participated  in 
the  hotly  contested  engagement  at  Perryville, 
Kentucky,  and  in  the  skirmish  at  Frankfort, 
after  which  he  marched  with  his  regiment  to 
Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  where  General  Buell 
was  superseded  in  command  by  General  Rose- 
crans  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  With  his 
regiment  he  then  marched  to  Scottsviue,  Ken- 
tucky, where  they  had  a  skirmish  with  the  en- 
emy. They  afterward  proceeded  to  Gallatin, 
Missouri,  where  they  remained  for  about  three 
months,  during  which  time  Mr.  Gillings  served 
on  detached  duty.  Leaving  Gallatin  he  was  or- 
dered to  join  his  regiment  at  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, where  the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  was  guarding 
a  bridge  for  about  six  weeks  and  also  did  guard 
duty  in  the  city.  The  troops  then  marched  to 
Laverne,  Tennessee,  where  they  built  a  fort,  re- 
maining there  until  the  battle  of  Stone  River, 
in  which  Mr.  Gillings  participated  and  was 
wounded.  He  was  then  sent  to  the  Union  hos- 
pital in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  re- 
mained for  one  month,  when  he  was  detailed  with 
eight  others  to  go  to  Ohio  on  recruiting  service. 
He  was  again  obliged  to  enter  the  hospital  at 
Nashville  on  account  of  his  wound,  remaining 
there  for  about  two  months,  after  which  he  re- 
joined his  regiment  and  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Resaca,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  Wahatchie  in 
Georgia.  This  was  in  the  latter  part  of  1864. 
The  regiment  then  marched  on  to  Washington, 
D.  C.,  was  reviewed  there  and  sent  to  Camp  Den- 
ison,  Ohio,  where  its  members  were  mustered  out 
of  service  and  finally  discharged  on  the  8th  of 
July,  1865.  but  in  the  meantime  Mr.  Gillings,  as 
before  stated,  had  been  mustered  out  on  account 
of  disability. 

When  his  military  service  was  ended  Mr.  Gil- 
lings  returned  to  Monroe,  Ohio,  and  on  the  I2th 


of  October,  1864,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Maud, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  Maud.  Her 
parents  were  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and 
Mrs.  Gillings  was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely:  George, 
William,  John,  Richard,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Har- 
riet and  Anna.  Of  these  three  daughters  are  liv- 
ing, but  the  sons  are  all  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gillings  have  been  born  eleven  children : 
Edward,  who  was  born  August  19,  1865,  and 
married  Ruth  Miller,  of  Rockport ;  Daisy  Maud, 
who  was  born  October  4,  1867,  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  Alonzo  Lyons;  William,  who  was  born 
June  6,  1872,  and  married  Ettie  Enzer;  Nettie, 
who  was  born  July  19,  1874,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Walter  Scott;  Martha,  who  was  born  October 
15,  1876,  and  died  March  14,  1897,  her  remains 
being  interred  in  the  new  cemetery  at  Barry,  Illi- 
nois ;  Amy,  who  was  born  August  26,  1878,  and 
is  the  wife  of  Richard  Francis;  Nina,  who  was 
born  April  10,  1881,  and  married  Stephen  Wil- 
liams; Drucilla,  who  was  born  October  23,  1884, 
and  is  the  wife  of  Jesse  Williams;  Fred,  born 
August  31,  1886;  Harry,  who  was  born  May  24, 
1889;  and  Mary,  who  was  born  May  14,  1888, 
and  died  May  2,  1889,  her  remains  being  interred 
in  the  Taylor  cemetery  in  Eldara,  Derry  township. 
The  eldest  daughter,  Martha,  who  has  passed 
away,  was  the  wife  of  Alvin  Lippincott,  and  her 
remains  were  interred  in  the  new  cemetery  at 
Barry. 

In  the  year  1870,  Mr.  Gillings  removed  with 
his  family  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  one  season  in  Cass  county, 
Missouri,  after  which  he  journeyed  on  horseback 
to  Barry,  Illinois,  a  distance  of  three  hundred 
miles,  remaining  at  that  locality  during  the  sum- 
mer. He  then  returned  to  Cass  county  on  horse- 
back, after  which  he  made  a  second  trip  to  Barry 
in  the  same  manner,  and  finally  settled  upon  his 
present  farm  near  Rockport,  where  he  has  now 
made  his  home  for  twenty-one  years.  He  has 
here  two  hundred  acres  of  good  pasture  land  on 
section  6,  Atlas  township. 

Mr.  Gillings  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Atlas,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  Rock- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


641 


port.  He  -is  also  a  member  of  Samuel  Hays  post, 
G.  A.  R.,  at  Summer  Hll.  His  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  was 
elected  constable  of  Atlas  township  in  April,  1887, 
and  served  for  one  term.  Later  he  was  re- 
elected  to  fill  a  vacancy,  serving  until  May,  1893. 
He  was  elected  and  served  for  nearly  three  years 
as  school  director  of  Atlas  township,  and  in  1904 
was  elected  road  commissioner,  so  that  he  is  the 
present  incumbent  in  that  office.  All  that  he  pos- 
sesses in  life  has  been  acquired  through  his  own 
labors,  for  he  started  out  when  a  young  lad  empty- 
handed,  and,  in  fact,  from  a  very  early  age  de- 
pended entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  He 
proved  his  loyalty  to  his  adopted  country  in  the 
Civil  war ;  and  is  one  of  the  valued  residents  of 
Atlas  township,  for  in  days  of  peace  he  is  as 
loyal  to  his  country  as  when  he  followed  the  old 
flag  upon  southern  battle-fields. 


JOHN  A.  McKEY. 

John  A.  McKey  is  the  founder  of  the  village 
of  Strout.  He  opened  the  first  store  there  and  was 
the  first  postmaster,  and  has  been  closely  associ- 
ated with  the  material  progress  and  improvement 
of  this  part  of  the  county.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  on  the  i6th  of  June,  1845, 
his  parents  being  Andrew  and  Anna  Belle  (Low- 
ery)  McKey.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, born  in  1817,  and  the  mother's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Belfast,  Ireland.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  her  native  country;  and  they  came 
to  America  about  1838,  settling  in  Mount  Ver- 
non, Ohio.  The  father  was  subsequently  engaged 
in  manufacturing  pursuits  in  that  place  until  1856, 
when  he  removed  to  Keokuk.  Iowa,  and  rented 
a  farm  from  General  Curtis  of  historic  fame.  He 
continued  to  engage  actively  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits there  until  1862,  when  he  came  to  Spring 
Creek  township,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  arriving 
here  before  the  advent  of  the  railroad.  He  built 
the  first  house  upon  his  farm,  and  continued 
the  improvement  of  his  land  until  1869,  when  he 
removed  to  Frankfort,  Missouri,  where  he  carried 


on  farming  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred on  his  homestead  property  in  that  state 
in  January,  1873.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
about  twenty-four  years,  her  death  occurring  in 
Howard,  Elk  county,  Kansas,  in  her  ninetieth 
year,  and  there  her  remains  were  interred.  In 
their  family  were  the  following  children,  George 
W.,  Elizabeth  J.,  William  J.,  Robert  S.,  Anna 
Belle  and  John  A.  Of  these  Robert  S.  and  Anna 
Belle  are  now  deceased,  while  William  J.  is  lo- 
cated in  Fulton,  Callaway  county,  Missouri.  Eliz- 
abeth J.  married  William  Long,  a  resident  of  Day- 
ton, Washington,  who  was  a  Union  soldier  of 
the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Robert  E.  was  a  druggist  of  Eureka,  Kansas,  up 
to  the  time  of  his  demise. 

John  A.  McKey  was  educated  at  the  Rock  Hill 
schoolhouse  in  Pike  county,  and  was  reared  upon 
his  father's  farm,  assisting  in  its  work  until  the 
father  went  to  Missouri,  when  he  began  life  on 
his  own  account  by  renting  the  old  homestead 
farm,  on  which  he  now  resides.  Upon  the  father's 
death  John  A.  McKey  purchased  the  interest  of 
the  other  heirs  in  the  home  property.  In  1862 
his  mother  came  to  live  with  him,  at  which  time 
he  was  in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  soon  afterward 
the  other  members  of  the  family  came  to  make 
their  home  with  Mr.  McKey  and  his  mother,  save 
his  eldest  brother,  George  W.  McKey,  who  en- 
listed in  the  First  Iowa  Cavalry  in  1861.  After 
serving  for  three  years  he  re-enlisted  and  con- 
tinued with  the  Union  army  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  war.  He  was  finally  mustered  out 
and  was  discharged  in  Dallas,  Texas.  He  now 
resides  in  Howard,  Elk  county,  Kansas,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent,  wealthy  and  influ- 
ential citizens  there,  being  president  of  three 
banks.  He  was  also  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
town  and  his  money  and  influence  have  been  a 
strong  directing  force  in  many  public  measures 
and  business  enterprises. 

John  A.  McKey  is  also  numbered  among  the 
town-builders  of  the  middle  west  for  he  made  the 
first  improvements  in  Strout,  was  the  founder  of 
the  village,  and  erected  all  of  the  houses  there. 
He  has  also  conducted  for  fifteen  years  the  only 
store  in  Strout,  and  does  a  good  business  as  a 
merchant,  carrying  a  well  selected  line  of  goods, 


642 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


and  securing  from  the  surrounding  country  a 
liberal  patronage. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1871,  Mr.  McKey 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Sproule, 
and  unto  them  have  been  born  nine  children : 
Josie  Belle,  born  June  9,  1872;  Anna  May,  on 
the  6th  of  May,  1874;  Robbie,  February  3,  1876;' 
Adis  F.,  April  7,  1878;  John  Edwin,  February  17, 
1880;  Claudie  E.,  Julyg,  1882;  George  L.,  May  30, 
1885;  Virgil  Paul,  January  3,  1889;  and  Beulah 
V.  December  7,  1892.  Of  these  two  are  deceased, 
Robbie,  who  died-  in  infancy ;  and  George  L.,  who 
was  drowned  when  in  his  eleventh  year.  The 
eldest  daughter,  Josie  Belle,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Sydney  Johnson,  and  they  reside  in  Pearl  town- 
ship. Ann  May  married  Charles  Borrowman 
and  resides  in  Spring  Creek  township.  Adis  F. 
married  Florida  Scranton  and  resides  in  Strout. 
Claudie  Ella  married  Ivy  Joslin  and  resides  in 
Nebo,  Illinois. 

Mr.  McKey  has  served  as  postmaster  at  Strout 
for  about  eighteen  years,  serving  under  the  ad- 
ministrations of  Presidents-  Harrison,  Cleveland, 
McKinley  and  Roosevelt.  Politically  he  was  for 
long  years  a  democrat,  but  it  now  a  strong  advo- 
cate of  the  prohibition  party.  He  is  a  man  of  en- 
terprise, who  has  utilized  his  opportunities  to 
good  advantage,  and  in  the  careful  conduct  of  his 
business  affairs  has  met  with  a  gratifying  meas- 
ure of  success. 


JAMES  WHITAKER. 

James  Whitaker  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in 
Perry  now  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age. 
Through  a  long  period  he  was  an  active  factor 
in  agricultural  circles  in  Pike  county  and  his  la- 
bors were  crowned  with  the  success  which  is  the 
legitimate  reward  of  all  earnest  and  persistent 
endeavor.  Moreover  he  has  so  lived  as  to  win 
the  trust  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen  and  his 
life  has  been  actuated  by  a  kindly  spirit,  cordial 
disposition  and  generous  impulses. 

Mr.  Whitaker  was  born  in  Greene  county. 
New  York,  November  25,  1827,  his  parents  be- 
ing William  E.  and  Anna  (DuBois)  Whitaker, 


who  were  likewise  natives  of  the  Empire  state. 
The  father  was  born  in  U'ster  county,  July  8, 
1784,  and  was  of  English  lineage.  His  youth 
was  spent  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  county  and 
in  early  manhood  he  went  to  Greene  county, 
where  he  met  and  married  Miss  DuBois,  who 
was  born  in  that  county,  October  10.  1786,  and 
came  of  French  ancestry.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  on  the  I2th  of  January,  1805,  and  they 
began  their  domestic  life  in  Greene  county. 
where  they  resided  until  October,  1837,  That 
year  witnessed  their  arrival  in  Pike  county. 
They  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers 
and  as  the  years  passed  shared  in  the  hardships 
and  trials  incident  to  the  establishment  of  a  home 
upon  the  frontier,  at  the  same  time  contributing 
to  the  general  progress  and  improvement.  Mr. 
Whitaker  entered  his  land  at  Quincy,  Illinois, 
becoming  owner  of  a  wild  and  unimproved  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  4, 
Perry  township.  He  built  the  first  frame  house 
in  the  locality,  its  location  being  about  four  miles 
north  of  the  village  of  Perry.  It  is  still  stand- 
ing, one  of  the  mute  reminders  of  pioneer  days 
and  of  the  progress  that  has  been  made  as  the 
years  have  gone  by.  He  was  an  energetic  agri- 
culturist, carefully  managing  his  business  inter- 
ests. He  never  cared  for  public  office  but  gave 
his  political  allegiance  to  the  whig  party  until 
its  dissolution,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the 
republican  party.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
charter  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
His  death  occurred  November  30,  1868,  while 
Mrs.  Whitaker  had  passed  away  on  the  29th^of 
July,  1865,  the  former  when  nearly  eighty-four 
years  of  age  and  the  mother  when  about  seventy 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  nine  chil- 
dren, but  only  two  are  now  living,  James  and 
Mary.  The  sister,  born  in  1832,  is  the  widow  of 
Howe  Abbott  and  resides  in  Bloomington, 
Illinois. 

Owing  to  the  primitive  condition  of  the 
schools  James  Whitaker  received  but  limited  ed- 
ucational privileges  but  reading,  observation  and 
experience  have  greatly  broadened  his  knowledge 
as  the  years  have  advanced  and  he  has  become 
a  well  informed  man.  He  attended  school  in  New 
York  until  ten  years  of  age,  when  he  accom- 


W.  E.  WHITAKER 


JAMES  WHITAKER 


MRS.  JAMES  WHITAKER 


MRS.  W.  E.    WHITAKER 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


645 


panied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois, 
where  he  became  a  student  in  a  subscription 
school.  As  his  age  and  strength  permitted  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  arduous  task  of  clearing 
and  cultivating  the  new  farm  and  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  until  the  spring  of  1850,  when 
he  started  for  California.  He  had  proceeded  as 
far  as  Omaha  when  word  was  received  that  his 
father  was  not  expected  to  live  and  he  returned 
overland  to  the  old  home.  His  attention  was 
then  given  to  farm  work  in  Pike  county  until 
1857,  when  he  removed  to  Dewitt  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  carried  on  farming  for  three 
years,  when  in  1860  he  once  more  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county.  In  connection  with  his 
brother-in-law,  James  Howe,  he  contracted  for 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  De- 
witt county  in  1857.  Later  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  Perry  township  and  gave  his  energies  to  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising,  being  recognized 
as  an  able  business  man  of  keen  discernment,  un- 
flagging industry  and  unabating  energy.  As  the 
years  have  passed  by  he  has  prospered  and  the 
secret  of  his  success  lies  in  his  close  application 
and  strong  purpose.  He  now  has  in  his  posses- 
sion the  patent  which  was  issued  November  3, 
1840,  for  government  land  to  his  father,  Wil- 
liam E.  Whitaker,  and  signed  by  Martin  Van 
Buren,  then  president  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1863,  Mr.  Whitaker 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Jones,  who 
was  born  November  26,  1825,  and  passed  away 
on  the  3  ist  of  August,  1864.  There  were  two 
children  of  this  marriage,  of  whom  one  is  living, 
William  E.,  now  a  resident  farmer  of  Chambers- 
burg  township,  Pike  county.  The  mother  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and 
a  most  estimable  lady.  Her  daughter,  Ada,  died 
soon  after  marrying  Theodore  Crawford.  The 
son,  William,  wedded  Miss  Jennie  Wilkins.  For 
his  second  wife  James  Whitaker  chose  Miss 
Mary  E.  Harrington,  to  whom  he  was  married 
November  12,  1865.  She  was  born  July  4,  1840, 
a  daughter  of  Martin  Harrington  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  while  three 
are  yet  living.  Charles  H.,  born  August  2,  1866. 
married  Maud  Johns  and  after  her  death  wedded 
32 


Eva  Hume.  Catherine,  born  July  26,  1868,  is  the 
wife  of  Robert  Huddelson,  of  Perry.  Esther, 
born  February  15,  1877,  was  graduated  in  oste- 
opathy at  Kirksville,  Missouri,  in  the  class  of 
1897  and  is  now  attending  a  post-graduate  school 
in  Kirksville. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitaker  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Presbyterian  church,  while  his  po- 
litical support  is  given  to  the  prohibition  party. 
His  church  and  political  connection  indicate  the 
character  of  the  man,  whose  life  has  been  actu- 
ated by  high  and  honorable  principles  and  worthy 
motives.  He  has  done  many  good  deeds,  per- 
forming many  services  for  his  fellow  townsmen 
and  at  all  times  has  given  his  influence  in  sup- 
port of  justice,  truth  and  right.  In  the  evening 
of  life  he  can  look  back  over  the  past  without 
regret  and-  forward  lo  the  future  without  fear. 
All  who  know  hlrti  entertain  for  him  the  highest 
esteem  and  no  history  of  this  community  would 
be  complete  without  the  record  of  his  life,  for 
he  has  lived  in  Pike  county  since  1837,  coming 
here  when  a  lad  of  ten  years.  His  home  being 
in  the  midst  of  a  pioneer  district  made  him  fa- 
miliar with  all  of  the  conditions  of  frontier  life 
and  his  mind  bears  the  impress  of  the  early  his- 
toric annals  of  the  state.  He  can  relate  many  in- 
teresting incidents  of  existence  in  Pike  county 
when  this  was  a  frontier  district  and  yet  no  man 
has  shown  a  more  thorough  interest  in  the  work 
of  public  progress  and  improvement  than  has 
Mr.  Whitaker. 


GEORGE  S.  ADAMS. 

George  S.  Adams,  of  Atlas  township,  is  de- 
scended from  good  old  Revolutionary  stock,  his 
paternal  great-grandfather  having  enlisted  in  the 
ranks  of  the  patriots  from  his  native  state — Con- 
necticut. He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  cause  of 
American  independence  and  left  to  his  descend- 
ants the  priceless  record  of  a  heritage  of  valor 
and  loyalty.  Jeremiah  G.  Adams,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  a  large  landowner,  having  an  estate 
of  over  four  hundred  acres  of  the  best  land  in 
Atlas  township.  His  old  home  was  built  in  the 


646 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


'205,  but  was  superseded  by  a  commodious  brick 
residence  before  his  death.  He  was  for  years  a 
prominent  and  influential  agriculturist  of  his  com- 
munity, and  further  mention  is  made  of  him  on 
another  page  of  this  work. 

George  S.  Adams,  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  was  born  in  the  old  Ross  home  in  the 
village  of  Atlas,  June  10,  1862,  and  was  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm.  He  acquired  his  primary 
education  in  the  district  school  of  his  native  vil- 
lage and  afterward  attended  the  Illinois  College 
at  Jacksonville.  Following  the  completion  of  his 
collegiate  course  he  returned  to  the  old  home  farm 
and  continued  to  carry  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  with  his  father  up  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage, when  he  purchased  a  portion  of  the  old 
homestead  and  erected  thereon  his  present  resi- 
dence. He  owns  one  of  the  best  and  most  mod- 
ern homes  in  this  part  of  the  county.  It  is  taste- 
fully and  comfortably  furnished,  every  conve- 
nience of  a  well  appointed  city  home  being  here 
found.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  and 
well  kept  grounds,  and  one  of  its  chief  charms  is 
its  gracious  and  genuine  hospitality. 

On  the  1 7th  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  Adams 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Delia  R.  Martin, 
a  daughter  of  Hutson  and  Lydia  A.  (Chamber- 
lin)  Martin,  a  history  of  whom  will  be  found  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Adams  have  been  born  four  children :  Jerry  G., 
born  October  2,  1888;  George  Hutson,  who  was 
born  December  25,  1892,  and  died  August  2, 
1897;  Homer  V.,  born  January  i,  1902;  and 
Dorothy  M.,  born  July  30,  1903. 

The  home  farm  of  Mr.  Adams  comprises  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  of  well  improved 
bottom  land  in  Atlas  township.  The  soil  is  very 
rich  and  productive,  and  good  harvests  are  an- 
nually gathered,  so  that  the  business,  being  ca- 
pably managed,  is  a  profitable  one.  In  all  of  his 
work  Mr.  Adams  has  shown  practical  ideas,  and 
in  his  methods  has  been  systematic  and  energetic. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stalwart  republican, 
who  keeps  well  imformed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  as  every  true  American  citizen 
should  do.  In  April,  1900,  he  was  elected  super- 
visor of  Atlas  township,  and  served  for  one  term 
of  two  years.  He  held  the  office  of  postmaster 


at  Atlas  for  about  six  years,  and  is  at  present 
school  treasurer  of  Atlas  township,  which  po- 
sition he  has  filled  for  more  than  a  decade.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  have  membership  relations 
with  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  Pike  county's  most  progressive 
and  public-spirited  citizens,  and  no  trust  reposed 
in  him  has  ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest 
degree.  Men  know  him  for  his  genuine 
worth  and  fidelity  to  principle  and  respect  him  for 
a  life  of  well  directed  activity  and  usefulness. 


DANIEL  DUNHAM. 

Daniel  Dunham,  the  owner  of  valuable  farm- 
ing property  comprising  four  hundred  acres  near 
New  Salem,  is  a  native  of  Martinsburg  township, 
Pike  county,  born  July  15,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of 
Nathaniel  Dunham.  The  family  is  of  English 
lineage,  and  was  founded  in  America  by  the 
great-great-grandfather  of  our  subject.  His  son, 
William  Dunham,  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  na- 
tive of  Maryland;  and  it  is  definitely  known  that 
his  youth  was  spent  upon  a  farm  in  that  state, 
where  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  Chaney,  who  was 
born  in  Maryland,  while  her  parents,  natives  of 
England,  came  to  the  new  world  about  the  time 
of  the  Revolutionary  war.  William  Dunham  and 
his  wife  on  leaving  Maryland  became  residents 
of  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  1845, 
when  in  advanced  years  they  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  on  a  small  farm  in  Griggsville  township, 
Pike  county,  where  William  Dunham  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  wife  survived 
him  for  a  number  of  years,  and  also  died  in 
Griggsville  township.  They  were  loyal  to  the 
teachings  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  in  which 
they  held  membership. 

Of  their  large  family  of  children  Lewis  Dun- 
ham, grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  the  eldest. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Maryland,  September  12, 
1802,  and  his  early  education  was  acquired  in 
that  state.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  he  was 
married  in  Ohio ;  and  at  all  events,  he  was  en- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


647 


in  farming  and  coopering  there.  In  April, 
1844,  he  arrived  in  Illinois  and  three  years  later 
took  up  his  abode  in  New  Salem  township,  where 
in  the  management  of  farming  interests  he  worked 
his  way  upward  from  a  humble  financial  position 
to  one  of  affluence  and  improved  a  valuable  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  In  matters  of 
citizenship  he  was  also  progressive  and  public 
spirited,  and  his  co-operation  could  always  be 
counted  upon  to  further  any  movement  for  the 
public  good.  He  voted  with  the  democratic  party, 
and  held  some  local  offices ;  and  in  political,  busi- 
ness and  social  circles  he  was  esteemed  for  those 
splendid  traits  of  character  which  endear  man 
to  his  fellowmen.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  A. 
Nelson,  also  a  native  of  Maryland  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Elisha  and  Mary  (Stringer)  Nelson,  who 
were  born  in  that  state,  and  were  supposed  to 
be  of  Scotch  lineage.  They  were  farming  people 
and  after  their  marriage  resided  in  Maryland  and 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  until  1842,  when  they 
came  to  Illinois,  spending  their  remaining  days 
on  a  farm  in  New  Salem  township,  Pike  county. 
They,  too,  belonged  to  the  United  Brethren 
church.  Mrs.  Lewis  Dunham  was  reared  in  the 
state  of  her  nativity,  and  with  her  husband  came 
to  Illinois.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham  were 
devoted  members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
In  their  family  were  nineteen  children.  The  fa- 
ther died  in  New  Salem  township,  September  14, 
1866,  and  the  mother  was  more  than  eighty  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 

Nathaniel  Dunham,  son  of  Lewis  Dunham,  was 
born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  February  14, 
1834,  and  was  therefore  a  youth  of  ten  years 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  this  state.  He 
was  reared  upon  the  family  homestead  in  New 
Salem  township  and  gained  a  practical  knowledge 
and  experience  of  farm  work  that  has  enabled  him 
to  successfully  carry  on  agricultural  pursuits  for 
himself.  His  business  capacity,  capable  manage- 
ment and  untiring  industry  have  made  him  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valu- 
able land  in  Griggsville  township;  and  his  home- 
stead property  was  splendidly  improved  with 
modern  buildings  and  all  of  the  equipments  nec- 
essary to  model  farming  in  the  twentieth  century. 
In  addition  to  tilling  the  soil  he  has  been  exten- 


sively  engaged  in  raising  high  grade  horses.  Na- 
thaniel Dunham  was  married  in  Martinsburg, 
Pike  county,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Kiser,  who  was 
born  in  Warren  county,  Indiana,  May  3,  1838. 
Her  parents  were  Daniel  and  Eliza  J.  (Foreman) 
Kiser,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio,  but  their  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  Indiana ;  and  they  began  their  domestic  life  on  a 
farm  not  far  from  Danville,  that  state.  They  re- 
moved to  Pike  county  in  1844  and  settled  in  New- 
burg  township,  afterward  locating  in  Martins- 
burg,  where  Mr.  Kiser  died  in  the  fall  of  1860, 
when  about  seventy  years  of  age.  He,  too,  had 
prospered  in  his  undertakings,  and  had  secured  a 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  church ;  and  Mrs.  Kiser  spent 
her  last  days  with  her  son  John  in  Milton.  Mrs. 
Dunham  was  the  second  of  her  mother's  chil- 
dren, and  by  her  marriage  had  the  following 
children :  Daniel,  William  H.,  Lewis  O.,  Charles 
E.  and  Orpha  J.  Like  their  ancestors,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  Dunham  are  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  church;  and  he  is  a  supporter 
of  the  democratic  party. 

Daniel  Dunham  of  this  review  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools,  and  is  an  excellent  mathe- 
matician. When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  en- 
tered business  life  on  his  own  account,  and  for 
ten  years  rented  land,  when,  with  the  capital  he 
had  acquired  through  his  own  labors,  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides 
in  New  Salem  township,  for  which  he  gave  thirty- 
five  hundred  dollars.  It  was  without  improve- 
ments, but  he  at  once  began  its  cultivation;  and 
from  time  to  time  he  has  extended  the  boundaries 
of  his  place  until  it  now  comprises  four  hundred 
acres  of  very  fine  and  valuable  land  supplied  with 
the  most  modern  improvements  known  to  farm- 
ing in  the  twentieth  century.  His  place  is  pleas- 
antly located  two  miles  from  New  Salem ;  and  he 
has  successfully  carried  on  general  farming,  and 
at  the  same  time  has  engaged  in  buying  and  ship- 
ping stock.  He  feeds  cattle  and  hogs,  shipping 
from  ten  to  twenty  carloads  per  year,  a  fact  which 
indicates  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
stock-dealers  of  this  part  of  the  state.  His  busi- 
ness efforts  have  been  attended  with  very  gratify- 


648 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


ing  success,  and  his  splendid  property  is  the 
visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  enterprise,  thrift  and 
capable  management.  He  has  recently  purchased 
residence  property  in  Pittsfield,  where  he  expects 
to  take  up  his  abode  on  the  1st  of  March,  1906. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Dunham  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  J.  Woods,  who  was  born  in  Steubenville, 
Ohio,  in  1852,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Martha 
(Simpson)  Woods.  Her  parents  were  early  set- 
tlers and  came  to  Pike  county  in  1854 ;  and  in 
their  family  were  six  children,  two  sons  and  four 
daughters^  who  are  yet  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunham  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children, 
namely:  Herbert,  who  is  living  in  Reno,  Ne- 
vada ;  Mrs.  Anna  Woods,  of  New  Salem ;  Daisy, 
the  wife  of  Ray  Curless,  of  Pittsfield  township ; 
Lora,  who  married  Gordon  Dimmitt,  and  is  liv- 
ing upon  the  home  place ;  Villa,  yet  under  the  pa- 
rental roof;  and  Kelly,  who  is  attending  college 
in  Jacksonville,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Dunham's  study  of  the  political  issues  and 
questions  of  the  day  has  led  him  to  give  his  sup- 
port to  the  democracy ;  and  he  has  served  as  road 
commissioner  and  as  school  director.  He  belongs 
to  New  Salem  camp,  No.  mo,  M.  W.  A.,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
Dunham  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has 
accomplished,  as  without  financial  assistance  he 
has  worked  his  way  upward,  his  business  qualifi- 
cations being  manifest  in  the  very  desirable  suc- 
cess which  has  crowned  his  labors.  His  farm  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  county,  and  in  its 
management  Mr.  Dunham  has  displayed  keen  dis- 
cernment, unfaltering  energy  and  a  capable  utili- 
zation of  opportunities. 


WILLIAM  RUPERT. 

William  Rupert,  who  has  followed  farm  du- 
ties throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life  and 
is  now  the  owner  of  a  good  agricultural  prop- 
erty in  Atlas  township,  was  born  in  Summer  Hill, 
Pike  county,  on  the  loth  of  July,  1845.  His  par- 
ents were  James  and  Catharine  (Loutzenhizer) 
Rupert,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio,  in 
which  state  thev  were  reared  and  married.  The 


father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  followed 
that  pursuit  in  the  Buckeye  state  until  1845, 
when  he  came  with  his  wife  to  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  they  spent  their  remaining  days,  Mr. 
Rupert  devoting  his  attention  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  put  aside  business  cares 
and  personal  considerations,  however,  in  1862  in 
order  to  espouse  the  Union  cause,  enlisting  in 
the  Third  Missouri  Volunteer  Cavalry  and  at  the 
battle  of  Patterson,  Missouri,  he  gave  up  his  life 
in  defense  of  his  country,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  creek  bottoms  near  Patterson.  His 
widow  still  survives  and  is  living  in  the  state  of 
Washington  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Camp,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  Unto  him  and  his 
wife  had  been  born  ten  children,  of  whom  Wil- 
liam Rupert  is' the  eldest.  The  others  are:  Mary, 
Caroline,  Charlie,  Emma,  John,  David,  Arvine, 
Lavina  and  Edward  Rupert.  Of  these  only  five 
are  living,  namely :  Charlie,  Mary,  David  and 
Caroline. 

William  Rupert,  the  other  surviving  member 
of  the  family,  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Atlas  and  was  reared  to  farm  labor, 
which  pursuit  has  claimed  his  time  and  energies 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  the  22d  of  April,  1876,  to  Miss  Alice 
Parker,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Gen- 
try) Parker.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land and  when  quite  young  came  to  Pike  county. 
Illinois,  with  his  father,  who  emigrated  from 
England  to  this  state  at  an  early  epoch  in 'the 
development  and  progress  of  Pike  county. 
Thomas  Parker  became  a  farmer  of  Atlas  town- 
ship and  continued  to  carry  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  April,  1862.  He  passed  away  in 
Louisiana,  Missouri,  shortly  after  having  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Union  army  in  the  Civil 
war.  His  wife  died  in  September  of  the  same 
year  and  they  were  buried  in  Ball  Bluff  ceme- 
tery near  Atlas.  Illinois.  In  their  family  were 
four  children :  Alice,  now  Mrs.  Rupert ;  Mar- 
tha ;  William,  deceased ;  and  one  who  died  un- 
named in  infancy. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rupert  have  been  born 
two  children:  Cornelius  W.,  born  January  26. 
1877.  married  Gertrude  .Miller  and  they  have  two 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


649 


children,  Lawrence  and  James.  Edith  Lee  Ru- 
pert, born  October  25,  1880,  is  the  wife  of  S.  B. 
Marion  and  they  also  have  two  children,  Jessie 
and  Russell.  Mr.  Rupert  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  is  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him  because  of  an  active,  useful  and 
upright  life.  He  has  always  lived  in  Atlas 
township,  so  that  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance  here 
and  the  qualities  of  a  sterling  manhood  are  his. 
His  attention  has  been  given  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  his  carefully  directed  la- 
bors have  resulted  in  bringing  to  him  a  credit- 
able and  gratifying  measure  of  success. 


ALBERT  R.  BROWN. 

Albert  R.  Brown,  one  of  the  well-to-do  and  rep- 
resentative farmers  of  Pike  county,  owns  and  op- 
erates three  hundred  and  thirty-one  acres  of  valu- 
able land  on  section  26,  Montezuma  township, 
and  in  the  control  of  the  property  displays  excel- 
lent business  ability  with  thorough  understand- 
ing of  the  methods  that  produce  the  best  results 
in  agricultural  work.  Born  in  Milton,  Pike 
county,  on  the  2d  of  February,  1853,  he  is  a  son 
of  Wesley  and  Harriet  (Button)  Brown.  The 
ancestoral  history  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back 
through  several  centuries,  for  he  is  descended 
from  one  who  came  to  America  at  the  time  of  the 
discovery  of  the  new  world  by  Columbus.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Francis  R.  Button,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  a  cooper  by  trade.  He  emi- 
grated to  Ohio  at  an  early  epoch  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  state  and  afterward  located  in  Jersey- 
ville,  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  where  he  conducted  a 
cooper  shop  and  also  engaged  in  gardening  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  had 
reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four  years.  He 
was  a  hale  and  hearty  man  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise  and  was  a  worthy  resident  of  his  adopted 
city.  His  wife  died  within  one  week  of  her  hus- 
band, at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  and  was 
laid  by  his  side  in  the  cemetery  at  Jerseyville. 

Wesley  Brown,  father  of  Albert  R.  Brown,  is 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Pike  county,  having 
located  in  Milton  at  an  early  day, 'and  engaged 


in  the  blacksmith  business  until  1875,  while  at  the 
present  time  he  makes  his  home  in  Pearl  town- 
ship. His  life  has  been  mainly  devoted  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  he  is  still  managing  a  good 
farming  property.  In  1868  he  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Harriet  Button  and  who  died  on  the  23d 
of  July  of  that  year,  her  remains  being  interred 
in  Smith  cemetery,  near  Milton. 

Albert  R.  Brown,  spending  his  boyhood  days 
under  the  parental  roof,  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Milton  until  fifteen  years  of  age. 
He  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
has  never  desired  to  enter  other  fields  of  business 
activity,  for  in  this  line  he  has  found  ample  op- 
portunity for  the  exercise  of  his  industry  and 
talents  and  by  his  close  application  and  energy 
has  gained  a  place  among  the  substantial  agri- 
culturists of  the  community.  In  addition  to  till- 
ing the  soil  he  is  also  raising  stock  and  now  has 
forty-eight  head  of  fine  grade  mules  and  twenty 
head  of  horses.  He  also  raises  a  fine  grade  of 
Cotswold  sheep  and  generally  has. on  hand  one 
hundred  head,  together  with  from  sixty  to  one 
hundred  head  of  hogs,  mostly  of  the  Poland  China 
breed.  He  can  easily  winter  one  hundred  head 
of  horses,  mules  and  cattle.  He  now  has  about 
twenty  head  of  cattle  but  usually  keeps  about  fifty 
head.  In  his  stock-raising  interests  he  has  been 
quite  successful  and  he  also  raises  corn  and  some 
wheat  and  blue  grass.  In  all  of  his  farm  work  he 
is  practical  and  sagacious  and  produces  results 
through  close  application  and  the  careful  utiliza- 
tion of  his  opportunities.  For  thirty  years  he  has 
carried  on  farming  and  stock-raising  on  his  own 
account  and  his  prosperity  is  attributable  to  his 
own  efforts. 

On  the  1 3th  of  September,  1874,  Mr.  Brown 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Sowers, 
who  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  Becem- 
ber  6,  1853,  a  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Caroline 
(Scroggins)  Sowers.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
Ohio  and  removed  from  Hamilton  county,  that 
state,  in  1854,  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling  in 
Montezuma  township  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
where  the  Brown  family  now  reside.  Mr. 
Sowers  died  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-three 
years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


sixty-seven  years,  and  both  were  interred  in  Green 
Pond  cemetery. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  been  nine 
children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  who  in 
order  of  birth  are  as  follows :  Jess,  born  July  9, 
1875,  married  Ella  Boren  and  they  reside  upon 

•  the  homestead  farm.  Elza  R.,  died  January 
21,  1879,  and  was  buried  in  Green  Pond  ceme- 
tery. Albert  R.,  born  July  10,  1882,  died 
November  22,  1883,  and  was  also  buried  in 
Green  Pond  cemetery.  Leo  Grace,  born  March 
29,  1881,  is  the  wife  of  Herbert  Norton  and  they 
reside  in  Montezuma  township,  near  Milton.  Ona 
M.(  born  February  16,  1885,  is  at  home.  Ira  E., 
born  January  27,  1886,  died  March  6,  1886,  and 
was  buried  in  Green  Pond  cemetery.  Harry  Lee, 
born  in  March,  1887,  died  in  infancy  and  was 
buried  in  the  Kitchell  graveyard,  in  Stanton  coun- 
ty, Kansas.  M.  Abby,  born  May  7,  1889,  and 
Andrew  B.,  born  May  30,  1891,  complete  the 
family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  and  their  children 
occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  move  and  have  a  very  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  the  community  where  they  have  so 
long  resided.  Mr.  Brown  is  never  remiss  in  citi- 

•zenship  although  he  has  never  sought  to  figure 
prominently  in  public  affairs,  content  to  devote  his 
attention  to  business  interests  which  have  brought 
him  prosperity. 


HENRY  L.  ANDERSON. 

Various  and  important  business  interests  have 
felt  the  stimulus,  keen  discernment  and  unflag- 
ging diligence  ever  manifested  by  Henry  L.  An- 
derson in  his  connection  with  the  agricultural  and 
commercial  interests.  He  is  to-day  one  of  the 
large  stockholders,  and  the  manager  of  the  Shaw- 
Garner  Company,  owning  and  operating  an  ele- 
vator at  Rockport.  Moreover,  he  made  a  very 
creditable  record  as  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war, 
valiantly  defending  the  Union  cause  in  the  dark 
hours  of  our  country's  history.  His  life  record 
began  at  South  Windsor,  Connecticut,  on  the  4th 
of  September,  1841,  and  he  attended  school  in  his 
native  town,  where  he  received  his  primary  edu- 


cation, after  which  he  removed  from  that  locality 
with  his  parents,  Henry  and  Delcena  E.  (El- 
more)  Anderson,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Connecticut.  The  father  was  a  prominent  farmer 
of  South  Windsor,  and  died  at  the  comparatively 
early  age  of  thirty-one  years,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  the  Congregational  cemetery  in  his 
home  town.  His  widow,  however,  long  survived 
him,  her  death  occurring  in  East  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut, in  1900,  when  her  remains  were  placed 
beside  her  husband's  grave  in  the  Congregational 
cemetery. 

Henry  L.  Anderson,  leaving  home  in  his  fif- 
teenth year,  went  to  Hartford,  Connecticut,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  clerking  in  the  mercantile 
establishment  of  James  Ranney  &  Company,  act- 
ing in  that  capacity  for  a  year  and  a  half.  He  was 
a  youth  of  sixteen  when  he  arrived  in  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  making  his  way  to  Summer  Hill, 
where  he  resided  with  his  uncle,  Elijah  Burn- 
ham,  whom  he  assisted  in  farm  duties  from  the 
time  of  early  spring  planting  until  crops  were 
harvested  in  the  autumn,  after  which  he  spent 
the  winter  months  in  attending  school.  He  was 
thus  engaged  until  August,  1862,  when,  putting 
aside  all  business  and  personal  considerations,  he 
responded  to  his  country's  call  for  aid,  his  pa- 
triotic spirit  being  aroused  by  the  continued  at- 
tempt of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union. 

Joining  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  A,  Nine- 
ty-ninth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  at  Florence, 
Pike  county,  on  the  23d  of  August,  1862,  Mr. 
Anderson  entered  the  army  under  the  command 
of  Captain  George  Edwards  and  Colonel  George 
W.  K.  Bailey.  The  regiment  proceeded  to  Ben- 
ton  Barricks,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  arriving 
there  on  the  24th  of  August,  1862,  being  the  first 
regiment  from  Illinois  under  the  call  of  that  year. 
Mr.  Anderson  participated  in  the  battle  of  Mag- 
nolia Hills,  Mississippi,  where  thirty-seven  were 
killed  and  wounded,  and  was  also  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Black  River,  Mississippi,  where  the 
Confederate  forces  were  routed  from  their  works, 
the  Union  forces  pursuing  them  across  the  river 
and  capturing  many  prisoners  with  slight  loss 
to  the  Ninety-ninth.  On  the  igth  of  May,  1863, 
he  was  engaged  with  the  defenses  of  Vicksburg. 
and  on  the  22d  of  May  the  famous  and  ill-fated 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


651 


charge  was  made  upon  the  works,  in  which  three 
hundred  men  were  killed  and  wounded.  This 
left  Captain  A.  C.  Matthews  in  command  of  the 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Regiment,  which  held  its 
position  under  a  galling  fire  until  nearly  dark, 
when  the  men  retired,  being  relieved  by  an  Ohio 
regiment,  which  was  driven  back  in  great  con- 
fusion. The  Xinety-ninth  then  advanced  and 
opened  a  heavy  fire,  causing  the  enemy  to  re- 
treat and  probably  saving  the  entire  division  from 
a  stampede.  During  the  siege  of  Vicksb'urg  the 
Ninety-ninth  lost  two  hundred  and  fifty-three 
men  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  On  the  3d 
of  October,  1863,  the  regiment  took  part  in  sev- 
eral skirmishes  in  the  campaign  of  the  Tesche 
and  detachments  of  the  regiment  were  engaged 
in  the  battle  of  Grand  Coteau.  Afterward  the 
regiment  went  from  New  Orleans  to  Texas  and 
at  Matagorda  Island  began  the  attack'  on  Fort 
Esperanza,  which  soon  surrendered.  On  the  i6th 
of  June,  1864,  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  evacu- 
ated the  island,  going  to  Algiers,  Louisiana,  and 
performed  garrison  duty  on  the  Mississippi  dur- 
ing the  entire  summer.  In  November,  1864,  this 
regiment  was  consolidated  into  a  battalion  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  A.  C.  Matthews  and  on  the 
26th  of  March,  1865.  took  part  in  the  siege  of 
Spanish  Fort  and  assisted  in  the  investment  and 
capture  of  Fort  Blakely,  Alabama.  Eventually 
the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  where  Mr.  Anderson  and  his  com- 
rades were  mustered  out  on  the  3ist  of  July, 
1865,  being  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  on  the  Qth  of  August,  following. 

When  his  military  service  was  ended  Mr.  An- 
derson returned  to  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and 
pursued  a  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business 
College.  In  the  spring  of  1866  he  returned  to 
his  home  in  Summer  Hill.  Pike  county,  where  he 
resumed  farming.  He  taught  school  during  the 
winter  months  until  the  spring  of  1868,  at  which 
time  he  opened  a  general  mercantile  store  in  part- 
nership with  Carlisle  Burbridge  at  Summer  Hill 
under  the  firm  name  of  Burbridge  &  Anderson, 
which  was  continued  for  five  years,  or  until  1873. 
when  Mr.  Burbridge  disposed  of  his  interests  to 
T.  J.  Corrill,  the  firm  then  continuing  to  carry 
on  trade  under  the  stvle  of  Anderson' &  Corrill. 


which  name  was  maintained  until  about  1879. 
Mr.  Anderson  then  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest and  conducted  the  business  alone  until 
1885,  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock  and  rented 
the  building.  In  1886,  however,  he  once  more 
entered  the  field  of  general  merchandising,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  C.  O.  Marsh  under  the 
firm  name  of  Anderson  &  Marsh.  They  re- 
mained together  for  about  six  years,  after  which 
Mr.  Anderson  purchased  Mr.  Marsh's  interest 
and  carried  on  the  business  in  connection  with 
his  eldest  son,  Warren  Anderson,  under  the  firm 
name  of  H.  L.  Anderson  &  Son.  During  this 
time  he  was  also  associated  in  merchandising  and 
in  grain  trade  in  Rockport  with  different  people. 
In  1897  he  disposed  of  his  business  interests  in 
both  Summer  Hill  and  Rockport  and  since  that 
time  has  given  his  attention  to  farming  and  to 
the  grain  trade.  He  is  identified  with  Shaw- 
Garner  Company  in  the  ownership  and  conduct 
of  the  elevator  and  in  the  grain  business,  and  in 
addition  to  this  he  has  good  farm  property, 
which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  which  returns  him  a  satisfactory 
financial  reward. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  May  5,  1870,  to 
Miss  Eliza  D.  Stebbins,  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Orissa  Stebbins.  By  this  union  nine  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Warren.  Ray  N.,  Nora  M., 
Guy  S.,  Leslie  L.,  Clair  and  Clyde,  twins,  and 
Alma  E.  There  was  also  one  child  who  died 
at  birth  unnamed,  while  Clyde  died  when  four 
years  of  age  and  Alma  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years,  all  being  laid  to  rest  in  Summer  Hill  ceme- 
tery. 

Politically  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  republican  and 
has  always  affiliated  with  the  party  for  its  plat- 
form embodies  his  ideas  of  good  government. 
He  is  actively  interested  in  political  questions  of 
the  county  and  state  and  has  done  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  republican  successes.  He  has 
represented  Atlas  township  as  supervisor  for  five 
years  but  has  not  sought  office  as  a  reward  for 
party  fealty.  He  belongs  to  Major  Samuel  Hays 
post,  No.  477,  and  also  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp  of  Svtmmer  Hill.  In  manner  he  is  some- 
what retiring  but  possesses  that  true  worth 
which  can  not  be  hid  and  which  is  always  recog- 


652 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


nized  by  people  of  superiority.  He  indeed  de- 
serves mention  among  the  prominent  merchants 
and  representative  citizens  of  Rockport  and 
should  find  a  place  in  the  history  of  the  western 
part  of  Pike  county  among  the  men  whose  force 
of  character,  sterling  integrity,  control  of  cir- 
cumstances and  success  in  establishing  business 
enterprises  have  contributed  in  a  large  degree  to 
the  solidity  and  progress  of  the  county. 


CHARLES  GARD. 

Charles  Card  is  a  representative  of  valuable 
and  important  farming  and  stock-raising  interests 
in  Pleasant  Vale  township  and  is  also  extensively 
engaged  in  real-estate  operations.  Widely  known 
as  an  enterprising  business  man,  he  is  well 
worthy  of  mention  in  this  volume  among  the 
leading,  progressive  and  influential  citizens  of 
Pike  county.  He  is  a  native  of  Barry  township, 
born  April  15,  1840,  and  a  son  of  Cyrenius  and 
Nancy  (Kidwell)  Gard.  The  father  was  born 
near  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  the  mother's  birth  also 
occurred  in  that  state.  They  were  married  there 
and  in  1839  came  to  Pike  county.  Mr.  Gard  had 
previously  visited  this  part  of  Illinois,  having 
made  a  prospecting  trip  in  1833,  ofter  which  he 
returned  to  Ohio  and  then  with  his  family  came 
again  in  1839,  settling  in  Barry  township.  He 
began  farming  here  on  forty  acres  of  land  but  in 
the  course  of  years  increased  his  holdings  ten- 
fold, making  judicious  investment  in  real  'estate 
as  his  financial  resources  increased  until  his  farm 
was  an  extensive  and  valuable  one.  His  strong 
and  salient  traits  of  character  made  him  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  the  county  and  he  enjoyed  in 
large  measure  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all 
with  whom  he  was  associated.  He  died  June 
24,  1875,  at  tne  aRe  °f  sixty-three  years  and  his 
wife  passed  away  January  28,  1861,  at  the  age  of 
forty  years.  They  were  a  worthy  pioneer  couple 
who  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  in  the  work 
of  early  progress  and  improvement  and  the  pres- 
ent generation  enjoys  the  benefit  of  their  labors 
in  the  present  progress  and  prosperity  of  the 
countv.  In  their  family  were  twelve  children: 


Daniel,  who  was  born  March  30,  1837,  and  died 
September  8,  1859 ;  Charles ;  Lucinda,  who  was 
born  February  28,  1842,  and  is  living  in  Pleasant 
Vale  township;  Jasper,  who  was  born  February 
5,  1844,  and  died  November  n,  1863,  at  St.  Louis 
while  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Union  Army ; 
Martha,  who  was  born  September  18,  1846,  and 
died  in  1902 ;  Mary,  twin  sister  of  Martha,  and 
the  wife  of  Charles  Dodge,  a  resident  of  New 
London,  Missouri :  Joel,  who  was  born  December 
5,  1848,  and  is  living  near  Mexico,  Missouri : 
Paulina,  who  was  born  October  24,  1850,  and 
died  October  9,  1852 ;  Paulina,  who  was  born 
•  September  5,  1852,  and  is  now  living  in  Ne- 
braska; Jane,  who  was  born  September  5,  1854, 
and  died  March  18,  1899,  while  her  husband, 
William  P.  Cochran,  of  New  Canton,  is  also  de- 
ceased ;  Henry,  who  was  born  December  10,  1856. 
and  is  living  in  Pleasant  Vale  township ;  and 
Nancy,  who  was  born  January  22,  1861,  and  died 
August  25.  1862. 

Charles  Gard  was  educated  in  one  of  the  primi- 
tive log  schoolhouses  which  have  been  so  often 
pictured  in  descriptions  of  pioneer  life.  His  ear- 
lier years  were  spent  in  a  region  so  wild  that  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  hunter  pass  with 
a  deer  on  his  shoulders,  while  wild  turkeys,  prai- 
rie chickens  and  other  wild  game  was  to  be  had 
in  abundance.  Many  of  the  comforts  and  luxu- 
,ries  of  the  present  day  were  then  lacking  but  the 
conditions  of  pioneer  life  were  not  inimical  to 
happiness  and  the  spirit  of  generous  hospitality 
which  everywhere  existed  can  not  be  surpassed 
or  improved  upon  at  the  present  day.  Mr.  Gard 
assisted  his  father  to  develop  a  farm  and  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account,  oper- 
ating rented  land  for  about  three  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  made  a  trip  across  the  plains 
to  Idaho,  being  about  eight  months  on  the  way. 
In  1866  he  returned  to  Pike  county,  where  he 
rented  one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  remaining  thereon  for  a  year. 
In  1867  he  made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  be- 
coming owner  of  a  part  of  the  farm  upon  which 
he  now  resides.  As  he  has  had  opportunity,  how- 
ever, he  has  added  to  his  original  tract  and  now 
has  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


653 


the  hill  and  on  the  bottom  on  sections  10,  1 1  and 
3,  Pleasant  Vale  township.  In  fact  his  bottom 
land  is  as  rich  and  productive  as  any  that  can  be 
found  in  the  state.  His  farm  is  well  improved 
and  in  the  midst  of  richly  cultivated  fields,  which 
yield  bounteous  harvests,  stands  a  good  residence. 
There  are  also  substantial  barns  and  outbuildings 
for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  General  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  are  carried  on,  his  son 
practically  managing  and  operating  the  farm, 
while  Mr.  Card  gives  the  greater  part  of  his  at- 
tention to  the  real-estate  business,  in  which  he  is 
associated  with  Charles  Robb.  Together  they 
own  nearly  eighteen  hundred  acres  of  land  and 
they  have  conducted  an  extensive  and  profitable 
business  as  real-estate  operators.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  year  spent  in  Idaho,  from  which  he 
made  the  return  trip  on  horseback  to  Pike  county, 
he  has  remained  continuously  in  this  part  of  the 
state  and  he  owes  his  business  success  to  his  im- 
provement of  advantages  that  have  surrounded 
all. 

On  the  1 7th  of  January,  1861,  Mr.  Card  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Johnson,  who 
was  born  in  Derry  township,  Pike  county,  in 
1842,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Mary 
(Gates)  Johnson,  of  Eldara,  who  came  to  this 
county  from  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  In  their 
family  were  nine  children,  John  M.,  Augustus  B.. 
Eliza,  Rebecca,  Thomas,  Oliver,  Emily,  Mary, 
now  Mrs.  Card,  and  William  H.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gard  have  been  born  four  children,  all 
of  whom  are  yet  living:  Cyrenius,  who  married 
Anna  Shipman  and  resides  in  Eldara  township ; 
William,  who  married  Belle  Kendrick  and  lives 
upon  the  home  farm;  Lula,  the  wife  of  James 
Collins,  a  resident  of  Time ;  and  Olive,  the  wife 
of  Abraham  Likes,  of  New  Canton.  The  wife  and 
mother  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1892  and 
Mr.  Gard  has  since  married  Catherine  Hall,  of 
this  county. 

Mr.  Gard  votes  with  the  republican  party,  has 
served  as  school  trustee,  road  commissioner  and 
township  collector,  the  duties  of  which  he  has 
discharged  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  is 
a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  No.  821, 
at  New  Canton,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp,  No.  1 148.  The  successful 


man  is  he  who  plans  his  own  advancement  and 
who  recognizes  that  the  present  and  not  the  fu- 
ture holds  his  opportunity.  With  a  laudable 
ambition  to  win  success  Mr.  Gard  without  capital 
started  upon  a  business  career,  placing  his  de- 
pendence upon  the  safe  and  sure  qualities  of  in- 
dustry and  untiring  effort.  These  have  opened 
for  him  the  portals  of  success  and  he  is  classed 
today  among  the  substantial  residents  of  his  na- 
tive county,  who  have  won  simultaneously  a  very 
gratifying  competence  and  an  honorable  name. 


JAMES  GAY,  SR. 

James  Gay,  Sr.,  is  the  second  oldest  living  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county  and  no  history  of  this  part 
of  the  state  would  be  complete  without  mention 
of  his  life  record.  He  resides  in  Atlas  township 
and  is  now  in  his  ninety-third  year.  Descended 
from  Irish  ancestry,  his  grandfather,  James  Gay, 
emigrated  from  the  Emerald  isle  to  the  United 
States  in  1766  and  first  took  up  his  abode  in  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  but  afterward  re- 
moved to  North  Carolina.  In  1768  he  married 
Miss  Margaret  Mitchell,  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  was  engaged  in 
the  Sotono  campaign  in  South  Carolina  in  1779, 
in  the  battle  of  Post  96  and  of  Utah  Springs  in 
1781.  He  died  in  Rowan  county,  North  Carolina, 
in  1819  and  was  buried  in  the  Third  Creek  set- 
tlement in  North  Carolina,  where  his  wife  was 
also  laid  to  rest.  Unto  James  and  Margaret 
(Mitchell)  Gay  were  born  three  children,  namely: 
John,  William  and  Rachel. 

Of  this  family  William  Gay  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  October  28,  1772,  and  died  in  Monroe 
county,  Indiana,  July  21,  1836,  the  burial  taking 
place  near  the  town  of  Stanford.  He  was  the 
father  of  our  subject.  He  was  twice  married, 
his  first  union  being  with  Mary  Wilson  on  the 
1 5th  of  March,  1800.  Following  her  death  he 
wedded  Ann  Rutledge,  who  was  born  July  5, 
1783,  and  was  married  to  William  Gay  on  the 
26th  of  August,  1808.  Unto  William  and  Mary 
(Wilson)  Gay  was  born  one  son,  Abner.  By 
the  second  marriage  there  were  ten  children, 


654 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


namely :  John  L.,  Mary,  Margaret,  James,  Martha, 
Adeline,  Abel,  William  T.,  Hile  K.  and  one  child 
who  died  unnamed.  Of  these  all  are  now  deceased 
with  the  exception  of  James  Gay  and  his  brother 
Hile  who  resides  in  California.  The  mother  died 
in  Clayton,  Adams  county,  Illinois,  April  I,  1855. 

James  Gay,  Sr.,  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view, acquired  his  education  in  North  Carolina, 
one  of  his  early  teachers  being  Peter  S.  Ney,  who 
is  supposed  to  have  been  the  famous  Marshal 
Ney  of  France,  one  of  the  leading  marshals 
under  Napoleon.  It  was  given  out  that  he  was 
executed  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo  but  in  real- 
ity he  escaped  through  the  aid  of  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  and  came  to  America,  teaching  school 
in  the  Carolinas  and  in  Georgia. 
'  Upon  his  father's  plantation  James  Gay  was 
reared  and  assisted  him  in  the  farm  duties  until 
1830,  at  which  time,  being  then  sixteen  years  of 
age,  he  accompanied  his  father  and  the  family  to 
Bloomington,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  for 
four  years,  working  by  the  day  at  anything  he 
could  find  to  do.  In  1834  he  arrived  in  Atlas, 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  which  at  that  time  was  the 
county  seat.  During  the  summer  of  that  year 
when  he  was  penniless  he  found  a  friend  in 
Lyman  Scott,  a  farmer,  near  Atlas,  who  gave  him 
employment.  He  assisted  Mr.  Scott  in  farm  work 
for  about  two  years,  being  paid  fifty  cents  per 
day  for  splitting  rails  and  chopping  down  trees. 
After  one  week  he  poled  a  keelboat  down  the 
stream  to  the  Missisippi  river,  for  which  he  re- 
ceived seventy-five  cents  per  day.  He  made  only 
one  trip,  however,  this  being  the  hardest  work 
which  he  ever  did  in  his  life.  He  afterward  con- 
tinued with  Mr.  Scott  as  a  farm  hand  for  a  short 
time,  after  which  he  raised  crops  on  the  shares 
for  him  during  one  summer. 

On  account  of  failing  health  Mr.  Gay  returned 
to  Indiana,  where  he  remained  for  a  brief  period 
and  then  again  came  to  Pike  county  in  order  to 
harvest  the  crop  of  corn  that  he  was  raising  on 
the  shares.  This  was  in  1835.  In  the  spring  of 
1836  he  rented  a  farm  near  Atlas  and  worked  with 
George  Schwartz.  He  not  only  carried  on  the 
work  of  the  fields  but  also  engaged  in  raising 
cattle  and  hogs  on  the  shares  and  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Schwartz  in  general  fanning  and  stock- 


raising  until  1842,  at  which  time  they  together 
purchased  an  eighty-acre  farm  two  miles  below 
Atlas.  This  they  cultivated  and  improved  to- 
gether for  two  years,  when  they  divided  it.  In  the 
meantime  they  also  purchased  a  quarter  section 
of  land  about  two  miles  below  Atlas,  for  which 
they  were  to  pay  one  thousand  dollars,  incurring 
an  indebtedness  in  order  to  secure  the  property. 
Feeling,  however,  that  they  were  taking  too  great 
a  risk  in  this  way  they  gave  up  sixty  acres  of  the 
land,  retaining  possession  of  and  divided  the 
balance  of  the  one  hundred  acres.  Then  the  part- 
nership between  Mr.  Gay  and  Mr.  Schwartz 
ceased  and  they  carried  on  farming  separately. 

During  this  time,  on  the  3Oth  of  May,  1839, 
Mr.  Gay  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amelia 
Yokem,  a  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth 
(Butler)  Yokem.  Unto  them  were  born  nine 
children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  as  fol- 
lows :  William  H. ;  Elizabeth,  now  the  wife  of  N. 
J.  Brown;  Caroline,  who  married  James  Ellis; 
Marion,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war ; 
Charles  E. ;  James  C;  Julian  O. ;  George  A.  ; 
and  Elmer  E.  All  are  now  living  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Elmer,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six 
years  and  was  buried  in  the  Summer  Hill 
cemetery. 

Mr.  Gay  removed  from  Atlas  to  Summer  Hill 
in  1856  and  has  lived  upon  his  present  farm  since 
that  time.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business, 
having  put  aside  all  cares  in  March,  1905.  In  the 
years  of  an  active  career  he  had  accumulated  a 
large  estate,  becoming  owner  of  four  hundred  and 
seventy-six  acres,  much  of  which  was  rich,  pro- 
ductive soil,  one  hundred  acres,  however,  being 
timber  land,  many  of  the  trees  being  hard  wood. 
On  the  gth  of  May,  1904,  Mr.  Gay  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on 
the  old  farm  homestead  at  Summer  Hill.  He  is 
now  living  in  the  ninety-third  year  of  his  age, 
and  is  one  of  the  venerable  and  honored  residents 
of  the  county.  He  has  long  been  recognized  as 
a  valued  citizen  because  he  has  exemplified  in  his 
life  those  sterling  traits  of  character  which  are 
manifest  in  the  honorable  business  man  and  also 
in  him  who  has  the  perseverance  to  promote  gen- 
eral welfare  and  progress.  In  all  his  dealings  he 
has  been  honorable,  and  his  earnest  effort  was 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


655 


the  basis  upon  which  he  builded  his  prosperity. 
Empty-handed  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account,  he  worked  persistently  and  ener- 
getically year  after  year,  and  thus  added  to  his 
capital.  At  all  times  he  has  borne  an  untarnished 
name ;  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  his 
history  to  his  fellow  townsmen. 

William  H.  Gay,  the  oldest  son  of  the  family, 
living  near  the.  father,  was  born  in  Pike  county, 
March  2,  1840,  and  was  reared  upon  the  old 
farm  homestead.  Having  acquired  a  good  English 
education,  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  three 
years.  He  has  been  a  Civil  war  veteran,  having 
been  a  member  of  Company  K,  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  with  distinction 
in  defense  of  the  Union  cause  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  war.  He  then  returned  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  resumed  teaching,  but  later  left 
that  profession  and  gave  his  entire  time  to  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  On  the  2/th  of  October, 
1867,  he  married  Elizabeth  Shinn,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  five  children,  namely :  Mary, 
Elmer  D.,  Charles  L.,  William  W.  and  Fred  S. 
Gay.  On  the  ist  pf  May,  1892,  William  H.  Gay 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Hattie  Hubbard,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, 
Grace,  Ernest  H.,  John  W.  and  Lettie.  Mr.  Gay 
is  accounted  one  of  the  worthy  men  of  Pike 
county  and  one  of  its  largest  landowners.  He  is 
now  retired  from  active  business  cares,  making 
his  home  in  Summer  Hill. 


GEORGE  R.  HAINES. 

George  R.  Haines,  who  is  one  of  the  oldest 
business  men  in  Baylis,  having  located  there  in 
1878,  was  born  in  Avon,  Franklin  county,  Maine, 
February  20,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  R. 
and  Sallie  (Bailey)  Haines,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  the  Pine  Tree  state,  and  spent  their  last 
days  in  Baylis,  where  they  had  established  .their 
home  some  years  before.  On  his  mother's  side  he 
represents  one  of  the  old  New  England  families 
of  English  ancestry  that  was  founded  in  America 
in  August,  1635.  His  father  was  also  of  English 
ancestry,  and  his  mother  was  a  Scotch  woman. 


George  R.  Haines  is  one  of  a  family  of  six 
children,  namely :  Charles  M.  Haines,  a  contrac- 
tor and  builder  of  Saline,  Kansas ;  Mrs.  Abbie  B. 
Merrick,  the  wife  of  H.  Merrick,  agent  of  the 
Southern  Railroad  Company  at  Princeton,  Indi- 
•ana ;  Ben  Haines,  deceased,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  business  man  of  Baylis ;  and 
two  sisters  who  died  in  childhood. 

The  youth  of  George  R.  Haines  was  passed  in 
Avon,  Maine,  where  he  spent  the  winter  months 
in  the  common  schools,  while  in  the  spring  and 
summer  months  he  worked  in  his  father's  lumber 
mills,  and  on  the  home  farm.  In  August,  1867, 
he  went  to  Camp  Point,  Illinois,  where  he  at- 
tended the  Maplewood  high  school,  returning 
to  his  native  state  in  March,  1868.  During  the  fall 
of  1868  and  winter  of  1869  he  traveled  in  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont  as  salesman  for  a  patent 
medicine  house  of  Auburn,  Maine,  visiting  all 
of  the  principal  towns  and  villages  in  those  states 
along  the  lines  of  railroads  and  many  of  the  larger 
inland  towns.  In  March,  1869,  he  returned  with 
his  father's  family  to  Camp  Point,  Illinois,  where 
he  worked  for  nearly  two  years  for  his  uncle,  E. 
E.  B.  Sawyer,  in  a  general  store. 

Mr.  Haines  was  married  at  Camp  Point,  No- 
vember 17,  1870,  to  Miss  Mattie  J.  Lasley,  who 
was  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  was  reared 
mostly  in  Illinois.  Her  father  was  William  Las- 
ley, who  came  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  in  1852  and 
was  pilot  on  a  steamer  which  ran  from  New  Or- 
leans to  St.  Louis.  He  changed  from  the  lower 
river  to  a  run  from  Keokuk  to  St.  Paul,  where  he 
lost  his  life  by  injuries  received  in  a  collision  of 
the  boat  with  another  steamer  in  1854.  His  wife 
had  proceeded  him  to  the  great  beyond.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haines  was  born  a  son,  S.  F. 
Haines,  who  is  now  associate  editor  of  the  Baylis 
Guide. 

Mr.  Haines  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Wheeler 
&  Wilson  Manufacturing  Company  for  several 
years,  and  in  1875-6  was  manager  of  its  branch 
office  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  In  1878  he  removed 
to  Baylis.  and  in  company  with  his  brother,  Ben 
Haines,  and  his  brother-in-law,  H.  Merrick,  he 
established  the  first  hardware,  furniture  and  agri- 
cultural implement  house  in  that  village.  In  the 
spring  of  1879  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the 


656 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


loss  of  his  wife.  He  was  married  again,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1880,  to  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  McClintock, 
of  Camp  Point,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  the 
widow  of  Samuel  McClintock.  By  her  first 
marriage  she  had  one  daughter,  Anna  E.  McClin- 
tock, who  has  always  made  her  home  with  her 
mother.  To  the  last  union  was  born  one  daughter, 
Mattie  S.  Raines ;  and  one  son,  Harry  P.  Haines, 
both  of  whom  are  now  in  the  employ  of  their 
father. 

After  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Haines  left 
his  business  in  Baylis  to  his  brother  Ben  and  re- 
moved to  his  wife's  farm  just  north  of  Camp 
Point,  where  he  followed  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing until  December,  1886.  He  then  returned  to 
Baylis  and  again  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, which  he  followed  until  the  fall  of  1895, 
at  which  time  he  sold  his  store,  and  in  1896  bought 
the  Baylis  Guide  plant,  then  owned  by  Bentley  & 
Donly,  and  continues  its  operation.  He  is  inter- 
actively engaged  in  newspaper,  real-estate  and  in- 
surance business,  being  senior  member  of  the 
Guide  Printing  Company,  also  of  the  Bayliss  Real- 
Estate  Agency,  manager  of  the  Ben  Haines  Under- 
taking Company,  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Under- 
takers' Association,  and  also  a  stockholder  and 
secretary  of  the  Baylis  Creamery  Company.  He 
is  a  member  of  Summit  lodge,  No.  834,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
and,  in  fact,  was  the  founder  of  the  lodge,  and 
with  others  gave  liberally  toward  the  building  of 
the  brick  store  and  hall  building  now  owned  by 
that  lodge.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  grand 
lodge,  and  has  served  two  years  as  a  member  of 
the  committee  on  legislation  in  that  grand  body. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Woodmen,  the  Mu- 
tual Protective  League  and  the  Pike  County  Life 
Association.  His  sons  are  both  Odd  Fellows,  his 
wife  and  daughters  are  members  of  the  Rebekah 
lodge ;  and  they  are  stanch  Methodists. 

Public  interests  have  always  received  the  co- 
operation and  support  of  Mr.  Haines.  He  has 
been  elected  several  times  a  member  of  the  vil- 
lage board,  serving  also  as  its  president. 

Politically  he  is,  and  always  has  been,  a  repub- 
lican, but  political  emoluments  have  no  attraction 
for  him,  as  he  prefers  to  devote  his  time  and  en- 
ergies to  his  business  interests  and  the  duties  de- 


volving upon  him 
public  office. 


citizen,  without  regard  to 


LEVI  LANDESS. 

Levi  Landess,  a  well  known  representative  of 
fanning  interests  in  Pearl  township,  was  born  in 
Highland  county,  Ohio,  December  23,  1840,  his 
parents  being  John  A.  and  Rachel  (Michael) 
Landess.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  removed 
from  his  native  state  of  Ohio  to  Kentucky.  He 
was  married,  however,  in  the  Buckeye  state.  After 
residing  for  some  years  in  Kentucky,  he  came  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1865,  settling  in  Monte- 
zuma  township,  where  he  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cutlural  pursuits,  spending  his  remaining  days 
upon  the  homestead  farm  which  he  here  developed 
and  improved.  His  wife  also  died  in  Monte- 
zuma  township. 

Levi  Landess. was  reared  to  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  now  resides  on  a  farm  a  mile 
and  a  half  north  of  Pearl,  where  he  owns  and  op- 
erates one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  As 
a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  he 
chose  Miss  Eveline  G.  Sweat,  their  marriage  be- 
ing celebrated  on  the  I2th  of  August,  1869.  in 
Detroit,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Landess  is  a  daughter  of 
John  A.  and  Rachel  (Harden)  Sweat.  Her  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of.  the  state  of  Maine,  and  on 
leaving  New  England,  when  about  nineteen  years 
of  age,  went  with  his  parents  to  Missouri,  whence 
he  afterward  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois.  He 
was  married  in  Scott  county,  this  state,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1840.  His  death  occurred  in  Newburg  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  near  Pittsfield,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  Blue  River  cemetery  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Detroit.  His  wife  died  at  the  home  of 
Asahel  Duff,  and  she  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side 
of  her  husband  in  Blue  River  cemetery. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landess  have  been  born 
five  children:  Artie  R.,  who  died  August  31, 
1870;  Arthur  P.;  Ada  V.,  who  died  September 
7,  1872;  Bertha  V.;  Edith  M.,  who  died  July  4, 
1881.  The  son,  Arthur  P.  Landess,  completed 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


657 


his  education  in  the  high  school  at  Pearl,  and  after 
his  graduation  began  teaching,  which  profession 
he  followed  for  six  yoars  in  Pike  county.  He 
then  went  to  Bushnell,  Illinois,  where  he  taught  in 
the  Western  Normal  College,  for  three  years.  He 
afterward  taught  in  Greer  College  at  Hoopeston, 
Illinois,  for  one  year,  on  the  expiration  of  which 
period  he  went  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law  for  a  year,  having 
been  previously  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Chicago. 
On  leaving  Peoria  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Chi- 
cago, and  is  now  employed  in  the  Bell  Telephone 
Wire  Factory  as  an  expert  timekeeper.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Leona  Snell,  of  Bushnell,  Illinois.  Ber- 
tha Y.  Landess  was  married  July  31,  1902,  to 
Edwin  L.  Bailey,  of  Greer  College,  Hoopeston, 
Illinois,  both  having  been  teachers  in  that  in- 
stitution. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landess  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church  at  Green  Pond,  Illinois,  and  are 
highly  esteemed  in  the  county  where  they  have 
now  long  resided.  His  entire  life  has  been  devoted 
to  agricultural  pursuits ;  and  in  his  business  ca- 
reer he  has  been  both  energetic  and  upright,  win- 
ning success  and  an  honorable  name. 


GEORGE  W.  SCHWARTZ,  M.  D. 

Dr.  George  W.  Schwartz,  a  pioneer  physician 
and  surgeon  of  Summer  Hill,  was  born  in  Atlas 
township,  February  17,  1847,  ms  parents  being 
George  and  Mary  (Gay)  Schwartz.  The  father 
was  born  in  Spleugen,  Switzerland,  on  the  7th 
of  October,  1808,  and  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  about  1834,  making  his  way  direct  to 
Pike  county,  Illinois.  He  worked  for  a  time  with 
Lyman  Scott,  a  prominent  farmer  near  Atlas, 
Illinois,  and  subsequently  formed  a  partnership 
with  James  Gay,  Sr.,  of  Summer  Hill.  In  the 
spring  of  1835  they  rented  a  farm  and  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  together.  They  also 
leased  cattle  and  hogs  and  raised  them  on  the 
shares.  This  business  connection  was  continued 
until  1842,  after  which  they  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  farm  land  near  Atlas  and  subsequently 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  credit, 


but  they  disposed  of  sixty  acres,  fearing  to  take- 
too  great  a  responsibility  in  assuming  the  payment 
for  this  property.  They  then  divided  the  remain- 
ing one  hundred  acres  and  also  the  eighty  acres 
which  they  had  previously  purchased,  and  Mr. 
Schwartz  and  Mr.  Gay  then  farmed  separately. 
Mr.  Schwartz  lived  uponand farmed  his  land  until 
1855,  at  which  time  he  sold  the  property  to  Jack- 
son Shaw.  He  then  purchased  another  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Atlas  township, 
about  one  mile  north  of  his  farm  property,  and 
this  he  continued  to  cultivate  until  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  when  in  1867  he  retired  from  active 
business  and  rented  his  farm,  which  he  owned, 
however,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  It  has  since 
been  sold  by  the  heirs.  He  departed  this  life  in 
Summer  Hill,  January  26,  1887,  and  his  wife  died 
November  2,  1902.  Both  were  buried  in  Sum- 
mer Hill  cemetery.  Mr.  Schwartz  had  wedded 
Miss  Mary  Gay,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
October  25,  1810.  Unto  this  marriage  there  were 
born  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Mary  A.,  born  July  27,  1839,  died  June  19,  1854, 
and  was  buried  in  Summer  Hill  cemetery.  John 
G.,  born  February  17,  1841,  died  May  16,  1897, 
and  was  buried  in  Hebron  cemetery  in  Adams 
county.  Julius  was  born  June  15,  1844.  George 
W.  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Lucy  A.,  born  Jan- 
uary 20,  1854,  became  the  wife  of  John  Shaw, 
who  died  in  December,  1905,  while  visiting  at  his 
old  home  in  Summer  Hill.  His  widow  and  two 
children  survive  him  and  reside  in  Quincy, 
Illinois. 

George  W.  Schwartz,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  has  resided  continuously  in  Atlas 
township  for  nearly  fifty-nine  years  except  for 
a  period  of  six  months  spent  in  the  practice  of 
His  profession  in  Atchison  county,  Missouri.  His 
primary  education  was  obtained  in  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  township,  and  he  afterward 
pursued  his  studies  in  a  select  school  of  Perry, 
Illinois,  taught  by  Jon  Shastid,  a  pioneer  teacher 
of  Pike  county,  and  also  a  school  taught  by  him 
in  Pittsfield,  Illinois.  He  afterward  studied  for  a 
time  in  the  public  schools  of  Pittsfield,  and  later 
spent  two  years  as  a  student  in  the  preparatory 
school  of  Knox  College  at  Galesburg,  Illinois, 
after  which  he  matriculated  in  the  freshman  class 


6S8 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  the  same  college,  completing  the  work  of  the 
sophomore  year  as  well.  He  then  passed  an  ex- 
amination and  entered  the  junior  class  of  the  same 
college,  but  left  that  school  in  the  fall  of  1870, 
and  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine  in  the 
office  of  Drs.  Hurd  and  Burlingham  in  Galesburg, 
Illinois.  Later  he  matriculated  in  the  College  of 
Physicians  &  Surgeons  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
where  he  pursued  a  course  of  lectures,  and  in 
1871  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  where  he 
remained  for  one  term.  In  the  fall  of  1872  he 
became  a  student  in  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Col- 
lege, now  the  medical  department  of  Washington 
University,  in  which  he  pursued  a  one  year's 
course  and  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  de- 
gree of  M.  D.  on  the  i3th  of  March,  1873.  In  the 
spring  of  the  same  year  he  began  practicing  in 
Milton,  Atchison  county,  Missouri,  where  he  re- 
mained for  six  months,  when  he  made  a  trip  to 
Texas  with  a  view  of  locating  there,  but 
finding  no  location  to  his  liking,  he  re- 
turned to  Pike  county  and  opened  an  office  in 
Summer  Hill,  where  he  has  since  been  in  continu- 
ous practice  for  thirty-three  years.  He  enjoys  a 
large  patronage,  and  his  business  has  been  of  an 
important  nature.  He  has  always  kept  well  in- 
formed concerning  the  progress  of  the  medical 
fraternity,  and  the  new  ideas  advanced  by  the  pro- 
fession as  experience  and  investigation  have 
broadened  the  knowledge  of  the  members  of  the 
medical  fraternity. 

In  his  political  views  Dr.  Schwartz  is  an  earn- 
est republican,  having  always  upheld  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party.  He  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  Pike  county,  where  he  has  a  host  of 
loyal  friends,  having  become  popular  with  all 
whom  he  has  met  either  socially  or  professionally. 


HUTSON  MARTIN. 

Hutson  Martin,  a  retired  farmer  living  in 
Rockport,  was  born  in  Danville,  Vermilion  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  January  16,  1832,  and  is  the  third  in 
a  family  of  seven  children,  whose  parents  were 
William  and  Ceraphena  (Wetherby)  Martin.  The 


father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  at  an  early 
day,  was  there  engaged  in  farming  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1838,  his  remains 
being  interred  in  a  cemetery  near  Danville.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York  and 
was  married  in  Indiana  to  William  Martin.  Sub- 
sequent to  his  death  she  became  the  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Purcell,  and  in  1846  they  removed  to  Pike 
county,  settling  in  Derry  township,  where  Mr. 
Purcell  rented  a  farm  and  carried  on  general  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  Mrs.  Purcell  spent  her  last 
days  in  Adams  county,  Washington,  where  she 
died  in  1890,  her  remains  being  interred  at  near 
Washtucna. 

Hutson  Martin,  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view, was  a  youth  of  about  fourteen  years  when 
he  accompanied  his  mother,  stepfather  and  other 
members  of  the  family  to  Pike  county.  He  re- 
mained with  the  Purcell  family  for  a  time  and 
later  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  In 
1854,  when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  bought 
a  farm  of  sixty  acres  in  Derry  township,  and  at 
once  began  its  improvement  and  development, 
continuing  its  cultivation  until  'he  had  trans- 
formed it  into  a  very  valuable  and  productive 
property.  As  his  financial  resources  increased 
he  kept  adding  to  his  place  until  he  had  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  good  farming  property 
in  Derry  township.  As  the  years  passed  by  he 
prospered  and  stored  up  a  capital  sufficient  to 
enable  him  in  the  evening  of  life  to  enjoy  a  well 
earned  rest.  Their  children  were  Matilda,  Oliver, 
Hutson,  Tarble  W.,  Henry,  Amantha  and  Mar- 
tha. Four  of  the  number,  however,  have  passed 
away,  the  surviving  members  of  the  family  being 
Hutson,  Matilda  and  Tarble. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  Cham- 
berlin,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Rachael  (Bry- 
ant) Chamberlin.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey  and  her  mother  of  Ohio,  their  mar- 
riage being  celebrated  in  Butler  county  of  the 
latter  state.  They  came  to  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1835,  settling  in  Derry  township  among 
the  early  residents  of  the  locality.  Mr.  Chamber- 
lin began  farming  and  continued  to  follow  the 
pursuit  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  May,  1850,  his  remains  being  interred 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


659 


in  the  Taylor  cemetery.  His  wife  long  survived 
him,  passing  away  February  6,  1889,  at  the  home 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.'  Martin.  She  was  then  laid 
to  rest  by  the  side  of  her  husband  in  Taylor 
cemetery.  In  their  family  were  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  Alfred,  James  W.,  John  B.  and 
Lydia  A.,  but  the  first  two  are  now  deceased. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  have  been  born 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Isaiah  B.,  who  died  upon  his  father's  farm  Feb- 
ruary ii,  1872,  and  was  buried  upon  this  place, 
a  part  of  the  farm  being  donated  for  cemetery 
purposes,  and  now  known  as  the  Taylor  cemetery  ; 
Willard  A.,  who  resides  in  Louisiana,  Missouri, 
where  he  is  proprietor  of  a  grocery  store ;  Gilbert 
N.,  who  carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
on  the  old  homestead  farm ;  Flora  M.,  who  died 
October  7,  1867;  Mary  J.,  the  wife  of  Charles  H. 
Taylor,  who  resides  on  a  farm  in  Atlas  town- 
ship ;  Delia  R.,  the  wife  of  George  S.  Adams,  who 
is  living  in  the  town  of  Atlas;  and  Lydia  A.,  the 
wife  of  H.  Wallace  Haines,  of  Rockport. 

Throughout  his  active  business  career  Mr. 
Martin  carried  on  general  farming,  but  is  now  liv- 
ing retired,  having  acquired  property  and  capital 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  spend  the  evening  of 
his  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  ease.  For 
long  years  he  and  his  wife  resided  upon  the  farm, 
which  is  yet  their  home ;  and  its  well  improved 
appearance  is  largely  due  to  the  labor  and  care 
which  he  bestowed  upon  it.  In  all  his  business 
dealings  he  was  just  and  fair,  never  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  necessities  of  his  fellowmen  in  any 
trade  transaction ;  and  he  gained  for  himself  an 
honorable  name  as  well  as  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. 


T.  B.  FISHER. 

T.  B.  Fisher,  postmaster  and  merchant  at  Bee 
Creek,  was  born  December  14,  1859,  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  where  he  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  His  parents,  Edward  and  Terza  (Der- 
mott)  Fisher,  were  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye 
state  and  lived  and  died  in  Columbus.  For  thirty 
years  prior  to  his  death  the  father  was  engaged 
in  the  undertaking  business  there. 


T.  B.  Fisher  remained  a  resident  of  his  native 
city  until  1877,  when  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
he  left  Ohio  and  came  direct  to  Pike  county,  lo- 
cating in  Bee  Creek,  where  he  has  since  lived  with 
the  exception  of  one  year  passed  in  St.  Louis. 
He  began  farm  work  upon  his  arrival  here  and 
was  thus  employed  for  four  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  went  to  Pearl  station, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising  in  part- 
nership with  his  uncle,  Michael  Fisher,  for  a  year. 
He  then  sold  out  to  his  uncle  and  became  a  part- 
ner of  W.  L.  Deemer  in  the  same  line,  this  rela- 
tion being  also  maintained  for  a  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  Mr.  Fisher  disposed  of  his  interest 
to  his  partner.  Returning  to  Bee  Creek,  he  en- 
gaged in  farming,  renting  land  for  about  two 
years,  after  which  he  purchased  a  farm  two  and 
a  half  miles  from  the  village,  comprising  sixty 
acres  of  good  land,  which  he  improved,  placing 
it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  After  two 
years,  however,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  his  wife.  He  had 
been  married  in  1881  to  Miss  Josephine  Roberts, 
a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Rowena  C.  (Al- 
bert) Roberts.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Pike  county  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  still  living  at  Bee  Creek.  He  has  contributed 
in  substantial  measure  to  the  growth  and  im- 
provement of  his  section  of  the  county,  and  may 
well  be  mentioned  among  the  honored  early 
settlers. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  continued  to  make  their 
home  in  St.  Louis  for  about  a  year,  after  which 
they  returned  to  the  farm,  and  his  attention  was 
given  to  general  agricultural  pursuits  until  the 
7th  of  April,  1900,  when  he  opened  a  general 
store  in  Bee  Creek.  He  still  owns  his  farm, 
however,  and  it  is  operated  under  his  personal 
supervision.  On  the  same  day  in  which  he  opened 
his  store  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Bee 
Creek  under  President  McKinley's  administra- 
tion, and  has  held  the  office  continuously  since.  He 
was  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  old  store 
which  he  rented  when  he  embarked  in  business 
here  until  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  on 
the  27th  of  February,  1904,  his  stock  being  also 
entirely  consumed.  In  October,  1903,  he  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  merchandise  at  Gravel  Point, 


66o 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


Calhoun  count}-,  and  conducted  business  there  in 
conjunction  with  his  store  at  Bee  Creek  until 
his  new  store  was  ready  for  occupancy.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1904,  he  erected  a  good  business  building 
in  Bee  Creek  and  put  in  a  more  extensive  stock 
of  general  merchandise  than  he  had  ever  carried 
before.  He  is  now  enjoying  a  paying  trade,  hav- 
ing a  liberal  patronage  from  the  village  and  sur- 
rounding country.  He  conducts  his  interests  along 
modern  business  lines;  and  his  activity,  careful 
management  and  diligence  constitute  the  basis 
of  his  success. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  are  the  parents  of  five 
children,  but  they  lost  their  first  born,  Terza  C., 
whose  birth  occurred  May  3,  1881,  and  who  died 
on  the  5th  of  November  of  the  same  year.  The 
others  are :  Zula  G.,  who  was  born  November  26, 
1883;  Alpha  B.,  born  October  30,  1885;  Harlan 
D.,  February  28,  1887;  and  Zendoree  E.,  born 
October  31,  1904.  All  of  the  children  were  born 
at  Bee  Creek. 

Mr.  Fisher  is  a  self-made  man  of  much 
strength  of  character  and  determination.  His 
mother  died  during  his  infancy,  and  he  was  only 
twelve  years  of  age  when  he  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account.  He  has  since  depended  en- 
tirely upon  his  own  resources ;  and  as  the  years 
have  gone  by,  he  has  made  consecutive  advance- 
ment, progressing  steadily  toward  the  goal  of 
success.  No  fortunate  combination  of  circum- 
stances have  aided  him  ;  and,  in  fact,  he  has  met 
difficulties  and  obstacles,  but  he  has  steadily- 
worked  his  way  upward  and  is  today  prospering 
in  his  undertakings. 


CHARLES   H.   HURT. 

Charles  H.  Hurt,  postmaster  of  Barry,  was  born 
April  30,  1841,  a  son  of  Elisha  and  Margaret 
(Lee)  Hurt.  The  father's  birth  occurred  in 
Kentucky,  May  26,  1809,  and  his  parents  were 
Joshua  and  Sally  (Davis)  Hurt,  who  came  to  Il- 
linois at  an  early  day,  settling  in  Sangamon 
county,  where  he  died  the  same  year.  His  first 
wife  had  departed  this  life  in  Tennessee,  and  he 
afterward  married  Elizabeth  Pebworth,  of  Ken- 


tucky, who  after  his  death  returned  to  Kentucky 
with  four  of  the  youngest  sons :  William  P., 
Smith,  James  and  Harvey.  The  family  is  of 
English  lineage,  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject  having  been  born  in  England,  whence  he 
came  to  America  with  his  parents,  settling  in 
North  Carolina.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities  between  the  colonies  and  the  mother 
country  he  joined  the  continental  army  and  val- 
iantly fought  for  the  independence  of  the  nation. 
The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
natives  of  Virginia  and  the  grandfather  was  born 
in  1782.  He  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  New  Or- 
leans, Louisiana,  on  the  8th  of  January,  1815. 
The  family  was  further  represented  in  the  mili- 
tary service  of  this  country  by  Jon,  William  P. 
and  Smith  Hurt,  uncles  of  our  subject,  who 
served  in  the  Mexican  war,  while  Smith  Hurt 
afterward  became  colonel  of  the  Twenty-fourth 
Kentucky  Infantry  Regiment  in  the  Civil  war. 

Elisha  Hurt,  father  of  our  subject,  arrived  in 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  1839,  when  it  was  still 
largely  an  unimproved  and  unsettled  district. 
He  took  up  his  abode  in  Barry  township.  He  had 
been  married  in  Kentucky  in  1838  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet J.  Lee,  a  native  of  Morgan  county,  Vir- 
ginia, where  she  was  born  in  1818.  Unto  this 
union  were  born  twelve  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  living:  Elisha,  who  was  a  soldier  of 
Company  F,  One  hundred  and  Thirty-seventh 
Illinois  Infantry  in  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now 
living  in  Mount  Vernon,  this  state;  Edwin  G., 
who  resides  in  Boise  City,  Idaho;  and  Charles  H. 
Another  son  of  the  family,  John  M.  Hurt,  now 
deceased,  was  numbered  among  the  boys  in  blue 
of  Company  G,  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  continued  for  three  months. 
He  entered  the  army  as  a  private  and  became 
quartermaster  sergeant  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Il- 
linois Infantry,  while  later  he  was  captain  of 
Company  E  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
first  Regiment  of  United  States  Colored  Troops 
and  also  captain  of  Company  C,  Twelfth  .United 
States  Colored  Heavy  Artillery. 

Elisha  Hurt,  father  of  this  family,  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia in  1849,  being  among  the  first  to  cross 
the  plains  in  that  year,  attracted  by  the  discovery 


C.  H.  HURT 


"o*  ^  \^v 


^ 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


663 


of  gold  on  the  Pacific  slope,  where  he  met  with 
gratifying  success.  He  erected  the  first  frame 
building  at  Placerville,  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  there  and  also  served  as  postmaster.  At 
that  time  eggs  sold  at  one  dollar  apiece  and  both 
bacon  and  salt  sold  at  one  dollar  per  pound.  Mr. 
Hurt  returned  east  in  1851  and  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Barry  for  ten  years  or  until1  1861, 
when  he  retired  from  active  business.  During 
the  Civil  war  he  raised  a  company  for  service 
and  was  commissioned  captain  of  Company  I 
of  the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  with 
which  he  was  connected  for  three  years.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican 
party  from  the  time  of  its  organization  and  he 
was  recognized  as  a  local  leader  in  its  ranks.  He 
served  as  sheriff  of  Pike  county  as  a  whig  in 
1853  and  1854.  His  death  occurred  August  7, 
1888,  while  his  wife  passed  away  on  the  6th  of 
May,  1866. 

Charles  H.  Hurt  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  town  and  manifested  the  military  spirit 
which  has  been  a  marked  characteristic  in  the 
family  through  many  generations.  His  love  of 
country  was  shown  by  his  prompt  response  to 
the  call  for  troops  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 
Hardly  had  the  smoke  from  Fort  Sumter's  guns 
cleared  away  than  he  donned  the  blue  uniform  of 
the  nation,  enlisting  from  Barry  on  the  2Oth  of 
April,  1861,  in  response  to  the  call  for  three 
months'  troops.  He  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  on 
the  25th  of  April,  1861,  as  a  private  under  the 
command  of  Captain  John  G.  McWilliams  of 
Company  G,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  the  colonel 
being  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  afterward  governor  of 
the  state.  The  regiment  was  organized  at  Spring- 
field and  after  being  mustered  in  there  was  sent 
to  Cairo,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  during  the 
three  months'  term.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1861, 
it  was  reorganized  and  mustered  into  the  service 
for  three  years.  Mr.  Hurt  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Cairo,  July  25,  1861,  by  reason  of  the 
expiration  of  his  term.  He  then  re-enlisted  on  the 
same  day  to  serve  for  three  years  or  during  the 
war  and  was  mustered  in  as  first  sergeant  of  Com- 
pany G,  Eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers 
under  command  of  Captain  James  S.  Barnard  and 


Colonel  R.  J.  Oglesby  for  three  years'  service. 
The  regiment  continued  to  drill  and  do  guard 
duty  at  Cairo  until  October,  1861,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  Bird's  Point,  Missouri,  there  re- 
maining until  February,  1862,  becoming  thor- 
oughly grounded  in  the  manuel  of  arms  and 
attaining  a  high  degree  of  discipline  and  efficiency. 
The  members  of  this  regiment  made  expeditions 
at  different  times  to  Cape  Girardeau,  Commerce, 
Bloomfield  and  Norfolk,  Missouri,  and  to  Bland- 
ville,  Kentucky,  joining  in  the  attack  on  Colum- 
bus, in  January,  1862.  On  the  2d  of  February 
following  they  moved  up  the  Tennessee  river  to 
a  point  near  Fort  Henry,  where  it  reconnoitered 
the  enemy's  position,  proceeding  near  enough  to 
drive  in  the  outpost  and  this  regiment  was  among 
the  first  to  enter  the  forf  after  its  reduction  by 
the  Union  gunboat's" on. the  6th  of  February,  1862. 
Subsequently  the  command  was.  assigned  to  the 
Third  Brigade,  Logan's  Division  of  the  Seventh 
Army  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and 
thus  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson 
on  the  I3th,  14™  and  isth  of  February,  1862, 
where  the  Eighth  Illinois  was  contantly  under 
heavy  fire,  suffering  severely  from  the  driving 
snowstorm  and  intense  cold  as  well  as  from  the 
rebel  lead.  The  regiment  lost  in  that  engagement 
fifty-seven  killed,  one  hundred  and  ninety-one 
wounded  and  ten  missing.  On  the  6th  of  March 
the  command  embarked  on  the  Tennessee  river 
for  Savannah  and  took  part  in  the  engagement  at 
Shiloh  or  Pittsburg  Landing  on  the  6th  and  7th 
of  April,  1862.  Again  the  troops  were  in  active 
duty  at  the  siege  of  Corinth,  at  Port  Gibson  or 
Thompson's  Hill,  at  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion 
Hill,  Black  River,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the 
siege  of  Mobile,  Alabama,  including  the  capture 
of  Spanish  Fort  and  of  Fort  Blakely  on  the  9th 
of  April,  1865.  They  were  also  in  a  number  of 
minor  engagements,  skirmishes  and  raids.  The 
Eighth  Illinois  was  the  first  regiment  to  plant  its 
colors  on  the  earthworks  at  Fort  Blakely,  Ala- 
bama, and  subsequently  moved  into  Louisiana  and 
Texas,  rendering  valuable  guard  duty  and  engag- 
ing an  occasional  expedition  for  the  protection  of 
government  property  and  government  officials.  In 
the  late  fall  of  1865  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
Alexandria,  Louisiana,  where  it  remained  until 


664 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


winter  and  then  went  to  Shreveport,  Louisiana, 
where  it  was  stationed  until  April,  1866.  '  It  was 
mustered  out  May  4,  1866,  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  and  ordered  to  Springfield,  where  the 
men  were  honorably  discharged  May  13,  1866, 
after  a  service  of  more  than  five  years'  duration. 
On  the  expiration  of  his  three  years'  term  Mr. 
Hurt  had  been  honorably  discharged  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Mississippi,  on  the  1st  of  April,  1864,  and 
had  then  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  in  the  same  com- 
pany and  regiment,  at  which  time  he  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  as  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Company  G  to  serve  for  three  years 
longer  or  during  the  war,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jo- 
siah  H.  Sheets  commanding  the  regiment.  For 
brave  and  efficient  service  he  received  the  follow- 
ing promotions :  To  orderly  sergeant  of  Company 
G  upon  the  organization  of  the  regiment  for  three 
years'  service  July  25,  1861 ;  commissioned  sec- 
ond lieutenant  after  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson 
for  meritorious  service  February  15,  1862;  com- 
missioned first  lieutenant  July  25,  1864 ;  commis- 
sioned captain  October  7,  1864;  and  mustered  in 
November  16,  1864.  He  was  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  Tennessee,  April  6,  1862,  by  a 
gunshot  through  the  left  arm  and  side,  after 
which  he  was  removed  to  a  hospital  that  had  been 
fitted  up  in  a  church  at  Savannah,  Tennessee, 
where  he  -remained  for  about  twenty  days.  He 
was  then  granted  a  furlough,  which  he  spent  at 
home,  after  which  he  rejoined  his  regiment  before 
Corinth,  Mississippi,  in  May,  '1862.  He  was  in 
signal  service  for  about  a  year,  including  a  part 
of  1862  and  of  1863.  He  participated  in  all  the 
engagements  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Regiment  dur- 
ing its  long  and  arduous  service  and  was  mus- 
tered out  with  his  command  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1866.  The  Eighth 
Illinois  was  longer  in  continuous  service  than  any 
other  volunteer  organization  during  the  Civil  war 
and  was  next  to  the  last  infantry  regiment  to  be 
mustered  out  from  Illinois.  Mr.  Hurt  was  the 
first  man  to  enlist  from  Barry  and  in  fact  the  only 
one  that  enlisted  for  three  months'  service  and  he 
was  the  last  one  to  be  discharged.  His  military 
record  is  certainly  one  of  which  he  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud  and  the  country  owes  to  him 
a  debt  of  gratitude  for  what  he  accomplished  in 


behalf  of  the  Union  cause.  The  family  of  which 
he  is  a  representative  has  ever  been  noted  for  its 
patriotism,  loyalty  and  bravery.  Mr.  Hurt's 
father  and  three  of  his  sons,  John  M.,  Elisha  and 
Charles  H.,  and  his  son-in-law,  Major  E.  A.  Cran- 
dall,  of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, gave  to  the  government  an  aggregate  serv- 
ice of  fifteen  years  during  the  Civil  war. 

While  home  on  a  furlough  Charles  H.  Hurt 
was  married  at  Barry,  on  the  5th  of  May,  1864, 
to  Miss  C.  Mell  Cram,  a  native  of  Crawford 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  Orange 
and  Susan  (Carroll)  Cram.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurt 
had  five  children,  but  all  died  in  infancy.  How- 
ever, they  have  adopted  two  children,  one  of 
whom  is  living,  Joseph  N.  Hurt,  who  is  still  with 
his  foster  parents. 

From  1874  until  1881  Mr.  Hurt  was  auditor 
and  paymaster  for  the  St.  Louis,  Keokuk&  North- 
western Railroad  and  made  all  the  payments  dur- 
ing that  period,  including  the  construction  of  sev- 
enty-five miles  of  new  road.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  ten  years  and  in  1891  he 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1893.  In  1896  he  erected  the  post- 
office  block  and  was  then  engaged  in  the  furniture 
business  until  1902.  In  1900  he  had  been  ap- 
point postmaster  and  since  1902  he  lias  devoted 
his  entire  attention  to  the  duties  of  the  position. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  republican  and  has 
acted  as  supervisor  of  Barry  township.  He 
belongs  to  Barry  lodge,  No.  34,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  for  ten  years  has  been  honored 
with  the  office  of  secretary.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Barry  charpter,  No.  88,  R.  A.  M.,  and  belongs 
to  John  McTucker  post,  No.  154,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Barry,  in  which  he  has  acted  as  commander  for 
two  terms.  His  father  was  one  of  the  organizers 
and  a  charter  member  of  the  Barry  Masonic  lodge, 
which  was  established  in  1845,  tne  organization 
being  effected  at  his  home,  which  is  still  standing, 
and  he  was  chosen  its  first  secretary.  Charles  H. 
Hurt  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  business  men  of  the 
town  of  Barry,  having  been  identified  with  its  in- 
terests since  1852.  Throughout  this  period  his 
course  has  been  such  as  to  win  for  him  the  un- 
qualified respect  and  regard  of  his  fellowmen.  In 
matters  of  citizenship  he  has  been  as  loyal  to  his 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


665 


community  and  his  country  in  days  of  peace  as 
when  he  followed  the  old  flag  upon  southern 
battle-fields  and  in  business  affairs  he  has  been 
straigh  forward  and  honorable,  while  in  all  social 
and  fraternal  relations  he  has  been  found  true  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him. 


JAMES  WILLIAMSON. 

Of  the  residents  of  Pittsfield  who  are  con- 
tributing to  the  business  activity  and  prosperity 
of  the  city  as  well  as  to  their  individual  success, 
James  Williamson  is  a  representative.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  the  grain  trade,  and  operates  the  only 
exclusive  elevator  in  Pittsfield.  Success  in  any 
line  of  occupation,  in  any  avenue  of  business  is  not 
a  matter  of  spontaneity,  but  is  the  legitimate  off- 
spring of  subjective  effort  in  the  broader  utiliza- 
tion of  the  means  at  hand,  the  improvement  of 
opportunity  and  the  exercise  of  one's  native  pow- 
ers. That  Mr.  Williamson  today  ranks  among  the 
prominent  residents  of  Pittsfield,  is  attributable 
entirely  to  his  own  labors ;  for  in  the  fullest  sense 
he  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
building  wisely  and  well.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he 
was  born  in  1838.  His  father,  Jesse  Williamson, 
born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent ;  and,  removing  to  Ohio,  there  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  which  he  followed  until 
1857.  He  then  came  with  his  family  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  settling  in  Newburg  township, 
where  he  made  investment  in  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  upon  which  he  carried  on 
general  farming  until  his  later  years.  He  contin- 
ued to  reside,  however,  upon  the  old  homestead 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1894.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Sloan, 
was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio.  Mr.  Wil- 
liamson was  well  known  in  the  county  as  a  man 
of  good  business  capacity,  independent' in  thought 
and  action,  but  of  upright  character  and  high  prin- 
ciples. He  was  identified  with  no  religious  nor 
political  organization,  but  gave  his  support  wher- 
ever he  thought  it  merited  and  co-operated  in 
many  movements  for  the  general  good.  In  the 
family  were  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  liv- 


ing :  James  and  Thomas,  the  latter  a  resident  of 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.  He  is  married  and  has  two 
children:  Ernest  E.,  who  is  editor  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Press  at  Griggsville,  Illinois ;  and  Ray- 
mond, who  is  residing  in  Oklahoma. 

James  Williamson  began  his  education  at  the 
usual  age  in  the  common  schools,  and  afterward 
attended  the  Commercial  College  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  for  a  short  time.  Subsequent  to 
his  removal  to  Pike  county,  he  began  farming, 
purchasing  a  tract  of  land  in  Newburg  township. 
He  has  since  been  a  landowner  of  this  county  and 
is  to-day  the  possessor  of  eighty  acres,  constitut- 
ing a  well  improved  and  beautiful  farm.  For 
many  years  he  actively  carried  on  general  farm 
work  himself,  but  now  rents  his  land.  About 
1887  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business  in  Pitts- 
field,  and  in  connection  with  Thomas  Ward  pur- 
chased the  old  mill,  which  was  one  of  the  first 
plants  of  this  character  in  the  county.  The  part- 
nership was  maintained  for  a  time,  and  then  Mr. 
Williamson  purchased  Mr.  Ward's  interest;  and 
not  long  afterward  the  mill  burned  down.  Mr. 
Williamson  having  purchased  the  old  creamery 
building,  converted  it  into  an  elevator,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  buying  wheat.  He  also  purchased 
a  feed  mill,  and  has  ground  feed,  cornmeal  and 
graham  flour — commodities  which  he  exchanges 
for  wheat.  He  has  the  only  feed  mill  in  the  town, 
and  is  doing  a  nice  business  here. 

Mr.  Williamson  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen 
Hayden,  who  was  born  in  Newburg  township, 
Pike  county,  in  1848,  a  daughter  of  L.  E.  Hay- 
den,  a  farmer  owning  two  hundred  acres  of  land, 
and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  to 
which  place  he  came  in  1832  from  Missouri.  Mrs. 
Williamson  has  a  brother  in  Pittsfield — Newton 
J.  Hayden,  while  another  brother,  William  F. 
Hayden.  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  is  residing  at 
Milton.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williamson  have  been 
born  two  sons :  Orville,  who  was  educated  in 
Pittsfield  and  in  the  Commercial  Cpllege  at 
Quincy,  married  Ida  Hamilton,  of  Barry,  where 
they  now  reside,  and  where  he  is  acting  as  cash- 
ier of  the  First  National  Bank.  Gay,  who  was 
educated  in  Pittsfield  and  in  the  Commercial  Col- 
lege at  Quincy,  is  a  farmer  living  in  Pittsfield. 
He  married  Salina  Carnes,  of  this  city,  and  they 


'666 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


have  five  children,   Luella,   Helen,   Presley,   Bir- 
della  and  Verdon. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Williamson  is  a 
republican/  but  without  aspiration  for  office.  He 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has 
taken  the  degrees  of  the  lodge,  chapter  and  coun- 
cil. He  is  regarded  as  an  exemplary  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  true  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  craft,  which  is  based  upon  mutual  help- 
fulness and  brotherly  kindness.  He  is  a  very 
busy  man,  yet  he  is  ever  ready  to  pause  in  the 
midst  of  business  duties  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
friend  or  neighbor,  or  to  aid  in  advancing  the 
city's  welfare.  He  is  moreover  worthy  of  the  re- 
spect which  is  freely  accorded  him,  for  his  name 
is  a  synonym  for  honorable  dealing,  with  all  that 
is  elevating  and  beneficial  to  the  city  and  county. 


CHARLES  R.  WYATT. 

Charles  R.  Wyatt,  proprietor  of  the  Wyatjt  Ho- 
tel at  Rockport,  is  a  self-made  man,  deserving 
much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  in  the 
business  world.  He  was  born  January  4,  1843, 
in  New  York  city,  where  he  spent  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life,  acquiring  his  primary  education 
there.  He  is  the  son  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth 
(Cole)  Wyatt,  being  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  eight  children.  The  parents  were 
both  natives  of  England,  where  they  were  reared, 
educated  and  married.  They  emigrated  from 
London  with  their  three  children  and  landed  at 
New  York  city.  The  father  'was  an  umbrella-ma- 
ker, and  worked  at  his  trade  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  June  n,  1850,  in  New 
York,  when  he  was  thirty-nine  years  of  age,  his 
remains  being  interred  in  the  Greenwood  ceme- 
tery in  Brooklyn.  His  wife  survived  him  until 
August  29,  1865,  and  died  on  the  W.  R.  Wills 
farm  near  Pittsfield,  her  remains  being  interred 
in  the  West  cemetery  near  that  city.  She  was  for- 
ty-nine years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 

In  October,  1853,  Charles  R.  Wyatt  left  the 
eastern  metropolis  in  company  with  his  brother 
William,  and  made  his  way  to  Rockport,  Pike 


county,  Illinois.  He  was  sent  here  by  the  Chil- 
drens'  Aid  Society  of  New  York  city.  Mrs. 
Wyatt  having  been  left  without  means  upon  her 
husband's  death,  and  with  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren to  support,  was  obliged  to  seek  assistance ; 
and  it  was  thus  that  the  two  brothers  came  to 
Pike  county.  Charles  R.  Wyatt  was  then  bound 
out  to  Thomas  Odiorne,  a  farmer  residing  one 
mile  north  of  Rockport,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  engaged  in  active 
farm  work.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  re- 
ceived one  hundred  dollars  in  money  and  a  suit 
of  clothes — a  very  meagre  recompense  for  his  ten 
years  of  faithful  labor.  He  at  once  left  the  farm 
of  Mr.  Odiorne,  and  for  about  one  year  was  em- 
ployed at  farm  labor  by  others.  At  this  time,  1864, 
his  mother  arrived  in  Atlas  township  with  her 
younger  son,  George,  and  Mr.  Wyatt  then  rented 
forty  acres  of  farm  land  from  W.  R.  Wills  near 
Pittsfield.  There  the  family  resided  for  one  sum- 
mer; and  it  was  upon  that  farm  that  the  mother 
died. 

On  the  isth  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Wyatt  won  a 
companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  by  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  K.  Mace,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Lucia  M.  (Chamberlin)  Mace,  in 
whose  family  were  five  children,  she  being  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth.  John  Mace  was  a  na- 
tive of  Bangor,  Maine,  born  December  9,  1818, 
and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  removed  to 
Illinois  at  an  early  day,  and  was  married  in 
Griggsville  township.  He  worked  at  his  trade 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
Rockport,  October  13,  1863,  and  his  grave  was 
made  in  the  cemetery  at  New  Salem,  Pike  county. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  and  yet  makes  her 
home  in  Griggsville.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Isaac 
Cunningham.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyatt  have 
been  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Phillip 
A.  married  Miss  Edna  Donohoe,  August  8,  1894, 
and  after  her  death  wedded  Alice  B.  Shaw,  Sep- 
tember 5,  1901,  their  home  being  now  in  Rock- 
port.  Lucia  E.  was  born  August  i,  1871,  and  is 
with  her  parents,  now  teaching  the  seventh  con- 
secutive term  in  the  Rockport  schools.  Jessie  L., 
born  April  19,  1874,  was  married  August  16, 
1896,  to  Charles  L.  Gay  and  they  reside  five  miles 
northeast  of  Rockport.  Charles  A.,  born  No- 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


667 


vember  26,   1877,  was  married  August  9,  1900, 
to  Zeulah  Hoy  and  resides  in  Oklahoma. 

Mr.  Wyatt  is  a  stalwart  republican  in  his  po- 
litical views,  but  has  never  taken  an  active  part 
in  political  affairs  or  sought  office.  His  life  has 
been  devoted  to  his  business  affairs,  and  he  is 
now  proprietor  of  the  Wyatt  Hotel  at  Rock- 
port,  which  he  is  capably  conducting.  It  is  find- 
ing favor  with  the '  traveling  public,  and  he  re- 
ceives a  good  patronage.  He  and  his  wife  have 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for  many 
years,  and  death  has  never  entered  their  im- 
mediate household.  They  are  devoted  to  each 
other,  are  faithful  in  friendship  and  have  great 
happiness  in  their  grandchildren,  now  seven  in 
number. 


JAMES  EMERSON. 

James  Emerson,  whose  farm  in  Pleasant  Vale 
township  is  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit 
as  well  as  to  the  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil  and 
climate,  is  a  native  of  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  born, 
on  the  2 1st  of  December,  1836.  His  parents  were 
Ephraim  and  Elizabeth  (Wallace)  Emerson,  the 
former  a  native  of  Maryland  and  the  latter  of 
Ohio.  A  farmer  by  occupation,  Ephraim  Em- 
erson became  identfied  wth  agrcultural  inter- 
ests in  Pike  county  in  1838,  settling  in  Pleasant 
Vale  township,  where  he  entered  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  government,  the  tract 
then  being  covered  with  timber.  He  at  once  be- 
gan to  clear  away  the  trees  and  cultivate  the 
fields.  In  1851  he  sold  forty  acres  of  his  land, 
after  which  he  removed  to  a  farm  south  of  New 
Canton  and  still  later  made  his  home  nearer  that 
city.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner 
of  a  good  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  was  the  visible  evidence  of  a  life  of  well 
directed  energy  and  thrift,  for  his  prosperity  was 
attributable, entirely  to  his  own  labors.  In  politics 
he  was  a  whig  and  in  later  years  became  a  re- 
publican. For  a  long  period  he  served  as  school 
director ;  and  the  cause  of  education  found  in  him 
a  warm  friend.  His  wife  held  membership  in  the 
Methodist  church;  and  he  contributed  to  its  sup- 


port. His  death  occurred  when  he  was  seventy- 
two  years  of  age,  while  Mrs.  Emerson  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  seven  children,  but  only  three  are  living : 
James ;  Jehu,  of  Berry ;  and  Amanda,  the  wife  of 
Frank  Uppenhouse. 

In  his  early  boyhood  days,  James  Emerson 
was  a  common-school  student;  and  he  began  life 
for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  He 
purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides, 
and  which  was  then,  but  partially  improved.  He 
now  owns  seventy-five  acres  of  land  whereon  he. 
follows  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  This 
is  a  fine  place  on  the  river  bottom,  the  soil  being 
very  rich  and  productive.  The  farm  is  well  fenced, 
and  well  improved  in  every  particular ;  and  he 
has  considerable  fruit  upon  his  place.  The  build- 
ings comprise  a  comfortable  residence,  good  barns 
and  commodious  sheds;  and  the  latest  improved 
machinery  facilitates  the  work  of  the  fields.  In 
all  that  he  does  he  is  practical,  and  his  labors  have 
been  characterized  by  system  as  well  as  by  unre- 
mitting attention  to  all  the  details  of  his  business. 
On  the  loth  of  March,  1859,  Mr.  Emerson 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  Yearley, 
who  was  born  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  April 
12,  1840,  and  was  a  daughter  of  .Orlando  and 
Orinda  (Card)  Yearley,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  Both 
died  during  the  early  girlhood  of  their  daughter, 
Mrs.  Emerson.  Unto  them  were  born  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  two  are  now  living.  The  father's 
death  occurred  in  1846.  For  her  second  husband 
Mrs.  Emerson's  mother  married  John  Yearley,  a 
brother  of  Orlando,  and  to  them  were  born  three 
children:  Orlando;  Luenna,  the  wife  bf  Thomas 
Cochran;  and  Clarissa,  who  is  the  widow  of 
B.  F.  Boyd  and  resides  in  Iowa.  The  grandfa- 
ther of  Mrs.  Emerson  came  to  Pike  county  about 
1830,  settling  in  Pleasant  Vale  township.  He  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  aided  in  the  early 
progress  and  improvement  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  Mrs.  Emerson's  father  was  a  whig  in  his 
political  views;  and  both  he  and  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Emerson  were  Universalists  in  religious 
faith.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  three  children:  Emma,  the  wife  of  D.  L. 
Nicholas,  who  resides  near  her  father ;  Charles  E., 


668 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


living  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  and  William  Henry, 
at  home. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  Mr.  Emerson  has  been  a  stal- 
wart republican.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  fine  per- 
sonal appearance  and  he  and  the  other  members 
of  the  family  are  of  friendly,  social  natures,  en- 
joying in  large  measure  the  good  will  and  kindly 
regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have  been  associ- 
ated. He  has  always  lived  the  life  of  a  farmer 
and  although  the  years  have  been  quietly  passed, 
his  record  is  one  worthy  of  commendation  and  of 
emulation,  for  he  has  been  true  to  his  duties  of 
citizenship,  has  met  all  of  the  obligations  of  busi- 
ness life  and  has  manifested  in  his  social  rela- 
tons  those  traits  of  character  which  add  much 
to  the  sum  total  of  human  happiness. 


JOSEPH  H.  WELLS. 

Joseph  H.  Wells,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
blacksmithing  in  Atlas,  was  born  January  28, 
1876,  in  New  Canton,  Pike  county,  a  son  of 
Archie  and  Mary  Jane  Wells.  The  father,  a  na- 
tive of  Adams  county,  Illinois,  has  followed  farm- 
ing, but  is  now  engaged  in  selling  groceries  in 
and  around  New  Canton ;  and  he  and  his  wife  still 
make  their  home  in  New  Canton  township. 

Joseph  H.  Wells  of  this  review  acquired  his 
preliminary  education  at  Cincinnati  Landing,  and 
afterward  spent  some  time  in  the  Spring  school 
in  New  Canton  township.  Later  he  attended  the 
Stony  Point  district  school,  and  again  became  a 
student  in  the  Spring  school.  He  was  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  through  the  periods 
of  vacation  his  time  was  largely  given  to  the  labor 
of  the  fields.  He  thus  followed  farming  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  began 
learning  the  blacksmith's  trade  at  Barry,  Illi- 
nois, under  .the  direction  of  Jasper  Dudley,  for 
whom  he  worked  for  about  a  year.  In  1897,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  he  engaged  in  black- 
smithing  for  himself  at  Seahorn,  Pike  county, 
where  he  continued  in  the  same  business  for  two 
years.  He  afterward  went  to  Hull  station,  near 
Kinderhook,  where  he  followed  his  trade  for 


eighteen  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
went  to  Pike  station,  wherehe  spent  two  and  a  half 
years  at  blacksmithing.  In  June,  1903, he  arrived  in 
Atlas  and  has  since  conducted  a  smithy  here, 
meeting  with  good  success  in  his  business.  Hard 
and  unremitting  labor  has  brought  him  a  com- 
fortable living ;  and  he  now  has  a  good  patronage 
because  of  his  excellent  work  and  his  straight- 
forward dealing. 

On  the  igth  of  May,  1895,  Mr.  Wells  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  May  Hart,  a 
daughter  of  Norman  and  Sarah  J.  (Underwood) 
Hart.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this 
union,  three  daughters  and  a  son:  Annie,  born 
December  10,  1895 ;  George  Dewey,  born  Au- 
gust i,  1899;  Sarah  E.,  who  was  born  December 
,11,  1902,  and  died  at  birth,  the  burial  being  made 
in  the  Shear  graveyard  at  New  Canton ;  and  Mag- 
gie E.,  born  July  20,  1904.  Mrs.  Wells'  father, 
Norman  Hart,  was  born  in  this  county,  is  now 
deceased  and  was  buried  in  the  Barry  cemetery. 
His  widow  has  since  married  Francis  M.  Cory, 
who  resides  in  Atlas  township. 

Mr.  Wells  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
his  part  of  the  county,  his  entire  life  having  been 
passed  within  its  border;  and,  in  his  home  com- 
munity, is  known  as  one  whose  diligence  and.  re- 
liability are  unquestioned  features  in  his  business 
career.  Moreover,  his  advancement  has  come  be- 
cause he  has  constantly  sought  it.  He  started  out 
empty-handed,  and  with  no  assistance  from  influ- 
ential friends  or  advantageous  circumstances,  he 
has  gained  a  creditable  position  in  industrial 
circles. 


CHARLES  N.  HAINES. 

Charles  N.  Haines  who  is  connected  with  com- 
mercial pursuits  in  Rockport  as  a  representative 
of  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company,  and  who  is 
filling  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  the 
second  term,  was  born  in  this  village,  May  17, 
1870,  his  parents  being  Thomas  R.  and  Florence 
J.  (Crenshaw)  Haines.  The  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Deny  township,  Pike  county,  while  the 
mother  was  born  in  Summer  Hill.  Throughout 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


669 


his  active  business  career  Thomas  R.  Haines 
engaged  in  fanning  and  his  death  occurred  about 
four  miles  from  Rockport  at  what  was  then  known 
as  Gilgal  in  Atlas  township,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  the  Rockport  cemetery.  Mrs.  Haines 
is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in  Sioux 
City,  Iowa,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  She 
has  marriel  again,  her  second  husband  being 
D.  W.  Rapalee. 

Charles  N.  Haines  acquired  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Rockport  and  after  putting 
aside  his  text-books  went  to  South  Dakota,  where 
he  was  employed  upon  -a  farm  for  four  years. 
He  afterward  followed  various  business  pursuits 
in  that  state  until  1889,  at  which  time  he  returned 
to  Rockport  and  accepted  a  position  as  salesman 
in  the  store  of  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company,  where 
he  has  since  remained,  being  one  of  the  most 
trusted  and  capable  representatives  of  the  house. 
He  has  been  elected  twice  to  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Atlas  township,  being  first  chosen 
to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term  in  April,  1903,  as 
the  successor  of  W.  T.  Barton.  He  was  then 
re-elected  on  the  republican  ticket  in  April,  1905, 
and  was  commissioned  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
running  ahead  of  his  ticket  and  defeating  W.  P. 
McEwen.  His  admistration  of  the  office  has  given 
eminent  satisfaction  for  he  is  unbiased  in  his  judg- 
ment and  at  all  times  impartial  to  those  who  bring 
their  litigated  interests  into  his  courts.  As  a 
republican  he  has  been  active  and  energetic  in 
support  of  the  party  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  influential  and  representative  young 
men  of  Rockport  and  the  western  part  of  Pike 
county. 


MICHAEL  FISHER. 

Michael  Fisher,  well  known  as  a  resident  of 
Bee  Creek  and  an  enterprising  citizen  of  his  part 
of  the  county,  was  born  in  Columbus,  Ohio, 
November  18,  1835,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and 
Mary  (Briggs)  Fisher.  The  former  was  also  a 
native  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  his  father,  Michael 
Fisher,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of 
that  city,  taking  up  his  abode  there  when  it 


consisted  of  a  few  log  cabins.  The  settlers  were 
in  constant  conflict  with  the  Indians,  who  resented 
the  encroachments  of  the  white  men  upon  their 
hunting  grounds  and  were  very  hostile.  It  was 
about  this  time  that  Captain  Crawford  was 
burned  at  the  stake  by  the  Indians  forty  miles 
northeast  of  Columbus.  Michael  Fisher  emi- 
grated from  Virginia  to  Ohio,  taking  with  him 
his  slaves,  whom  he  set  free  in  the  Buckeye  state 
and  all  of  whom  took  his  name.  He  remained  a 
resident  of  Columbus  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  about  fifty-five 
years  of  age.  His  wife's  people  also  emigrated 
from  Virginia  to  Ohio.  She  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Miss  Petty  and  her  cousin,  Fisher  Petty,  was 
reared  in  the  family  of  Michael  Fisher. 

The  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced  back 
to  a  still  more  remote  period,  Michael  Fisher, 
of  this  review  being  a  direct  descendant  of 
Captain  Jacob  Fisher,  who  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  then  commissioned  a  captain  to  ferret  out  the 
tories  and  many  a  one  he  caught  and  hung. 
There  was  one  old  tory  eighty-five  years  of  age 
who  displayed  such  bravery  that  Captain  Fisher 
spared  his  life.  He  ordered  him  to  be  tied  to  a 
rope  attached  to  a  horse  and  pulled  through  the 
river.  He  was  baptized  in  this  way  four  times 
in  an  attempt  to  compel  him  to  acknowledge  the 
independence  of  the  United  Colonies  of  America, 
but  the  old  man  refused  to  do  so.  When  he  was 
brought  out  of  the  river  the  fourth  time  he  was 
almost  drowned  and  could  not  speak.  Captain 
Fisher  then  said  that  his  life  should  be  spared, 
but  he  felt  like  returning  and  hanging  the  man, 
who  as  the  party  of  loyal  Americans  left  him  gave 
a  faint  hurrah  for  King  George  and  cursed  the 
soldiers  for  trying  to  compel  him  to  recognize 
the  independence  of  the  colonies.  This  Captain 
Fisher  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject. 

His  maternal  grandparents  were  George  and 
Alan-  Briggs,  natives  of  New  York.  George 
Briggs  was  also  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  dur- 
ing a  battle  a  spent  grapeshot  came  rolling  toward 
him.  He  stopped  it  with  his  foot,  picked  it  up 
and  carried  it  home  and  it  has  since  been  pre- 
served in  the  Fisher  family,  also  a  skillet  which 
is  over  one  hundred  years  old  and  which  was 


670 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


once  in  possession  of  Mrs.  Briggs.  It  is  now 
in  the  home  of  Michael  Fisher,  of  Bee  Creek. 
Mary  Briggs  died  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1850, 
but  no  record  of  the  death  of  George  Briggs 
exists. 

Jacob  Fisher,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
and  reared  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  his  natal  year  be- 
ing 1808.  After  attaining  his  majority  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  three  miles  south  of  Columbus 
on  the  Chillicothe  turnpike.  A  cedar  tree  which 
he  planted  on  the  old  homestead  of  his  father 
when  he  was  eight  years  of  age  is  still  living 
and  there  is  a  pear  tree  upon  the  place  which  is 
over  one  hundred  years  old.  A  thicket  of  sas- 
safras was  also  set  out  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
the  root,  from  which  to  make  tea.  Persons 
came  for  miles  to  get  the  sassafras  and 
also  to  get  the  herbs  to  make  spice  tea. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  Jacob  Fisher  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  died 
in  Columbus  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Briggs,  was  born  southwest  of  Co- 
lumbus, on  Big  Run  creek.  This  worthy 
couple  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  children, 
of  whom  Michael  Fisher  of  this  review  was  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth.  The  mother  died  upon 
the  old  homestead  farm  in  1874,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years. 

Michael  Fisher  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  after  put- 
ting aside  his  text-books  assisted  his  father  in 
farm  work  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
then  began  farming  on  his  own  account  and  was 
thus  engaged  in  Ohio  until  September  4,  1861, 
when  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  by 
boat  proceeded  to  Louisiana,  Missouri.  From 
that  point  he  continued  his  journey  to  the  home 
of  Fisher  Petty  and  with  him  went  to  his  uncle's 
farm  in  Calhoun  county,  Illinois.  He  then  worked 
for  his  uncle  for  three  months  and  he  afterward 
engaged  in  the  operation  of  steam  thresher  for 
a  short  time.  Subsequently  he  was  employed 
by  different  farmers  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when 
he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  John 
W.  Killenberger  at  Belleview,  Illinois, and  was  also 
in  his  branch  store  in  Calhoun  county,  Illinois, 
on  the  Illinois  river,  remaining  there  for  six 


months,  during  which  time  he  was  entrusted  by 
his  employer  with  the  entire  management  of  the 
business. 

Mr.  Fisher  then  married  Miss  Nancy  Wheeler, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Matilda  (Battershell) 
Wheeler,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1864.  By  this  union  have  been  born  ten 
children:  Molly,  born  August  23,  1865;  Lillie 
D.,  born  June  17,  1867;  Logan  A.,  March  25, 
1869;  Oscar,  August  5,  1871 ;  Ida  E.,  November 
29,  1873;  Arthur  A.,  July  29,  1876;  Freeman, 
March  9,  1879;  William  M.,  February  8,  1881 ; 
Lee,  January  3,  1885;  and  Oca,  April  24,  1888. 
Of  these  Logan  A.  died  at  Bee  Creek,  March  19, 
1871,  and  Arthur  A.  on  the  5th  of  August,  1880. 
All  were  born  in  Bee  Creek  with  the  exception 
of  William  M.  Fisher,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the 
village  of  Pearl. 

Mr.  Fisher  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  Pike  county  and  has  ever  taken  an 
active  and  helpful  part  in  interests  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and  state. 
Throughout  his  business  career  he  has  followed 
the  occupation  of  farmingandhas  found  in  the  du- 
ties of  each  day  incentive  for  his  best  efforts  and 
for  close  and  earnest  application.  Through  this 
means  he  has  acquired  a  good  property  and  a 
capital  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired  from 
further  active  labor.1 


WILLIAM  HUTTON. 

William  Hutton,  one  of  the  enterprising  farm- 
.  ers  of  Montezuma  township,  is  residing  on  section 
3,  where  he  has  a  fine  property  of  three  hundred 
acres  well  improved.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster- 
shire,  England,  February  6,  1833,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Elizabeth  Hutton,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England.  The  father 
carried  on  farming  in  that  country  throughout  his 
entire  life,  and  died  in  Lancastershire  in  1847. 
Three  years  later,  in  1850,  his  wife  also  passed 
away  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side  of  her  hus- 
band in  Long  Ridge  cemetery  in  Lancastershire. 
William  Hutton  spent  his  early  youth  in  his 
father's  home  and  attended  the  public  schools.  Af- 


WILLIAM  HUTTON 


^ 


PAST   AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


673 


ter  his  father's  death  he  started  out  to  earn  his 
own  living  and  was  employed  in  a  tannery  at 
Long  Ridge  until  1852,  after  which  he  followed 
the  same  business  at  Preston,  Lancastershire,  until 
1855.  Having  heard  favorable  reports  concern- 
ing America  and  its  business  opportunities,  he  re- 
solved to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world,  and  ac- 
companied by  his  brother,  Thomas,  embarked  for 
the  United  States  on  the  20  of  April,  1855.  After 
landing  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  new  world, 
the  brothers  made  their  way  to  the  interior  of  the 
country,  at  length  arriving  at  Montezuma  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  where  they  have  since  re- 
mained, devoting  their  time  and  attention  to  farm- 
ing. Mr.  Hutton  of  this  review  has  led  a  busy 
and  useful  life  and  his  efforts  have  been  crowned 
with  success.  From  time  to  time  he  has  made 
judicious  investment  in  property  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  acres  of  very  valuable 
land,  which  is  rich  and  productive.  In  fact,  his 
is  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  Pike  county, 
and  in  the  midst  stands  a  fine  residence,  together 
with  large  and  substantial  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  He 
uses  the  latest  improved  machinery  in  the  care  of 
the  fields  and  all  modern  accessories  are  found 
upon  his  place. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1872,  Mr.  Hutton  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Clemmons, 
a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  J.  Clemmons.  Her 
maternal  grandfather  was  Henry  Grimes,  a  native 
of  Ireland.  He  came  from  County  Down,  near 
Belfast,  to  America  when  but  four  years  of  age. 
His  first  home  was  in  South  Carolina  and  he  af- 
terward removed  to  Kentucky,  whence  he  finally 
came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  White  county.  He  died 
at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Clemmons, 
and  was  buried  in  Green  Pond  cemetery,  in  Pike 
county.  J.  P.  Clemmons,  father  of  Mrs.  Hutton, 
was  born  in  Rowan  county,  North  Carolina,  and  in 
1823,  when  nine  years  of  age,  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  from  that  state  to  Illi- 
nois. Their  destination  was  Pike  county,  but  they 
did  not  take  up  their  abode  here  until  about  1825, 
at  which  time  they  settled  in  Detroit  township, 
where  Mr.  Clemmons  was  reared  and  educated.  He 
afterward  took  up  his  abode  in  Montezuma  town- 
ship, where  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 


pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  passed 
away  on  his  farm,  October  5,  1882,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Clemmons  cemetery.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  J.  Grimes,  was 
born  in  White  county,  Illinois,  and  gave  her  hand 
in  marriage  to  Mr.  Clemmons  at  Milton,  this  state, 
on  the  I3th  of  July,  1842.  Her  last  days  were 
spent  in  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutton,  where 
she  passed  away  on  Christmas  day  of  1895,  her 
remains  being  interred  in  the  Clemmons  cemetery. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutton  have  been  born  a 
son  and  two  daughters.  John  P.  died  June  28, 
1893,  and  was  buried  in  the  Douglas  cemetery 
near  Milton,  Illinois.  His  death  occurred  in 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  while  he  was  learning  the 
business  of  an  engineer'  oa.the  river  boats.  His 
father  then  Went  to -Vicksburg  and  brought  his 
remains  back  to  Pike  county,  for  interment.  Mary 
E.  Hutton,  the  elder  daughter,  is  n*ow  the  wife  of 
Fred  Parks,  of  Pike  county,  and  they  have  one 
living  child,  Thomas  Virgil.  They  also  lost  a 
daughter,  Opal,  who  died  February  i,  1899,  an^ 
was  buried  in  the  Douglas  cemetery.  Ellen  Hut- 
ton  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Denison,  and  they  have 
three  children :  John  W.,  Bennie  H.  and  Lyndell 
J.  Denison,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hutton  hold  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tian church,  and  are  people  of  genuine  personal 
worth,  enjoying  in  a  large  degree  the  friendship 
and  kindly  regard  of  those  with  whom  they  have 
been  brought  in  contact.  Mr.  Hutton  has  never 
had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  es- 
tablish his  home  in  the  new  world,  for  here  he  has 
prospered,  finding  good  business  opportunities, 
which  he  has  improved  until  he  is  now  one  of  the 
successful  agriculturists  of  his  community. 


MARY  L.  HORTON. 

Mary  L.  Horton  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
business  women  of  Pike  county  and  deserves 
more  than  passing  mention  in  this  history.  She 
was  born  upon  the  old  Horton  homestead,  De- 
cember 3.  1860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hobart  S. 
and  Octavia  L.  (Udell)  Horton.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  South  Glastonbury,  Connecticut,  and 
removed  to  Atlas  township,  Pike  county,  in  1832, 


674 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


with  his  parents,  Captain  Horace  and  Clarissa 
(Stevens)  Horton.  Captain  Horton  was  one  of 
nine  children  born  unto  Sampson  and  Lucy 
(Phelps)  Horton,  of  whom  seven  were  sons  and 
two  daughters.  All  of  the  sons  followed  the  sea. 
Stephen  Horton,  father  of  Sampson  Horton,  was 
a  native  of  England  and  became  the  founder  of  a 
family  in  America,  emigrating  to  the  United 
States  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  took 
up  his  abode  in  South  Glastonbury,  Connecticut, 
and  thus  established  the  family  in  New  England. 
There  he  spent  his  remaining  days  and  at  his 
death  his  grave  was  made  in  a  cemetery  in  South 
Glastonbury.  On  emigrating  westward  Captain 
Horace  Horton  settled  on  section  i,  Atlas  town- 
ship, and  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  a  part  of 
that  land  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Glastonbury,  Con- 
necticut, where  they  were  reared  and  married 
and  in  early  life  Captain  Horton  commanded  a 
merchant  vessel,  plying  between  New  York  city 
and  the  West  Indies.  He  was  so  engaged  for 
many  years  and  was  very  successful  in  that  line 
of  labor.  He  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812  and  patriotism  was  always  one 
of  his  strong  characteristics.  Unto  Captain  Hor- 
ton and  his  wife  were  born  three  children,  name- 
ly: Henry,  Horace  Herland' and  Hobart.  Henry 
was  a  cripple  and  never  married.  He  died  on  the 
old  Horton  homestead  in  Atlas  township  in  1881 
and  was  buried  in  the  Episcopal  cemetery  in 
Pittsfield,  Illinois.  Horace  Herland  emigrated 
from  Pike  county  to  Iowa  and  thence  to  Califor- 
nia, spending  his  last  days  in  Plymouth,  that 
state.  He  married  Sophia  Treat  and  both  were 
buried  at  Plymouth.  They  had  six  children,  two 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Mrs.  Clarissa  Horton, 
wife  of  Captain  Horace  Horton  and  the  mother 
of  the  above  mentioned  sons,  died  in  1841,  and 
the  Captain  afterward  married  Emeline  Brooks, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children.  Homer  and  Grace 
Horton,  both  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and  were 
laid  to  rest  in  the  Barry  cemetery.  Captain  Hor- 
ton died  in  the  fall  of  1883  in  the  ninetieth  year  of 
his  age  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  the 
family  lot  in  the  Barry  cemetery. 

Hobart  Horton,  a  son,  was  a  young  lad  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Pike  county,  Illinois, 


and  was  here  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, which  he  followed  upon  the  old  homestead 
until  about  1880,  at  which  time  he  removed  to 
Louisiana  and  engaged  in  general  agricultural 
pursuits  near  New  Orleans,  turning  over  the 
home  farm  in  Pike  county  to  his  wife,  who  later 
joined  him  in  Louisiana  and  who  in  turn  sold 
the  farm  to  her  daughter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hobart 
Horton  continued  to  reside  in  Louisiana  until 
1896,  when  they  returned  to  the  old  farm  home- 
stead in  Pike  county  and  lived  with  their  daugh- 
ter Mary.  The  father's  death  occurred  on  the 
i8th  of  December,  1902,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  Samuel  Taylor  cemetery  near  Rock- 
port.  His  widow  still  survives  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  daughter  Mary  in  the  seventieth 
year  of  her  age.  Hobart  Horton  was  twice  mar- 
ried, his  first  union  being  with  Mary  Ann  Sar- 
gent, by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Hiram  S.  Hor- 
ton, who  is  now  living  in  Dixon,  Illinois.  By  his 
second  marriage  to  Octavia  L.  Udell  there  were 
born  eight  children,  Horace  S.,  Howard,  Jo- 
sephine, Mary  L.,  William,  Frederick,  Frank  and 
Benjamin.  Of  these  the  living  are  Josephine, 
the  wife  of  James  C.  Gay  and  a  resident  of  Hor- 
ton, Illinois,  Mary  L.,  William  and  Benjamin. 
Howard,  Frederick  and  Frank  Horton,  who  have 
passed  away,  were  buried  in  the  Samuel  Taylor 
cemetery  near  Rockport,  while  Horace  Horton, 
deceased,  was  laid  to  rest  at  Sacramento,  Cali- 
fornia. The  Horton  homestead,  comprising  two 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  finely  improved 
farming  land,  is  known  by  the  name  of  Split 
Rock,  and  is  a  beautiful  place. 

Mary  L.  Horton,  now  owner  of  this  farm, 
was  educated  in  the  local  schools  of  Atlas  town- 
ship and  Monticello  Seminary  at  Godfrey, 
Illinois,  after  which  she  pursued  a  one 
year's  course  in  the  State  Normal  Univer- 
sity at  Normal,  Illinois.  Previous  to  that 
time  she  had  engaged  in  teaching  school.  Fol- 
lowing her  course  in  the  Monticello  Seminary  she 
taught  for  thirteen  years,  one  year  in  Atlas,  one 
year  in  Crozier.  one  year  in  the  state  of  Louisi- 
ana and  the  remainder  of  the  time  at  Rockport, 
Illinois.  As  before  stated,  she  purchased  the 
home  property  from  her  mother  and,  giving  up 
the  work  of  the  school  room,  she  now  devotes  her 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


675 


undivided  attention  to  the  supervision  of  her 
farming  interests.  This  is  a  very  valuable  as  well 
as  attractive  property  and  Miss  Horton  is  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  sheep.  She  has  erected  a  fine 
home  and  large,  substantial  barn  upon  her  place. 
Her  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  success  and 
she  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  well  earned 
industry. 


DE  WITT  W.  GREENE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  De  Witt  W.  Greene,  deceased,  was  at  va- 
rious times  connected  with  professional,  mercantile 
and  manufacturing  interests  in  Barry  and  his  life 
was  of  signal  usefulness  to  his  fellow  townsmen 
in  that  he  contributed  to  the  general  development 
and  progress  of  his  community.  He  was  born 
January  18,  1826,  and  passed  away  on  the  7th 
of  April,  1899,  being  laid  to  rest  two  days  later 
with  Masonic  honors.  His  parents  were  James  and 
Mary  (Madison)  Greene,  who  came  to  Pike 
county  in  1837,  settling  in  Hadley  township, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  general  agricultural 
pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
September  12,  1875.  He  was  born  on  the  loth 
of  July,  1790,  and  was  therefore  eighty-five  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  had  long 
survived  his  first  wife,  who  was  born  September 
29,  1793,  and  passed  away  August  26,  1840. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children  but  only 
two  are  now  living:  DuWane.twin  brother  of  De- 
witt,  now  a  resident  of  Missouri;  and  Palmedis, 
who  is  living  in  Berlin,  New  York.  The  father 
was  again  married  in  Pike  county,  January-  30, 
1851,  his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  Mary  Gordon, 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Dewitt  W.  Greene. 

Dr.  Greene  of  this  review  was  born  in  Rens- 
selaer  county,  New  York,  and  after  completing 
his  early  English  education  took  up  the  study 
of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Baker,  of 
Barry,  having  been  brought  by  his  parents  to 
this  county  in  his  early  boyhood  days.  In  the 
winter  months  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  and 
through  the  summer  seasons  prosecuted  his 
studies.  When  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings 
a  sum  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  enter  college 


he  matriculated  in  the  McDowell  Medical  School 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Later  he  located  for  prac- 
tice in  Barry,  where  he  followed  the  profession  for 
three  years,  after  which  he  entered  upon  mercan- 
tile pursuits;  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Barry  Woolen  Mills,  with  which 
he  was  connected  for  three  years  as  secre- 
tary and  superintendent.  His  various  busi- 
ness interests  were  capably  conducted;  and 
he  found  that  his  untiring  diligence,  keen 
business  discerment  and  enterprise  were  valuable 
factors  in  a  successful  career. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1850,  Dr.  Greene 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  Gordon,  a 
native  of  Indiana,  born  June  28,  1830,  in  Wayne 
county,  and  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
Gordon,  who  were  married  in  Richmond,  Indiana. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  her 
mother  of  Tennessee.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Greene  was  the  youngest 
and  is  the  only  one  now  living.  Her  parents,  on 
coming  to  Illinois  in  1835,  settled  first  in  Scott 
county,  but  in  the  spring  of  1836  removed  to 
Pike  county,  locating  in  Derry  township,  where 
Mr.  Gordon  followed  farming  until  his  death. 
His  religious  faith  was  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church,  in  which  he  served 
as  an  elder  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  for  many  years.  His  wife  was  an  active 
worker  in  the  same  church. 

Dr.  Greene  filled  the  office  of  township  treas- 
urer for  a  number  of  years  and  was  police  magis- 
trate. In  public  affairs  he  was  deeply  and  help- 
fully interested  and  his  co-operation  proved  a 
valued  factor  in  promoting  the  welfare  and  in- 
terests of  his  town  and  county.  He  was  made  a 
member  of  Barry  lodge,  No.  34,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
March  30,  1855,  and  acted  as  its  master  from  1880 
until  1885.  He  was  also  the  first  worthy  patron 
of  Pike  chapter,  No.  20,  O.  E.  S.,  filling  that 
office  for  ten  years,  while  his  wife  served  as  asso- 
ciate and  in  other  offices.  Dr.  Greene  was  like- 
wise a  charter  member  of  the  grand  council  of 
Royal  and  Select  Masons  organized  October  4, 
1866,  and  was  a  charter  member  of  Barry  chapter. 
No.  88,  R.  A.  M.,  which  was  organized  October 
6,  1865.  In  all  life's  relations  Dr.  Greene  won  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he 


676 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


was  associated  and  he  was  richly  endowed  in  those 
sterling  traits  of  character  which  win  strong 
friendships.  He  regarded  his  self-respect  and 
the  esteem  of  his  fellowmen  as  of  infinitely  more 
value  than  wealth,  fame  or  position  and  yet  at 
all  times  he  was  held  in  kindly  regard,  so  that 
his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and  wide- 
spread regret  when  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest. 
Mrs.  Greene  still  survives  her  husband  and  is 
now  living  in  a  beautiful  home  on  Diamond  Hill 
in  Barrv. 


SOLOMON  YOKEM. 

Solomon  Yokem,  one  of  Pike  county's  most 
prominent  farmers  and  stock- raisers,  living  on 
section  35,  Atlas  township,  was  born  on  the  old 
William  Yokem  homestead,  October  4,  1842,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Catharine ,{ Ferguson) 
Yokem,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of^Kentucky. 
The  father  became  one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of 
Pike  county.  He  left  Kentucky  in  1816  and  was 
taken  to  Missouri  by  his  parents,  Solomon  and 
Elizabeth  (Butler)  Yokem.  Solomon  Yokem 
was  born  in  Virginia  and  his  wife's  birth  oc- 
curred in  Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Virginia 
and  his  wife's  birth  occurred  in  Kentucky.  He 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  after  following 
that  pursuit  for  some  years  became  identified 
with  agricultural  interests.  The  maternal  grand- 
parents of  our  subject  were  Henry,  and  Polly 
(Briscoe)  Ferguson,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Kentucky,  the  former  born  November  21, 
1794,  and  the  latter  on  the  4th  of  December,  1794. 
They  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in  pioneer 
times,  the  father  following  the  occupation  of 
farming  until  called  to  his  final  rest.  His  wife 
died  in  February,  1854,  and  his  'death  occurred 
in  April,  1854,  their  remains  being  interred  side 
by  side  in  Wells  graveyard  above  Pleasant  Hill. 

William  Yokem,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  September  26,  1816,  and  was 
therefore  an  infant  when  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Pike  county,  Missouri,  coming  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  in  1832.  He  was  -'reared  to  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He 


wedded  Miss  Catharine  Ferguson,  who  was  born 
October  23,  1818.  Her  death  occurred  October 
I,  1878,  her  remains  being  interred  in  Wells 
graveyard,  and  there  about  eighteen  years  later 
the  grave  of  Mr.  Yokem  was  also  made,  his 
death  occurring  on  the  igth  of  October,  1895. 

Solomon  Yokem,  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  was  educated  in  the  country  schools -of  his 
native  township  and  afterward  continued  his 
studies  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  He  was  reared 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  and  in  the  summer 
months  assisted  his  father  in  its  development  and 
improvement.  After  reaching  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years  he  took  charge  of  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  farm  and  his  father  practically  retired 
from  business  at  that  time.  In  the  control  of  his 
business  interests  Mr.  Yokem  has  prospered  in 
large  measure  and  from  time  to  time  has  made 
judicious  investment  in  real-estate  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  about  fourteen  hundred  acres  of 
good  farm  land,  of  which  six  hundred  acres  is  in 
pasturage.  The  old  home  place  comprises  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  acres,  and  is  a.  well  im- 
proved tract,  being  equipped  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences and  facilities  for  the.  capable  and  sue- 
cessful  management  of  fanning  interests.  Mr. 
Yokem  is  widely  known  as  an  extensive  stock- 
raiser,  raising  horses,  cattle,  mules,  sheep  and 
hogs,  all  of  good  grades. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1902,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Solomon  Yokem  and  Mrs.  Margaret 
(Terry)  Neubauer,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Al- 
zina  Catherine  (Liggett)  Terry.  The  father  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  was  a  son  of  a  planter  of 
that  state.  In  early  life  James  Terry  came  to 
Pike  county,  settling  among  the  pioneer  residents 
of  Barry  township.  He  was  a  millwright  by 
trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  a  long  period, 
but  for  twenty  years  has  lived  retired.  He  and 
his  wife  both  reside  in  Barry  and  have  attained 
a  ripe  old  age.  The  latter  is  a  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander Liggett,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Pike 
county.  In  early  days  here  he  was  a  farmer  and 
in  later  years  carried  on  a  drug  business  at  Kin- 
derhook,  Illinois,  continuing  in  that  line  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  His  wife  was  Margaret  (Phil- 
lips) Liggett,  whose  father  was  a  pioneer  of  Pike 
county  and  Phillips  Landing  on  the  Illinois  river 


.PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


.677 


was  named  for  him.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yokem 
have  been  born  a  son  and  daughter:  William 
Clay,  born  August  30,  1903  ;  and  Catherine,  April 
24,  1905.  They  have  a  nice  home  and  are  sur- 
rounded by  every  comfort  that  goes  to  make  life 
worth  the  living  and  adds  to  human  happiness. 
Mr.  Yokem  has  prospered  in  his  business  under- 
takings by  reason  of  well  directed  effort,  keen 
discernment  and  unfaltering  integrity  and  is  to- 
day classed  with  the  large  landowners  of  the 
countv. 


JOHN  REED. 

John  Reed,  owner  of  one  hundred  and  eight 
acres  of  fine  land  on  section  7,  Pittsfield  town- 
ship, is  classed  with  the  leading  and  enterprising 
agriculturists  of  his  community  and  has  made  a 
creditable  name  in  business  circles.  He  is  one  of 
the  native  sons  of  the  county,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Griggsville  township  in  October, 
1864,  his  parents  being  Nicholas  and  Catherine 
(Raftery)  Reed.  The  father  was  born  in  Ire- 
land" and  came  to  America  in  1853,  settling  first 
on  the  Illinois  river.  He  afterward  removed  to 
Eldara,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  a  few  years 
and  then  took  up  his  abode  in  Griggsville.  Later 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  eight  acres  of  land 
on  section  7.  Pittsfield  township,  where  his  son 
John  now  resides,  and  upon  that  farm  he  spent 
his  remaining  days.  He  was  energetic  and  indus- 
trious, realizing  that  labor  is  the  basis  of  all  suc- 
cess, and  as  the  years  passed  by  he  accumulated  a 
comfortable  competence  as  the  result  of  his  earn- 
est endeavor.  He  was  called  to  his  final  rest  in 
1899  and  is  still  survived  by  his  wife,  who  is  now 
residing  in  Pittsfield.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

John  Reed  is  indebted  to  the  public-school  sys- 
tccm  of  the  county  for  the  early  educational  privi- 
leges he  enjoyed.  He  worked  by  the  month  as  a 
farm  hand  for  some  time  in  his  youth,  having 
gained  practical  experience  concerning  the  best 
methods  of  tilling  the  fields  through  the  assist- 
ance which  he  rendered  his  father.  After  being 
employed  for  some  time  in  this  county  he  went 
to  the  south,  where  he  remained  for  several  years 


and  in  1899  he  came  into  possession  of  the  farm 
which  was  formerly  owned  and  occupied  by  his 
father.  This  is  a  valuable  tract  of  land  compris- 
ing one  hundred  and  eight  acres  on  section  7, 
Pittsfield  township.  Here  he  has  .a  good  resi- 
dence in  the  rear  of  which  are  substantial  barns 
and  other  necessary  outbuildings  and  these  in 
turn  are  surrounded  by  well  tilled  fields  which 
give  promise  of  golden  harvests.  He  raises  stock, 
making  a  specialty  of  cattle,  and  this  branch  of 
his  business  as  well  as  the  cultivation  of  his  fields 
returns  to  him  a  good  income.  Recently  a  gas 
well  has  been  sunk  upon  his  place  to  the  depth  of 
ninety-three  feet  and  there  is  good  pressure. 

In  February,  1890,  Mr.  Reed  was  married  to 
Miss  Amanda  Irick,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Irick, 
who  at  one  time  was  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Pike 
county  and  one  of  its  early  settlers.  He  became 
the  owner  of  twelve  hundred  acres  of  fine  land 
here  and  was  regarded  as  a  leading  business  man 
and  progressive  agriculturist.  In  .  his  family 
were  nine  children.  He  is  now  deceased,  but  his 
wife  is  still  living,  maintaining  her  home  in  Derry 
township,  Pike  county.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed 
have  been  born  the  following  children :  Frank, 
Katie,  Nellie,  Nora,  Charles  Carson,  Bessie,  John 
and  Joseph. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Reed  is  a  democrat 
and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day.  He  has  served  as  school  di- 
rector but  otherwise  has  held  no  office,  but  is 
never  remiss  in  his  duties  of  citizenship  and  co- 
operates in  many  measures  for  the  general  good. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
church  and  they  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Pike 
county,  many  who  know  them  giving  to  them 
warm  friendship  and  high  personal  regard. 


WILLIS  BROWN. 

Willis  Brown,  who  since  1877  has  resided  in 
Pike  county,  was  born  in  Hardin  county,  Ken- 
tucky, on  the  2d  of  September,  1827.  He  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  this  state,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  Atlas  township  on  a 


678 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


farm  now  owned  by  Charles  Dustin,  but  which 
is  better  known  as  the  old  Brown  homestead.  He 
is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Susan  (Snodgrass)  Brown. 
The  father  was  born  in  Virginia  and  was  a 
planter  there.  He  removed  from  the  Old  Domin- 
ion to  Hardin  county,  Kentucky,  where  he  again 
conducted  a  plantation  and  in  the  latter  state  he 
was  married.  He  lived  in  Kentucky  until  there 
were  eight  children  in  the  family  and  he  and  his 
wife,  with  their  children,  then  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  settling  in  Atlas  township  upon 
what  is  now  the  Dustin  farm.  There  he  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  being  identified 
with  the  tilling  of  the  soil  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which 'occurred  on  the  old  homestead  in 
1848,  while  his  wife  passed  away  two  years  later. 
Their  graves  were  made  on  the  old  home  farm. 
In  their  family  were  thirteen  children,  namely : 
Maria,  Mahala,  Squire,  Owen,  Hardin,  John, 
Willis,  James,  Isaac,  Susan,  Jane,  Benjamin  and 
Norman  W.  All  are  now  deceased  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four.  Isaac  died  in  infancy  and  was 
buried  by  the  side  of  his  parents,  where  also  lie 
the  remains  of  Hardin  and  John,  while  Susan, 
Mahala  and  Benjamin  were  buried  in  California, 
and  Owen  near  Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky. 

Willis  Brown  received  but  limited  educational 
privileges  as  the  schools  of  Atlas  township  were 
not  in  very  good  condition  at  that  day.  He  was 
reared  on  the  old  homestead  and  early  became 
familiar  with  the  labors  of  field  and  meadow. 
After  his  father's  death  he  took  entire  manage- 
ment of  the  farm,  for  his  brothers  had  learned 
trades  and  had  left  the  old  homestead.  He  then 
conducted  the  property  for  about  six  years,  subse- 
quent to  his  mother's  death,  when  it  was  sold  to 
Charles  Dustin  and  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  were 
divided  among  the  heirs.  Willis  Brown  then 
purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  was  covered  with  forest  trees.  It  was  situ- 
ated on  section  25,  Atlas  township,  and  here  he 
took  up  his  abode  and  began  to  clear  and  culti- 
vate the  property.  He  has  since  made  extensive 
improvements  and  now  has  an  excellent  farm, 
the  fields  being  rich  and  productive,  so  that  he 
annually  harvests  good  crops. 

In  1874  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Worley,  a  daughter  of  Elias  and 


Elizabeth  Worley,  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  'Byron,  Meyer,  Malinda, 
Guy,  Nettie,  Sadie,  Charley  and  Bessie.  Of  these 
Charley,  Sadie,  Bessie  and  Guy  are  all  now  sleep- 
ing in  the  Ball  Bluff  cemetery  near  Atlas.  In 
1861  Mr.  Brown  went  to  California,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  for  two  years,  returning  to 
Pike  county  in  1863. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Brown  is  a  stal- 
wart republican  and  has  always  supported  the 
party.  He  and  his  wife  still  reside  upon,  the  home 
farm  in  the  midst  of  children  and  grandchildren. 
Mr.  Brown  is  a  self-made  man,  owing  his  success 
entirely  to  his  own  labors  and  during  the  years  he 
has  wrought  earnestly  to  acquire  a  competence 
and  provide  a  good  living  for  his  family. 


WILLIAM  J.  AND  GEORGE  P.   LONG. 

There  is  an  old  historic  home  in  the  town  of 
Atlas,  Pike  county,  that  is  now  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  two  brothers,  William  J.  and  George  P. 
Long.  It  is  the  oldest  house  of  the  county,  the 
date  of  its  erection  being  1822.  It  stands  on  the 
lot  adjoining  that  which  was  the  site  of  the  old 
Pike  county  courthouse  and  jail  and  the  property 
where  those  public  buildings  then  stood  is  now 
owned  by  the  gentlemen  whose  names  introduce 
this  review.  The  Long  home  is  one  of  the  typi- 
cal pioneer  dwellings  owned  by  people  of  consid- 
erable means.  It  is  peculiarly  constructed,  the 
foundation  being  of  rock,  while  the  superstruc- 
ture stands  upon  solid  white  oak  logs,  twenty 
inches  in  thickness.  The  floor  joists  are  large 
timbers  nearly  one  foot  thick.  Everything  is  in 
a  wonderful  state  of  preservation,  the  timbers 
being  perfectly  solid  and  showing  no  appearance 
of  decay.  The  large,  old-fashioned  fireplace,  in 
which  a  log  three  feet  long  can  be  burned,  is  still 
in  use  and  adds  to  the  cheeriness  of  the  living 
room,  for  no  more  attractive  feature  can  be  found 
in  any  home  than  the  open  fire.  The  walls  of  the 
house  are  built  of  solid  white  oak  logs  and  are 
plastered  over.  The  entire  finishing  on  the  in- 
side is  of  black  walnut.  In  seeing  this  house  one 
is  impressed  and  surprised  by  its  state  of  preser- 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


679 


vation.  Improvements  have  been  made  until  to- 
day this  is  a  home  of  which  any  one  might  be 
proud  and  moreover  it  is  attractive  as  an  old 
landmark  of  the  county,  having  for  more  than 
eight  decades  been  a  mute  witness  of  changes 
which  have  been  wrought  here. 

The  Long  family  trace  their  ancestry  back  to 
Henry  Long,  of  County  Derry,  Ireland,  the 
grandfather  of  William  J.  and  George  P.  Long. 
About  1800  he  emigrated  to  America,  going  to 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  where,  on  the  24th  of  Au- 
gust, 1809,  he  was  married  to  a  lady  of  that 
state.  They  became  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Henry  G.,  who  died  September  22,  1850,  in  the 
old  home  in  Atlas  township,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  Long  cemetery  near  Atlas.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  August  n,  1812,  in  the  city  of 
Baltimore,  where  her  remains  were  interred  and 
on  the  5th  of  August,  1822,  Mr.  Long  wedded 
Emmeline  Green.  To  them  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows: 
Jesse  Green  Long  was  born  May  14,  1823.  Mary 
E.,  born  October  2,_  1824,  was  married  May  i, 
1849,  to  David  Skilling  and  at  her  death  was  laid 
to  rest  in  Oakland,  California.  Kennedy,  born 
March  4,  1826,  died  at  the  old  Long  home  in 
Atlas,  February  3,  1885,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  Andrew,  born 
January  31,  1828,  died  at  Exeter,  Illinois,  and 
was  buried  there.  George  H.,  born  December 
24,  1829,  died  July  29,  1901,  and  was  buried  in 
the  West  cemetery  at  Pittsfield.  Julianna,  born 
January  31,  1832,  was  married  April  5,  1849, 
to  John  G.  Wheelock  and  at  her  death  was  bur- 
ied at  Payson,  Adams  county,  Illinois.  Emma, 
born  May  24,  1834,  became  the  wife  of  A.  J. 
Roosa.  January  24,  1855,  and  died  the  following 
year,  her  grave  being  made  at  Astoria,  Illinois. 
She  left  one  child,  Velpo  Roosa.  Robert  T..  born 
December  3,  1837,  died  March  24,  1842,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Jesse  Long  graveyard. 

Kennedy  Long,  the  father  of  William  J.  and 
George  P.  Long,  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  born 
in  Baltimore,  March  14,  1826.  He  married 
Phoebe  J.  Roosa,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, born  June  27,  1832.  Their  wedding  was 
celebrated  October  13,  1852.  Kennedy  Long  had 
been  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming  and 


throughout  his  entire  life  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  Becoming  a  resident  of  this 
county  in  pioneer  days  he  remained  at  the  old 
Long  homestead  and  died  in  the  residence  which 
is  now  occupied  by  his  sons  in  Atlas,  February  3, 
1885.  His  parents  had  come  to  Pike  county  at  a 
very  early  day  and  had  settled  on  a  farm  in  Atlas 
township,  four  miles  from  what  is  now  known  as 
the  old  family  homestead.  In  an  active  and  ener- 
getic business  career  Kennedy  Long  was  recog- 
nized as  a  progressive  and  prosperous  farmer  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  had  accumulated  an  es- 
tate of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  was  very 
rich  and  productive  bottom  land,  while  eighty 
acres  was  pasture  land.  In  all  of  his  business 
dealings  he  was  strictly  fair  and  upright,  never 
taking  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his  fellow- 
men  in  any  trade  transaction,  and  he  enjoyed  to 
the  fullest  degree  the  confidence  and  trust  of  those 
with  whom  he  was  associated.  In  politics  he  was 
an  earnest  republican  but  never  aspired  to  office. 
There  was  no  man  whose  death  was  more  de- 
plored than  that  of  Kennedy  Long,  for  he  readily 
made  friends  and  seldom  gave  rise  to  a  feeling 
of  enmity  and  had  a  host  of  warm  admirers  who 
entertained  for  him  the  strongest  regard  and  ven- 
eration. He  passed  away  February  3,  1885,  in 
the  Long  residence  in  Atlas  and  was  laid  to  rest 
in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  His  wife 
followed  him  to  the  home  beyond  March  6,  1896, 
her  remains  being  interred  by  his  side.  She  was 
a  devout  and  faithful  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  and  like  her  husband  departed  this 
life  leaving  many  sorrowing  relatives  and  friends. 
In  their  family  were  five  children,  all  sons : 
Henry  A.,  born  January  21,  i854;,William  J.  and 
George  P.,  of  this  review ;  Leon  E.,  born  No- 
vember 14,  1868;  and  Phil  R.,  born  February  13, 
1874.  The  last  named  died  October  i,  1875,  and 
Leon  E.  departed  this  life  January  25,  1876,  both 
being  buried  in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery. 
William  J.  Long,  the  second  son  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  Atlas  township.  Pike  county,  July  26, 
1855,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  district 
schools.  He  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm 
and  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  field  and 
meadow  until  the  time  of  the  father's  death, 


68o 


PAST  AND  PRESENT   OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


when  he  in  connection  with  his  brothers,  Henry 
A.  and  George  P.,  took  charge  of  and  managed 
the  home  place.  Later  William  J.  and  George  P. 
Long  purchased  their  brother's  interest  and  have 
since  largely  operated  the  farm,  continuing  the 
partnership  to  the  present  time.  George  P.  Long 
was  born  in  the  old  historic  home  in  Atlas,  Octo- 
ber 5,  1865.  A  part  of  his  education 
was  obtained  in  Atlas  and  later  he  at- 
tended McCuen  College  in  Louisiana,  Mis- 
souri, for  one  term.  The  brothers  are  whole- 
souled  young  men,  of  good  business  capacity  and 
enterprise  and  in  the  management  of  their  farm- 
ing interests  are  meeting  with  creditable  and 
well-merited  success.  They  are  republicans  in 
politics  but  are  without  aspiration  for  political 
honors  or  emoluments.  The  writer  can  vouch 
for  the  hospitality  of  their  pleasant  and  attractive 
home,  a  warm  reception  being  given  to  stranger 
and  friend  alike.  They  are  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  Pike  county  and  are  prosper- 
ous agriculturists,  who  well  deserve  mention  in 
this  history  not  only  by  reason  of  the  fact  that 
they  are  representatives  of  one  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ilies but  also  because  of  their  genuine,  personal 
worth. 


JOHN  HULL. 

Carlisle  has  said  there  is  no  more  interesting 
nor  profitable  reading  than  biography,  and  the 
truth  of  this  is  manifest  in  the  life  record  of  such 
men  as  John  Hull,  men  who  without  special  ad- 
vantages in  youth  depend  upon  their  own  re- 
sources, mark  out  their  own  course  in  life  and  per- 
sistently follow  the  plans  that  they  have  formed 
until  they  lead  to  success.  They  realize  that  pros- 
perity is  not  the  outcome  of  genius,  but  results 
from  diligence  and  clear  judgment,  from  strong 
purpose  and  unfaltering  industry.  These  quali- 
ties have  been  salient  characteristics  in  the  life 
of  John  Hull  from  his  early  youth  to  the  present 
time  and  now  in  the  evening  of  his  days  he  is 
the  possessor  of  large  property  interests  which  he 
has  gained  entirely  through  his  own  labors  and 
moreover  his  business  methods  have  alwavs  been 


in  keeping  with  principles  of  unfaltering  integ- 
rity and  business  honor. 

Mr.  Hull  is  a  native  of  Canandaigua,  New 
York,  was  born  on  the  loth  of  November,  1817, 
and  is  a  son  of  Lot  and  Chloe  (Ross)  Hull.  His 
mother  was  a  sister  of  Colonel  Ross,  founder  of 
the  town  of  Atlas,  Illinois.  She  was  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, where  her  mother  resided  during  the 
period  o  the  Revolutionary  war.  Lot  Hull  re- 
mained a  resident  of  the  east  until  the  spring  of 
1818,  when  he  started  for  Ohio.  He  built  a  boat 
at  the  head  of  the  Allegheny  river  and  floated 
down  that  stream  for  some  distance.  When  they 
were  among  the  Indians  they  ran  the  boat  on  a 
snag  and  thus  lost  nearly  everything  they  had, 
saving  only  a  few  of  their  possessions,  which  they 
afterward  sold  to  the  red  men  for  two  canoes. 
They  had  enough  clothing  to  last  them  for  two 
years  and  provisions  enough  for  one  year,  but 
when  the  boat  was  sunk  all  was  lost.  After  se- 
curing the  canoes  they  lashed  these  together  and 
floated  down  the  river  to  a  settlement.  There 
Mr.  Hull  secured  lumber  and  built  a  cabin  on  the 
canoes,  after  which  he  proceeded  with  his  fam- 
ily in  that  manner  to  Marietta,  Ohio.  He  there 
sold  his  boats,  which  netted  him  seven  dollars  and 
a  half.  He  had  a  family  of  six  children  for  whom 
to  provide  and,  as  indicated,  was  almost  penniless 
when  he  located  in  Washington  county,  Ohio. 
By  trade  he  was  a  carpenter,  but  he  had  lost  his 
tools  when  his  boat  was  sunk  in  the  Allegheny 
river.  The  people  of  that  locality,  however,  gave 
him  work  to  do  and  he  was  enabled  to  buy  tools 
on  credit,  but  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  was 
not  misplaced.  He  was  a  man  of  his  word,  meet- 
ing every  promise  and  obligation  and  no  one  ever 
lost  anything  by  placing  trust  in  him  or  his  word. 
After  working  for  some  time  he  was  enabled  to 
make  investment  in  land  and  purchased  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres,  building  a  barn  in  order  to 
pay  for  this  property.  His  children,  too,  assist- 
ed by  working  in  different  ways  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Most  of  the  setttlers  in  that  pioneer 
community  were  in  limited  financial  circumstances 
and  money  was  somewhat  difficult  to  obtain.  Mr. 
Hull  would  walk  nine  miles  in  order  to  get 
work,  would  spend  the  week  at  carpenter  labor 


MR.  AND  MRS.  JOHN  HULL 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


and  on  Saturday  night  would  return  home  on 
foot  to  his  family  carrying  pork  and  other  sup- 
plies. His  little  cabin  was  built  of  round  logs 
and  the  structure  was  only  fourteen  by  sixteen 
feet,  one  end  of  the  room  being  occupied  by  a 
large  fireplace.  As  wild  game  was  plentiful  it 
was  not  difficult  for  a  good  shot  to  furnish  meat 
for  the  family  table.  There  were  many  hard- 
ships, privations  and  trials  to  be  endured,  how- 
ever, and  the  Hull  family  bore  their  full  share 
of  these  during  the  early  years  of  their  residence 
in  Ohio.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  the  traveler 
of  to-day  as  he  speeds  across  the  country  in  a  pal- 
ace car  to  realize  the  conditions  that  then  exist- 
ed. The  men  of  the  community  were  obliged  to 
"muster"  one  day  each  week.  Postage  on  a  let- 
ter was  twenty-five  cents  and  was  collected  at  its 
destination.  On  more  than  one  occasion  John 
Hull,  of  this  review,  then  a  young  lad,  has  been 
put  upon  a  horse  with  a  quarter  of  mutton  (his 
father  having  killed  a  sheep  for  the  purpose)  and 
sent  to  Marietta,  twelve  miles  away,  in  order  to 
exchange  the  meat  for  money  that  he  might  pay 
postage  on  a  letter  that  -perhaps  had  laid  for  some 
time  in  the  postoffice  as  the  necessary  money  was 
not  forthcoming.  The  years,  however,  brought 
many  changes  as  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
of  an  older  civilization  were  introduced.  It  was 
no  unusual  thing  for  John  Hull  to  start  at  mid- 
night with  a  load  of  produce  for  market  that  he 
might  reach  there  by  break  of  day.  When  feed 
for  stock  was  scarce  young  trees  were  cut  down 
that  the  cattle  might  eat  the  leaves  and  small 
branches.  The  father  cleared  a  part  of  his  land 
and  raised  some  corn. 

As  indicated,  it  was  necessary  that  the  chil- 
dren of  the  household  should  early  provide  for 
their  own  support  and  John  Hull  had  little  op- 
portunity for  securing  an  education,  but  at  in- 
tervals was  allowed  to  attend  school,  to  which 
he  had  to  walk  three  miles  through  the  woods, 
structure  supplied  with  split  logs  for  seats  and 
heated  by  a  large  fireplace.  The  other  furnish- 
ings were  also  primitive  and  the  methods  of  in- 
struction were  almost  equally  so,  but  he  gained 
some  knowledge  of  reading,  writing  and  arith- 
metic. When  but  twelve  years  of  age  John  Hull 
worked  upon  a  farm  and  a  part  of  his  duty  was 
34 


the  milking  of  eight  cows.  His  employer  allowed 
him  to  plant  a  piece  of  ground  to  potatoes  for 
his  own  use,  and  he  traded  his  crop  for  a  colt. 
Later  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  another  colt 
and  when  he  determined  to  come  to  the  west  he 
gave  this  team  of  colts  to  his  father  in  order  to 
get  his  consent  and  pay  for  his  time,  for  he  had 
not  yet  attained  his  majority.  The  year  1836  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Illinois.  He  had  made  his 
way  by  boat  to  a  point  on  the  river,  and  on  ac- 
count of  lack  of  money  he  walked  thence  for  sev- 
eral miles  to  Atlas,  where  he  arrived  in  Novem- 
ber, 1836,  when  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years. 
On  the  journey  he  had  been  accompanied  by  his 
half-brother,  William  R.  Wills.  His  cash  capi- 
tal at  that  time  consisted  of  but  seventy-five  cents. 
After  working  for  a  brief  .p,enbd  for  a  brother  he 
went  to  Florence, '  wfae're  •  he,  secured  a  clerkship 
in  a  store  and  in  the  spring  of  iS^S'Tie  returned 
to  Atlas,  where  he  raised  a  crop  of  corn.  Through 
the  succeeding  seven  years  he  was  employed  by 
the  month  as  a  practical  engineer  in  Florence.  He 
spent  one  year  on  a  dredgeboat  and  considerable 
time  in  a  sawmill  and  there  he  worked  his  way  up- 
ward. As  he  advanced  in  proficiency  he  was  at 
length  given  charge  of  the  engine  and  became 
an  excellent  engineer  and  machinist.  He  readily 
mastered  anything  that  he  undertook  because  of 
his  strong  determination  and  close  application, 
and  this  has  been  one  of  the  most  effective  features 
in  his  business  career.  Another  element  in  his 
success  has  been  the  fact  that  in  early  life  he  re- 
solved to  save  one-half  of  his  earnings,  and  to  this 
course  he  always  adhered. 

Mr.  Hull  began  farming  in  1840.  In  the  early 
days  farm  products  brought  very  meagre  prices. 
In  1841  and  1842  wheat  when  hauled  to  the  river 
and  sold  for  twenty-five  cents  per  bushel  and 
dressed  pork  brought  only  a  dollar  and  a  half  per 
hundred  pounds.  Mr.  Hull  has  sold  for  twenty  cents 
per  bushel  corn  which  he  raised  by  hand,  shelled 
by  hand,  and  then  hauled  eleven  miles  to  the  mar- 
ket, receiving  his  pay  in  store  notes.  In  this  way 
he  got  a  little  extra  money.  At  one  time  he  bought 
corn  delivered  at  the  crib  for  six  cents  per  bushel 
when  no  one  else  could  buy  it.  He  did  not  think 
anything  of  walking  thirty  miles  to  trade  or  to 
see  his  relations  and  on  more  than  one  occasion 


684 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


walked  from  Florence  to  Atlas.  He  never  gave 
mortgage  on  anything  in  his  life  on  any  kind  of 
business,  but  made  it  a  rule  to  meet  every  financial 
obligation  promptly.  With  keen  foresight,  real- 
izing the  profit  that  might  accrue  from  invest- 
ment in  real  estate,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  from  Colonel  Ross  in  the  vicinity  of  Pitts- 
field,  on  which  he  made  a  payment  down  of  one 
hundred  dollars,  the  purchase  price  being  three 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  He  still  owns  this 
tract,  which  has  been  the  nucleus  of  his  present 
extensive  possessions,  for  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  he  has  bought  more  land  from  time  to  time 
until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  thirteen  hundred 
acres  in  Pike  county,  most  of  which  is  very  val- 
uable and  productive.  Through  the  long  years 
of  an  active  business  career  he  carried  on  the 
work  of  the  fields  and  also  kept  considerable  stock, 
being  always  ready  to  buy  or  sell.  He  has  dis- 
played excellent  judgment  in  making  his  pur- 
chases and  in  disposing  of  his  stock  and  has  been 
rarely,  if  ever,  at  fault  in  his  judgment  concern- 
ing the  value  of  any  animal.  As  his  financial 
resources  increased  he  broadened  his  labors,  ex- 
tending his  efforts  into  other  departments  of  ac- 
tivity, and  from  1858  until  1861  was  a  partner 
in  a  mercantile  enterprise  in  Pittsfield  conducted 
under  the  firm  style  of  Chapman,  Kellogg  &  Hull. 
However,  he  found  his  operations  in  land  and 
his  farming  interests  to  be  more  congenial  and 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  store,  after  which 
he  gave  undivided  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  retirement  from  farm  life.  He  im- 
proved his  farm,  built  fences,  erected  good  build- 
ings and  added  all  modern  equipments  until  his 
farm  property  was  equal  if  not  superior  to  any  in 
the  county.  He  raised  hogs  on  an  extensive  scale, 
and  being  a  great  lover  of  horses,  always  kept  a 
number  of  fine  specimens. of  the  noble  steed.  He 
continued  in  his  farm  work  until  1870,  when  he 
retired  from  active  business.  From  1852  he  had 
been  associated  with  his  brother,  and  after  the 
partnership  was  formed  the  latter  superintended 
the  farm  work,  while  Mr.  Hull,  of  this  review, 
superintended  the  business  interests  of  the  firm. 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1843,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Hull  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Roberts, 
of  Illinois.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  four 


are  living,  Mrs.  Anna  Mathews,  the  wife  of  Ross 
Mathews,  of  Pittsfield,  who  is  cashier  of  the  Farm- 
ers' State  Bank;  John,  living  near  the  county 
seat ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  White,  of  New  Iberia,  Lou- 
isiana, and  Mrs.  Lucy  Green,  of  Hannibal,  Mis- 
souri. In  1870  Mr.  Hull  removed  from  his  farm 
to  Pittsfield,  taking  up  his  abode  in  the  magnifi- 
cent residence  now  occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mathews.  There  he  lived  until  the  death  of  his 
wife  in  October,  1887,  since  which  time  he  has 
boarded,  largely  spending  his  winters  in  the 
south.  For  more  than  a  half  century  Mr.  Hull 
has  been  a  member  of  Pittsfield  lodge,  No.  190, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  still  one  of  its  most 
honored  and  valued  representatives.  In  the  even- 
ing of  his  days  he  is  able  to  command  all  of  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  which  go  to  make  life  worth 
the  living,  for  steadily  he  has  risen  from  a  very 
humble  position  to  rank  with  the  wealthy  men  of 
Pike  county.  His  record  furnishes  an  example 
that  is  indeed  worthy  of  emulation,  showing  what 
may  be  accomplished  by  firm  and  unfaltering  pur- 
pose and  by  untiring  effort.  He  had  no  assist- 
ance, but  he  utilized  the  gifts  of  nature  and 
through  the  development  of  his  latent  powers  and 
energies  won  prosperity.  When  he  started  out 
in  life  he  determined  to  ask  the  advice  of  no  man 
and  as  he  has  steadily  followed  that  policy  his 
success  has  resulted  from  his  own  judgment  in 
business  affairs.  Moreover,  his  business  methods 
The  little  "temple  of  learning"  was  a  small  log 
commended  him  to  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  had  relations,  and  he  is  no  less  honored  for 
the  splendid  qualities  of  his  manhood  than  for 
the  success  that  he  has  achieved.  He  takes  a  just 
pride  in  being  able  to  say  that  he  has  not  an  en- 
emy in  the  world  and  does  not  bear  enmity  to 
anyone. 


GEORGE  W.  STANDLEY. 

George  W.  Standley,  proprietor  of  a  meat  mar- 
ket at  Rockport,  was  born  in  Pleasant  Vale 
township,  Pike  county,  September  10,  1850,  in 
the  little  red  house  that  then  stood  east 
of  the  Perry  Davis  store  in  New  Canton.  His 
parents  were  Charles  and  Juliette  (Bowen) 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


685 


Standley.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  born  on  the  nth  of  February,  1823, 
and  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  His  parents 
were  James  and  Mary  J.  (Ranney)  Standley, 
who  joined  a  party  of  five  hundred  colonists  who 
came  westward  to  Illinois  in  1823.  They  settled 
in  Atlas  township,  Pike  county,  near  the  old 
William  Dustin  farm,  upon  which  Charles  Stand- 
ley  was  reared.  He  received  practical  training 
in  the  work  of  the  fields  under  his  father's  direc- 
tion and  afterward  engaged  in  farm  work  for 
Captain  Ross  and  William  Dustin  when  about 
fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  in  the  employ  of 
those  gentlemen  for  several  years,  after  which 
he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Pleasant  Vale 
township,  Pike  county,  in  the  year  1833 — the 
year  of  the  great  meteoric  shower.  At.  that  time 
James  Standley  purchased  a  farm  in  Pleasant 
Yale  township  and  Charles  Standley  remained 
upon  the  old  homestead  there  with  his  father  until 
his  twenty-fifth  year.  They  then  sold  the  Hill 
farm  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  farm  property  elsewhere  in  the  same  town- 
ship now  known  as  the  John  Brammel  farm, 
which  he  purchased  in  March,  1849.  ^n  ^5l 
James  Standley  died  of  cholera  and  was  buried 
in  the  Morey  graveyard  in  Pleasant  Vale  town- 
ship. He  had  been  married  three  times,  his  sec- 
ond wife,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Standley,  being  the 
grandmother  of  George  Standley  of  this  review. 
She  died  prior  to  her  husband's  death,  passing 
away  in  Ohio,  where  her  remains  were  interred. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  George  W.  Stand- 
ley  was  Daniel  Bowen,  who  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont, June  25,  1800,  and  died  in  New  Canton, 
Illinois,  June  29,  1880.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Sarah  Strate,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Daniel 
I'mwen  in  the  Keystone  state  near  Detroit.  Dan- 
iel Bowen  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and  for 
many  years  engaged  in  preaching.  Accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  ten  children,  he  emigrated  west- 
ward to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  with  a  company  of 
six  hundred  others  under  the  leadership  of  James 
Smith,  the  Mormon  leader.  They  started  from 
Clayton,  Ohio,  in  1843,  and  reached  Pike  county 
in  the  fall  of  the  same  vear.  After  a  short  time 


they  went  to  Nauvoo  in  Hancock  county,  where 
they  had  trouble  on  account  of  being  identified 
.with  Brigham  Young.  Consequently  most  of 
the  company  of  six  hundred  fled  to  Ardine,  Mis- 
souri, and  stopped  at  a  gristmill  called  the  "old 
well,"  where  they  were  overtaken  by  a  party  of 
forty  masked  men  who  fell  upon  them  during  the 
night  and  massacred  over  forty  men,  women  and 
children,  throwing  their  dead  bodies  into  the 
well.  The  remainder  of  the  ill-fated  party  fled 
from  Ardine  to  Diamond,  Missouri,  but  were 
hotly,  pursued.  Five  days  after  reaching  Dia- 
mond they  built  a  big  platform,  intending  to  hold 
a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
course  of  reaching  Salt  Lake  City.  There  the 
company  divided,  about  half  agreeing  to  go  with 
Brigham  Young,  after  which  they  were  known 
as  the  Brighamites,  while  the  other  half  was 
known  as  the  Smithites.  The  latter  branch  had 
formerly  been  known  as  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 
The  Brighamites  got  away  from  Diamond  but 
the  Smithites  were  overtaken.  Daniel  Bowen, 
one  of  the  prophets,  together  with  nineteen  other 
prophets  or  officers  .of  the  sect,  were  blindfolded 
and  placed  on  the  platform  to  be  shot  but  Gov- 
ernor Boggs  rode  up  and  demanded  that  "not  a 
gun  be  fired."  He  then  took  the  bandage  from 
the  eyes  of  Daniel  Bowen  and  said,  "You  look 
like  an  honest  man.  Now  I  will  give  you  and 
your  people  twenty-four  hours  to  get  out  of  this 
community  and  ten  days  to  get  out  of  the  state. 
If  you  don't  you  will  be  killed."  They  all  agreed. 
Daniel  Bowen  had  loaded  up  his  wagons  as  had 
the  others  but  the  same  night  their  wagon  was 
burned  and  the  horses  and  cattle  were  taken 
away  by  unknown  parties.  Daniel  Bowen  and  his 
family  of  ten  children,  together  with  thirty-four 
other  families,  were  compelled  to  march  single 
file  through  the  snow  and  after  many  hardships 
and  much  suffering  they  reached  Quincy,  Illinois. 
There  the  party  broke  up  and  the  different  fami- 
lies scattered  over  the  country.  Daniel  Bowen 
and  his  family  finally  reached  New  Canton,  where 
he  began  working  at  his  trade  of  shoemaking, 
which  he  followed  until  his  death  in  1880.  His 
wife  died  two  years  before  and  they  were  buried 
in  the  Morey  graveyard  near  New  Canton.  It 
was  a  (laughter  of  this  couple  who  became  the 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


wife  of  Charles  Standley.  Upon  the  Brammel 
farm,  which  he  had  purchased,  Charles  Standley 
continued  to  engage  in  farming  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  The  farm  was  encumbered  by  a  deed 
of  trust  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and 
was  sold  to  Joseph  Alkire  because  the  Standley 
family  were  unable  to  agree  as  to  who  owned  the 
farm.  Charles  Standley  died  in  February,  1894, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Barry  graveyard.  He 
had  long  survived  his  wife,  who  had  passed  away 
November  21,  1869,  and  was  buried  in  the  Morey 
graveyard  near  New  Canton. 

George  W.  Standley  pursued  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  Brewster  schoolhouse  in  Pleasant  Vale 
township  southeast  of  New  Canton.  He  was 
reared  to  farm  life,  working  in  the  fields  from 
the  time  of  early  spring  planting  until  crops  were 
harvested  in  the  late  autumn.  He  continued  to 
engage  in  farm  work  until  1903,  when  he  turned 
his  attention  to  his  present  business,  opening  a 
meat  market  in  Rockport.  He  had  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  on  his  own  account 
in  Pleasant  Vale  and  Atlas  townships,  having 
ceased  to  work  for  others  in  1872,  when  he  began 
operating  a  farm  for  himself.  He  prospered  in 
his  undertakings  and  since  opening  his  meat  mar- 
ket in  1903  has  met  with  good  success  in  this 
business.  He  owns  his  shop  property  and  also  has 
a  nice  residence  in  Rockport. 

On  the  I4th  of  March,  1869,  Mr.  Standley  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cornelia  E.  Black- 
ledge,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Jemima  (Baugh- 
man)  Blackledge,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio,  in 
which  state  they  were  reared  and  married.  They 
came  to  Pike  county,  November  15,  1847,  and  m 
1854  Mr.  Blackledge  went  to  California,  remain- 
ing on  the  Pacific  coast  until  1878,  when  he  re- 
turned to  New  Canton,  Illinois.  After  remain- 
ing here  for  three  months  with  Mr.  Standley  he 
went  to  Montana,  since  which  time  no  news  has 
been  heard  of  him.  Mrs.  Blackledge,  now  Mrs. 
Smith,  makes  her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Standley.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  three  children:  Ninett,  born  December 
26,  1869,  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  died  Febru- 
ary 2,  i87o,-in  the  same  township  and  was  buried 
in  the  Morey  graveyard.  Luetta,  born  March  1 1 , 
1873,  in  Pleasant  Vale  township,  near  New  Can- 


ton, died  in  May,  1876.  Cornelia  I.,  born  No- 
vember 30,  1883,  in  Rockport,  died  there  August 
23,  1900,  and  was  buried  in  the  Taylor  grave- 
yard near  the  village. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Standley  is  an  earn- 
est republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  believes 
firmly  in  the  principles  of  the  party  and  rejoices 
in  its  success.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  to  theTVTodern  Wood- 
men camp  and  his  well  directed  efforts  have  made 
him  a  self-made  man  worthy  of  all  praise  which 
that  term  implies.  He  started  out  on  his  own 
account  when  a  young  lad,  empty-handed  and 
worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  a  long  period  but 
when  possible  he  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own 
account  and  as  the  years'  passed  by  so  directed 
his  labors  that  his  efforts  have  been  crowned  with 
a  goodly  measure  of  success  and  he  is  now  con- 
ducting a  profitable  business  in  Rockport. 


ISAAC  T.  WEBB. 

Isaac  T.  Webb,  proprietor  of  a  hotel  and  livery 
barn  at  Rockport,  has  made  a  creditable  business 
record  by  reason  of  the  methods  he  has  followed 
and  the  success  he  has  achieved.  A  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county, 
about  three  miles  from  the  city  of  Huntingdon, 
on  the  6th  of  October,  1835,  his  parents  being 
Elisha  and  Polly  (Faulkner)  Webb.  They  were 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  in  which  state  they  were 
married,  removing  thence  to  Huntingdon  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  the  father  followed  the 
weaver's  trade.  He  died  in  Bedford  county, 
Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years  and 
was  there  laid  to  rest,  his  wife  following  him  to 
the  grave  ten  years  later  when  seventy  years  of 
age. 

Isaac  T.  Webb  acquired  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  of  his  native  county  and  was 
reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  where  he  remained 
assisting  in  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment there  until  his  eighteenth  year.  He  then 
went  to  Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  afterward  to  the  farm 
of  his  uncle,  Henry  Webb,  working  for  him  for 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


two  years.  He  then  went  to  Mahoney  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  of  his 
brother-in-law,  David  Kearns,  for  two  years  or 
until  1887.  In  that  year  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Griggsville,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  living  with  his 
widowed  sister,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Likely,  and  for 
two  years  worked  by  the  month  at  farm  labor.  He 
next  went  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  rented  and  cultivated  a  farm  until  August, 
1862.  In  the  meantime  he  had  married  Miss 
Hester  Stagg  on.  the  251)1  of  October,  1859,  a 
daughter  of  Elijah  and  Rebecca  Stagg.  She  died 
in  1863,  when  her  husband  was  fighting  for  the 
Union  cause  and  their  only  child  died  at  birth. 

Mr.  Webb  enlisted  in  -August,  1862,  as  a 
member  of  Company  I,  Thirty-third  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  W.  W.  Law- 
ton  for  three  years'  service,  and  was  mustered 
in  August,  1862.  He  was  sent  with  his  regiment 
to  Springfield  and  on  to  Benton  Barracks,  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  He  afterward  did  duty  at 
Pilot  Knob  and  at  Frederickstown,  where  they 
met  the  enemy  in  a  skirmish.  Afterward  the 
regiment  returned  to  Pilot  Knob,  where  they 
remained  through  the  winter  and  in  the  spring 
went  down  the  Mississippi  river  until  they  reached 
Helena,  Arkansas.  Later  they  proceeded  to 
Yicksbtirg.  Mississippi,  and  on  to  Magnolia 
Hill,  where  a  fierce  battle  occurred.  Mr.  Webb 
was  next  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Black  River, 
Mississippi,  and  later  he  participated  in  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  where  the  company  lost  heavily. 
After  the  capture  of  Yicksburg  Mr.  Webb  was 
taken  ill  and  sent  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he 
arrived  August  24,  1863,  and  he  distinctly  re- 
members seeing  the  phenomenal  spectacle  of  a 
heavy  frost  on  the  ground  on  that  date.  He  was 
ill  there  for  three  months,  after  which  he  was  Or- 
dered to  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  where  he  spent 
one  month.  His  three  years'  term  of  service 
having  expired,  he  veteranized  and  re-enlisted 
in  the  same  company  and  regiment,  after  which 
he  was  ordered  to  Bloomington,  Illinois,  on  a 
veteran's  furlough.  When  his  period  of  vacation 
had  passed  he  went  to  Irvington,  Missouri,  thence 
to  St.  Genevieve  in  the  same  state  and  afterward 
to  Mobile,  Alabama,  where  a  skirmish  ensued. 
The  next  military  movement  took  him  to  Mont- 


gomery, Alabama,  and  afterward  to  Meridian, 
Mississippi.  At  Springfield,  Illinois,  he  was  mus- 
tered out,  and  was  finally  discharged  at  Vicks- 
burg on  the  24th  of  November,  1865.  He  had 
been  a  true  and  faithful  soldier,  never  faltering 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  Union  cause  and  on  va- 
rious battle-fields  he  did  active  service  in  defense 
of  the  stars  and  stripes. 

When  the  war  was  over  and  the  country  no 
longer  needed  his  aid  Mr.  Webb  returned  to 
Griggsville,  Pike  county,  where  he  rented  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  lived  for  eighteen  years.  He  was 
married  again  in  January,  1866,  his  second  union 
being  with  Sarah  J.  Cohenour.  By  this  marriage 
there  were  three  children,  Ida  M.,  Alice  and 
Daniel  L.  Webb,  all  yet  living.  The  elder 
daughter  is  the  wife  of  Percy  Saunders,  a  resi- 
dent of  Griggsville,  while  Alice  is  the  wife  of 
George  Temple,  of  Texas,  and  Daniel  L.  is  mar- 
ried and  resides  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  After  se- 
curing a  legal  separation  from  his  second  wife 
Mr.  Webb  was  married  April  29,  1890,  to  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Stewart  and 
Susan  (Beard)  Marshall*  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky  and  a  tailor  by  trade.  He 
came  with  his  family  to  Illinois  in  1844,  settling 
in  Barry,  and  afterward  removed  to  Trenton, 
Missouri,  later  returned  to  Barry,  and  thence 
went  to  Pittsfield,  where  he  died  on  May 
12,  1871,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
His  wife  died  in  Rockport  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Webb,  October  16,  1895,  at  the 
very  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  her 
grave  was  made  by  the  side  of  her  husband's  in 
West  cemetery  at  Pittsfield.  Mrs.  Webb  first 
married  Russell  R.  Johnson,  on  the  22d  of  July, 
1855,  and  by  this  union  were  two  children:  Eliza 
A.,  the  wife  of  S.  M.  Jones,  a  resident  of  Fort 
Collins,  Colorado;  and  Annetta  Johnson,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  years  and  was  buried  in 
the  West  cemetery.  Mr.Johnson  was  a  farmer 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
September  22,  1882,  his  remains  also  being  placed 
in  the  West  cemetery. 

For  twelve  years  Mr.  Webb  carried  the  United 
States  mail  over  the  Star  route  between  Rock- 
port  and  Pittsfield.  He  and  his  wife  are  an  ideal 
old  couple,  who  have  traveled  life's  journey 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


happily  together  for  fifteen  years,  and  both  are 
held  in  high  esteem  in  the  community  where  they 
reside.  Mr.  Webb  is  now  directing  his  energies  to 
the  conduct  of  a  hotel  and  livery  business  in  Rock- 
port  and  is  a  popular  landlord,  gaining  many 
friends  among  his  patrons. 


NOLAN  M.  CLEMMONS. 

Nolan  M.  Clemmons,  secretary  of  Jones  Com- 
mercial College,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  prin- 
cipal of  its  department  of  shorthand  and  type- 
writing, is  one  of  Pike  county's  native  sons,  who 
has  made  a  creditable  record  since  starting  out  in 
life  on  his  own  account.  He  was  born  in  Monte- 
zuma  on  the  2Oth  of  October,  1873,  and  is  a  son 
of  Seldon  P.  and  Mary  J.  (Armstrong)  Clem- 
mons. The  ancestral  history  of  the  family  can  be 
traced  back  in  direct  line  to  the  time  of  Crom- 
well. Gregory  Clemmons,  the  paternal  ancestor, 
was  the  owner  of  a  large  estate  in  Huntingdon- 
shire, England,  and  was  one  of  the  members  of 
parliament  who  signed  the  death  warrant  of 
Charles  I.  Under  the  protectorate,  Cromwell,  he 
was  appointed  minister  to  Spain  and  in  Cordova 
married  a  Spanish  lady.  Later  he  was  con- 
demned as  a  regicide  and  his  estate  was  confis- 
cated. His  brothers  afterward  fled  to  America 
with  his  widow  and  children  and  settled  in  Vir- 
ginia, whence  branches  of  the  name  have  gone  to 
all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

Seldon  P.  Clemmons,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  for  more  than  a  decade  connected  with  the 
business  life  of  Milton,  Illinois,  being  one  of  the 
first  merchants  of  the  town  and  built  there  the 
first  brick  store.  He  was  also  identified  for  some 
time  with  river  steamboat  navigation  and  was 
the  owner  of  the  steamer  Gem,  plying  between 
Peoria  and  St.  Louis.  He  has  for  some  time  been 
leading  a  retired  life  and  in  1904  he  was  stricken 
with  paralysis,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a 
confirmed  invalid. 

Nolan  M.  Clemmons  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county. 
In  his  sixteenth  year  he  successfully  passed  the 
teachers'  examination  given  by  the  county  super- 


intendent of  schools,  entitling  him  to  a  first- 
grade  certificate,  after  pursuing  the  normal-school 
course.  A  short  time  subsequently  he  entered  the 
Jones  Commercial  College  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
where  by  hard  study  and  close  application  he  was 
within  a  comparatively  brief  period  prepared  to 
enter  the  business  world.  Accordingly  we  next 
find  him  connected  with  the  Hargardine,  McKit- 
trick  Dry  Goods  Company,  one  of  the  prominent 
commercial  houses  of  St.  Louis,  which  he  entered 
as  a  stenographer,  but  his  connection  therewith 
was  brief,  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  was  recalled 
to  the  Jones  Commercial  College  to  act  as  one  of 
its  teachers  and  is  now  secretary  of  the  school 
and  principal  of  its  department  of  shorthand  and 
typewriting.  He  is  considered  an  expert  in  his 
line  and  has  become  familiar  with  various  sys- 
tems of  stenography  in  use  throughout  the  world. 
The  success  of  this  department  of  the  school  is 
attributable  entirely  to  his  efforts  and  he  has  sys- 
temized  the  work  and  placed  it  upon  a  basis  so 
that  splendid  results  are  obtained  and  the  stu- 
dents of  the  school  find  themselves  well  equipped 
for  the  practical  duties  which  come  as  they  enter 
actual  business  life. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1905,  at  Maplewood,  Mis- 
souri, Mr.  Clemmons  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Marie  M.  Uhrig,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Mary  A.  Uhrig,  the  former  now  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clemmons  have  many  warm  friends, 
being  prominent  and  popular  in  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  move.  He  has  made  thus  early  his 
mark  in  life  and  it  is  safe  to  predict  for  him  an 
even  more  successful  future. 


RARNEY  MILLER. 

Barney  Miller,  manager  of  the  Hull  Elevator 
Company,  is  one  of  Pike  county's  most  prominent 
and  substantial  business  men  who  for  more  than 
thirty  years  has  been  a  representative  of  commer- 
cial and  agricultural  interests  in  Hull.  There 
may  be  found  in  almost  all  American  communi- 
ties quiet,  retired  men  who  never  ask  public  of- 
fice or  seek  prominence  in  public  affairs,  yet  who 
nevertheless  exert  a  widelv  felt  influence  in  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


689 


community  in  which  they  live  and  thereby  help 
to  construct  the  proper  foundation  upon  which 
the  social  and  political  world  is  built.  Such  a  man 
is  Barney  Miller,  whose  energy  and  activity  have 
been  a  strong  directing  force  in  promoting  gen- 
eral prosperity  and  improvement  in  his  adopted 
county  as  well  as  in  winning  success  in  his  indi- 
vidual affairs. 

A  native  of  Germany  Mr.  Miller  came  to 
America  when  but  four  years  of  age  with  his 
parents.  They  were  nine  weeks  and  two  days 
upon  the  ocean,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  whence 
they  made  their  way  northward  to  Adams  county, 
Illinois.  Later  they  took  up  their  abode  in  the 
city  of  Quincy,  where  the  father's  death  occurred. 
He  dealt  to  some  extent  in  real  estate.  The  son 
was  reared  under  the  parental  roof  and  acquired 
a  public-school  education.  Throughout  his  entire 
life  he  has  been  connected  with  the  grain  and 
stock  business  and  when  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  he  came  to  Pike  county,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  It  was  in  March,  1875,  that  he 
embarked  in  merchandising  and  also  in  the  grain 
business  at  Hull  but  later  he  retired  from  the 
former  line  and  concentrated  all  his  energies 
upon  the  stock  and  grain  business,  in  which  he 
still  continues.  He  is  dealing  quite  extensively 
in  live  stock  at  Piano  under  the  firm  name  of 
I>.  Miller  &  Company.  He  has  a  fine  place  there, 
located  eight  blocks  from  the  depot  where  he 
buys  and  sells  stock  on  an  extensive  scale,  deal- 
ing principally  in  cattle  and  hogs.  Thirty-five 
acres  of  land  are  divided  into  feed  lots 
and  stockyards,  and  he  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  capable 
stock-buyers  of  this  part  of  the  state,  his 
judgment  being  seldom  if  ever  at  fault  regard- 
ing the  value  of  farm  animals.  In  1879  he  built 
an  elevator  at  Hull  but  soon  found  that  its  capac- 
ity was  not  great  enough  and  he  erected  a  larger 
one.  In  1904  he  organized  a  company  and  now 
controls,  the  grain  trade  at  this  point.  In  1879 
he  had  over  one  hundred  thousand  bushels  of 
grain  piled  up  at  Hull  and  he  handled  more  grain 
in  that  year  than  any  other  man  in  Pike  county. 
The  elevator  has  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  thou- 
sand bushels  and  he  has  constantly  maintained 
his  place*  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  the  grain  and 


stock  buyers  of  the  county,  his  business  bringing 
him  a  substantial  return  and  at  the  same  time 
furnishing  an  excellent  market  to  the  farmers  of 
the  county. 

Mr.  Miller  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Alta  Gerdes,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and.it 
is  quite  a  coincidence  that  Mr.  Miller  was  a  twin 
and  his  wife  also.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller 
have  been  born  ten  children  but  seven  have  passed 
away  and  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Quincy, 
Illinois.  Those  still  living  are:  Christopher,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Kansas,  where  he  cultivates 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  owned  by 
his  father ;  Willie,  who  is  associated  with  his 
father  in  the  grain  trade  at  Hull ;  and  Sena,  at 
home.  The  sons  are  graduates  of  the  high  school 
at  Hull  and  the  daughter  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Quincy  Business  College. 

Mr.  Miller  votes  with  the  republican  party  but 
is  without  aspiration  for  office.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  a  thoroughly  reliable  business  man,  is 
quick  of  comprehension  and  intricate  business  af- 
fairs he  understands  readily.  His  good  qualities 
have  made  him  well  liked  and  he  is  justly  ac- 
counted one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Hull 
and  Kinderhook  township. 


WILLIAM  D.  MILLER. 

William  D.  Miller,  postmaster  of  Rockport  and 
a  representative  of  farming  interests,  was  born  in 
Atlas  township,  Pike  county,  on  the  4th  of.  July, 
1857,  his  parents  being  John  and  Ann  Eliza 
(Parker)  Miller.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  his  wife  was  of  English  parentage. 
He  came  to  Pike  county  prior  to  1832  and  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  on  Dutch  Mill  creek. 
There  he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
six  acres  from  Thomas  Gafney,  constituting  a 
part  of  the  old  Miller  homestead.  He  afterward 
increased  his  purchase  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  now  owned  by  his  son  William.  In  his  la- 
bors as  an  agriculturist  he  was  enterprising  and 
progressive  and  as  the  years  passed  he  trans- 
formed his  fields  into  a  valuable  property.  He 
was  married  on  the  old  Parker  farm  near  the  town 


690 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  Atlas  in  Pike  county  to  Miss  Ann  Eliza  Park- 
er and  unto  them  were  born  nine  children,  of 
whom  William  D.  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth.  The  father  died  on  the  old  Miller  farm, 
August  28,  1872,  and  was  buried  in  the  Petty 
cemetery,  a  mile  south  of  Rockport.  The  mother 
also  died  upon  the  old  family  homestead,  passing 
away  in  1877,  at  which  time  her  remains  were 
interred  by  the  side  of  her  husband  in  the  Elijah 
Petty  cemetery. 

William  D.  Miller  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  system  of  his  native  township  for  the  early 
educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed  and 
which  were  supplemented  by  a  course  of  study 
in  Rockport.  He  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  of  farm  life,  taking  his  place 
in  the  fields  almost  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  reach 
the  plow  handles.  After  leaving  school,  he  con- 
tinued to  assist  his  father  in  the  farm  duties  up 
to  the  time  of  the  latter's  death.  However,  in 
1865  he  and  his  father  crossed  the  plains  with 
one  of  the  old-time  "prairie  schooners"  drawn 
by  an  ox-team.  .  They  started  from  the  Miller 
homestead  intending  to  go  to  California  in  the 
interest  of  Mr.  Miller's  health  but  when  near 
Denver,  Colorado,  they  became  discouraged, 
turned  back  and  retraced  their  route  to  the  old 
home  farm.  On  again  reaching  Pike  county  Mr. 
Miller  resumed  the  work  of  the  fields  and  con- 
tinued as  his  father's  assistant  until  the  latter's 
death,  after  which  he  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
which  he  has  since  operated.  It  comprises  two 
hundred  and  fifty  -acres  of  rich  and  arable  land 
and  the  farm  is  now  well  improved. 

Mr.  Miller  has  been  married  twice.  He  first 
wedded  Miss  Ella  Correll,  a  daughter  of  Foster 
and  Susan  Correll.  His  wife  died  December  7, 
1898,  on  the  old  Miller  homestead  and  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Summer  Hill  cemetery.  On  the 
i6th  of  April,  1905,  Mr.  Miller  wedded  Mary 
Owsley,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Nancy  Ows- 
ley.  Her  father  owned  and  cultivated  a  farm  in 
Atlas  township,  continuing  the  improvement  of 
the  property  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  his 
wife  still  lives  upon  the  old  homestead  there. 

Mr.  Miller  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Rock- 
port  on  the  26th  of  October.  1901,  by  President 
McKinley  and  has  occupied  the  office  continu- 


ously since.  In  politics  he  is  an  uncompromising 
republican  and  has  always  been  steadfast  to  the 
principles  of  the  party  and  devoted  to  its  inter- 
ests in  his  native  county  and  state.  He  has  occu- 
pied several  minor  township  offices,  the  duties  of 
which  he  has  capably  discharged.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp, 
and  has  many  friends  in  these  organizations,  for 
they  recognize  his  fidelity  to  the  commendable 
principles  which  constitute  the  basic  elements  of 
the  fraternities.  He  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  the  western  part  of  Pike  county,  where 
almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed,  and  he  has 
been  a  witness  of  many  changes  that  have  oc- 
curred here  as  pioneer  conditions  have  been  re- 
placed by  the  evidences  of  an  advanced  and  mod- 
ern civilization. 


MRS.  NANCY  HANKS. 

Mrs.  Nancy  Hanks,  residing  in  Pearl  town- 
ship, is  the  widow  of  Joshua  Hanks  and  a  rela- 
tive of  the  immortal  Lincoln.  She  was  born  April 
17,  1832,  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Lucinda  (Cammerer) 
Miller.  Her  father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  No- 
vember 13,  1802,  and  engaged  in  farming 
throughout  his  entire  life.  He  removed  from 
Ohio  to  Illinois  when  his  daughter  Nancy  was 
only  three  years  of  age  and  took  up  his  abode 
in  Greene  county,  where  he  resided  for  a  year. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  located  on 
Pearl  Prairie,  now  Old  Pearl,  where  he  contin- 
ued farming  and  there  his  death  occurred  April 
31,  1885.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Martin 
Miller,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  joining  the 
American  army  in  the  cause  of  independence 
when  quite  young.  He  afterward  served  in  the 
war  of  1812.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  laid  to 
rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Old  Pearl. 

Mrs.  Hanks,  having  been  brought  to  Illinois 
in  her  early  girlhood  days,  acquired  her  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  near  her  father's  home 
and  was  trained  to  the  duties  of  the  household, 
remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


691 


years  of  age,  when  on  the  i8th  of  November, 
1852,  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Joshua 
Hanks.  He  was  a  relative  of  the  martyred  pres- 
ident, Abraham  Lincoln.  His  parents  were  Da- 
vid and  Phoebe  Ann  Hanks,  who  resided  in  Pearl 
township,  Pike  county.  The  father  was  twice 
married  and  both  wives  died  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois.  In  advanced  years  Mr.  Hanks  removed 
to  Indiana  and  lived  with  his  son  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  an  advanced  age.  Joshua 
Hanks  passed  away  on  the  gth  of  April,  1869, 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  where  his  widow 
now  resides  with  her  daughter,  Malissa  E.,  who 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  Abraham  Lincoln. 
The  Hanks  and  Lincoln  families  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Kentucky  about  the  same  time  and, 
as  is  well  known,  the  mother  of  the  martyred 
president  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Hanks. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanks  of  this  review  have 
been  born  six  children:  William  D.,  Martin,  A. 
Douglas,  Lucinda  A.,  Arminta,  Malissa  E.  and 
Mary  A.  Hanks.  Of  these  William  D.  and  Mary 
A.  are  deceased,  the  former  having  passed  away 
February  13,  1895,  and  the  latter  on  the  2Oth  of 
August,  1868. 

During  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Illinois, 
Joshua  Hanks  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing and  became  the  owner  of  a  good  home  prop- 
erty, which  he  left  to  his  widow,  who  still  resides 
upon  the  farm.  She  has  now  passed  the  seventy- 
third  milestone  on  life's  journey  and  is  a  most 
estimable  lady,  who  has  a  large  circle  of  warm 
friends  in  this  county. 


BENTOX  B.  DUNN,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Benton  B.  Dunn,  successfully  practicing 
medicine  and  surgery  in  Perry  and  Pike  county, 
was  born  March  16,  1866,  in  the  village  where 
he  yet  makes  his  home:  and  his  life  record  is 
in  contradiction  to  the  old  adage  that  a  prophet 
is  never  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country, 
for  in  the  place  of  his  birth  he  has  so  directed  his 
efforts  as  to  win  prominence  and  success  as  a 
leading  representative  of  the  medical  fraternity. 
His  parents  are  Dr.  Harvey  and  Abigail  (Rob- 


erts) Dunn.  The  father  was  born  in  Geauga 
county,  Ohio,  April  i,  1834,  and  came  of  Irish 
lineage,  although  the  family  was  established  in 
America  at  an  early  day,  Harvey  Dunn,  Sr.,  fa- 
ther of  Dr.  Harvey  Dunn,  being  a  native  of  New 
York.  It  was  at  a  period  antedating  the  Revolu- 
tion that  the  first  representatives  of  the  name  in 
the  new  world  took  up  their  abode  in  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island,  and  following  the  establish- 
ment of  independence  the  family  home  was  made 
in  New  York. 

Harvey  Dunn,  Sr.,  however,  was  largely  reared 
in  Indiana,  and  after  attaining  his  majority  made 
his  home  in  Ohio,  where  he  followed  carpenter- 
ing. In  1837  he  became  a  resident  of  Meredosia, 
Morgan  county,  Illinois,  and  while  there  took  a 
contract  to  build  the  grade  for  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Wabash  Railroad,  his  work  covering  the 
distance  between  Meredosia  and  the  bluffs.  In 
1840  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  residents 
of  Pike  county,  and  embarked  in  general  merchan- 
dising at  Chambersburg,  while  later  he  sold  his 
store  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming  in  Cham- 
bersburg township,  giving  his  time  and  energies 
to  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred when  he  was  sixty-two  years  of  age.  He 
was. a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of 
1847,  to  which  he  was  elected  on  the  democratic 
ticket.  He  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  as  did  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
name  of  Angeline  Milligan.  She  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  and  was  descended  from  Puritan 
ancestry.  In  early  womanhood  she  went  with  her 
parents  to  Ohio,  and  there  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Harvey  Dunn,  Sr. 

Dr.  Harvey  Dunn. pursued  his  literary  educa- 
tion in  McKendree  College,  and  while  studying 
medicine  also  engaged  in  teaching.  He  pursued 
his  preliminary  reading  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.  Carey,  at  one  time  a  leading  physician  of 
Perry  and,  entering  Jefferson  Medical  College 
at  Philadelphia,  he  was  graduated  in  1856.  Subse- 
quently he  became  a  student  in  St.  Louis  Medical 
College,  and  is  numbered  among  its  alumni  of 
1867.  For  years  he  occupied  a  prominent  posi- 
tion as  a  representative  of  the  medical  fraternity 
of  Pike  county,  locating  for  practice  in  Perry  in 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


1856.  A  liberal  patronage  was  accorded  him,  and 
from  1860  until  1885  he  also  conducted  a  drug 
store.  He  is  now  in  very  poor  health,  having 
sacrificed  his  own  health  to  that  of  his  patients. 
He  has  done  much  charity  work  in  his  profession 
for  the  poor,  never  making  a  charge  to  those  who 
could  not  afford  to  pay,  and  never  hesitating  to 
give  his  service  to  those  who  were  in  need  of  pro- 
fessional aid.  Upon  the  request  of  the  citizens  of 
Pittsfield  he  removed  to  the  county  seat  to  become 
the  successor  of  Dr.  Ledlie,  remaining  there  until 
1897,  when,  because  of  failing  health,  he  returned 
to  Perry.  In  the  early  pioneer  days  he  would 
frequently  swim  the  creeks  in  order  to  visit  a 
patient;  and  he  underwent  many  personal  hard- 
ships in  order  to  alleviate  the  suffering  of  his 
fellowmen.  He  was  made  a  member  of  Perry 
lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  on  the  ist  of  September, 
1855,  and  is  still  affiliated  with  the  organization. 
He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  is  an  honorary  member  of  its  official  board. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  republican.  Dr.  Dunn 
was  married  January  12,  1859,  to  Miss  Lucinda 
Matthews,  who  was  a  graduate  of  the  Jacksonville 
Female  College.  She  died,  however,  on  the  2d 
of  December  of  the  same  year,  and  on  the  I2th 
of  December,  1861,  Dr.  Dunn  was  married  to 
Miss  Abigail  Roberts,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Barry,  Pike  county,  April  8,  1838.  By  this  mar- 
riage have  been  born  seven  children:  Nellie, 
the  wife  of  Frank  D.  Whitaker,  of  Perry ;  Frede- 
rick, who  married  Delia  Bringhurst  and  is  living 
in  Springville,  Utah;  Charles  H.,  who  married 
Annie  Boers  and  is  living  in  Peoria ;  Benton  B. ; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  R.  Shoemaker,  of  Perry; 
Aileen,  living  at  home ;  and  Martha  J.,  the  wife  of 
Gideon  Armentrout. 

Dr.  Benton  B.  Dunn  was  a  public-school  stu- 
dent, and  after  acquiring  a  good  education  in  that 
manner  he  devoted  four  years  to  the  mas- 
tery of  the  principles  of  medicine  and  surgery 
as  a  student  in  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chi- 
cago. He  was  graduated  therefrom  in  the  class 
of  1891,  and  practiced  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  health  failed,  and  for  the  last  two  years 
has  been  alone  in  business.  He  is  well  equipped 
for  his  chosen  life  work,  having  broad  and  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  the  great  underlying 


principles  which  tend  to  promote  man's  efficiency 
in  alleviating  human  suffering.  A  liberal  patron- 
age is  accorded  him,  and  in  addition  he  is  medi- 
cal examiner  for  various  life  insurance  companies 
at  Perry.  He  belongs  to  the  Pike  County  Medical 
Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association, 
and  he  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that  tends  to 
bring  to  man  the  key  to  that  complex  mystery 
which  we  call  life.  His  reading  has  been  broad 
and  varied,  and  he  has  ever  maintained  a  high 
standard  of  professional  ethics. 

Dr.  Dunn  was  married,  October  5,  1892,  to 
Miss  Bertha  Clark,  who  was  born  August  2, 
1869,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Job  and  Hester  Ckrk. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Dr. 
Dunn  belongs  to  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  also  to  Perry  chapter,  R.  A.  M.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  grand  chapter,  which  held 
its  meeting  in  Chicago;  and  he  likewise  belongs 
to  Principle  lodge,  No.  76,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp.  He  is  a  worthy  suc- 
cessor of  his  father,  who  for  many  years  was 
classed  with  the  leading  and  prominent  physicians 
of  the  county.  Ambitious,  resolute  and  purpose- 
ful, he  has  thoroughly  equipped  himself  for  his 
chosen  life  work,  and  in  his  practice  is  continually 
demonstrating  his  ability  to  cope  with  the  intri- 
cate problems  that  continually  confront  the 
physician. 


DAVID  FRANK. 

David  Frank,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Bedford,  represents  an  early 
family  of  this  county,  his  parents  having  located 
in  this  locality  during  the  pioneer  epoch  in  the 
history  of  this  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Frank 
was  born  on  the  old  farm  homestead  in  Monte- 
zuma  township,  January  18,  1858.  and  is  a  son 
Levi  T.  and  Sarah  A.  (Boyer)  Frank.  His 
paternal  grandparents  were  Joseph  and  Reca 
(Freitlander)  Frank,  both  natives  of  Hamburg, 
Germany,  in  which  country  they  were  reared  and 
married.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States  they  became  residents  of  South  Carolina; 
and  the  grandfather  died  in  Charleston,  that  state, 
of  vellow  fever.  His  wife  afterward  came  to 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


693 


Illinois,  spending  her  last  days  in  Carrollton.  The 
maternal  grandparents  were  John  A.  and  Cath- 
erine Boyer,  both  of  American  birth,  the  former 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio. 
They  were  married  in  Greene  county,  Illinois, 
where  Mr.  Boyer  followed  the  shoemaker's  trade. 
His  wife  died  in  that  county  and  was  buried  in 
Calvin  cemetery,  while  John  A.  Boyer  departed 
this  life  in  Pike  county,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Bedford  cemetery. 

Levi  Frank,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Hamburg,  Germany,  born  on  the  ipth 
of  January,  1825,  and  at  an  early  age  he -accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  America. 
He  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  re- 
mained for  several  years  and  then  came  to  Pike 
county,  settling  in  Griggsville,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk  in  a  mercantile  store  for  about 
two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
removed  to  Winchester,  Scott  county,  where  he 
was  also  employed  as  a  salesman  for  a  short 
time,  and  later  he  accepted  a  similar  position  in 
Carrollton,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  several 
years.  He  next  went  to  Callaway,  Missouri, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  clerking  up  to  the  time 
of  his  enlistment  for  service  in  the  Mexican  war 
in  1846.  He  served  until  the  close  of  hostilities, 
acting  as  bugler  in  Company  H,  First  Regiment 
of  Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  and  discharged  at  Chihuahua, 
Mexico,  in  1847,  aft€r  which  he  returned  to  Mil- 
lersburg,  Callaway  county,  Missouri.  There  on 
the  2/th  of  December,  1847,  ne  was  married,  to 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Boyer,  a  daughter  of  John  A.  and 
Catherine  (Calvin)  Boyer.  He  later  engaged  in 
merchandising  and  in  the  grain  business,  in  which 
he  successfully  continued  until  1872,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  his  store  and  gave  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  the  grain  trade  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  had  been  connected  in  his  mercantile  interests 
with  Charles  E.  Bolin  and  W.  E.  Butler,  who  or- 
ganized the  Exchange  Bank  of  Milton ;  and  in 
this  institution  Mr.  Frank  continued  a  partner  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Bed- 
ford, on  the  2d  of  September,  1898.  He  was 
laid  to  rest  in  the  Smith  cemetery  north  of  Mil- 
ton. His  wife  is  now  living  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frank  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years. 


Mr.  Frank  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zen of  the  county  for  a  long  period  and  contrib- 
uted in  substantial  measure  to  its  commercial  and 
business  prosperity-  He  enjoyed  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  his  contemporaries  in  business  life 
and  through  well  directed  efforts  won  a  credit- 
able measure  of  prosperity.  Unto  him  and  his 
wife  were  born  six  children :  Latilla  M.,  born 
December  6,  1848;  Adolphus,  who  was  born  May 
14,  1851,  and  died  in  infancy,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  Calvin  cemetery,  Greene  county,  Illi- 
nois; Izora  J.,  who  was  born  January  2,  1853; 
Meneta  B.,  born  January  24,  1856;  David,  born 
January  8,  1858;  and  Laura  S.,  born  December 
16.  1860. 

David  Frank  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Bedford,  and  entering  business  life  was  as- 
sociated with  his  father  up  to  his  thirty-first  year. 
He  is  now  devoting  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  stock-raising,  and  in  the  control  of 
-his  business  affairs  displays  keen  sagacity,  quick 
discernment  and  a  thorough  understanding  of 
business  problems.  Moreover  his  methods  are 
honorable  and  his  entire  business  career  has  been 
actuated  by  principles  which  are  worthy  of  emula- 
tion, and  which  have  proven  resultant  factors  in 
winning  him  a  creditable  measure  of  success. 

Mr.  Frank  was  united  in  marriage  April  21, 
1889,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Lytle,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  C.  and  Eliza  Lytle.  By  this  marriage 
have  been  born  two  children :  Lloyd,  whose  birth 
occurred  February  17,  1890;  and  Gladys,  born 
May  8,  1893.  Both  were  born  in  Bedford,  where 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  have  a  pleasant  and  attrac- 
tive home,  which  is  the  center  of  a  cultured  so- 
cictv  circle. 


WILLIAM  RUPERT. 

Wililam  Rupert,  a  representative  of  industrial 
interests  in  Rockport,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
black-smithing,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  on  the 
5th  of  March,  1827.  He  was  reared  upon  the 
farm  of  his  parents,  David  and  Martha  (Lynch) 
Rupert.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade 
and  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio,  settling 
in  Medina  county,  when  his  son  William  was  but 


694 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


six  years  of  age.  There  he  remained  for  eight 
years,  during  which  time  he  carried  on  black- 
smithing.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  the 
entire  family  came  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  where 
David  Rupert  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  sixty-four 
years  of  age,  his  remains  being  then  interred  in 
the  cemetery  at  Rockport.  His  wife  survived  him 
for  about  two  years,  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years. 

William  Rupert  of  this  review  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  where  he 
arrived  in  the  early  '403.  He  has  lived  continu- 
ously in  Rockport  for  sixty  years;  and,  having 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  his  father, 
he  has  since  followed  that  pursuit  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  period  of  three  years,  which  he  spent 
in  California.  He  went  to  the  Pacific  coasb  in  the 
fall  of  1850,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
the  far  west,  hoping  that  he  might  realize  a 
fortune,  as  others  were  doing,  in  the  mines ;  but 
his  hopes  were  not  destined  for  fulfillment  in  that 
direction,  and  he  returned  in  1853,  a  wiser,  if  not 
a  richer  man. 

Mr.  Rupert  had  been  married  in  1848  to  Miss 
Phila  Goble,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely :  William, 
Harry,  Orlando,  Edgar  and  a  daughter,  who  died 
at  birth  unnamed.  All  of  the  children  are  de- 
ceased and  were  laid  to  rest  in  Rockport  ceme- 
tery. William  died  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years, 
Harry  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  Orlando  when 
two  years  of  age  and  Edgar  when  a  babe  of  a  year 
and  a  half.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  Rock- 
port,  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side  of  her  chil- 
dren. In  1866  Mr.  Rupert  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Elvira  Chancy,  who 
is  still  living,  and  they  are  residing  in  a  pleasant 
home  in  Rockport. 

Politically  Mr.  Rupert  has  always  been  a  re- 
publican, interested  in  the  growth  and  success  of 
his  party,  yet  without  aspiration  for  office,  as  he 
has  preferred  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  Although  he  is  now  well 
advanced  in  years,  he  still  follows  his  trade  to 
some  extent,  and  he  has  found  in  that  work  op- 
portunity for  the  acquirement  of  a  comfortable 
competence.  He  has  lived  an  honest,  upright  life 


and  few  men  are  more  widely  or  more  favorably 
known  in  Rockport  and  the  surrounding  country 
than  is  William  Rupert. 


WILLIAM    H.   WALKER. 

William  H.  Walker,  living  on  section  i.  Atlas 
township,  was  born  January  31,  1853,  in  Brown 
county,  Ohio,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  when  but  two  and  a  half  years 
of  age.  He  is  a  son  of  Wilson  and  Margaret 
(Arthur)  Walker,  the  former  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The  father  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  in  his  native 
state,  and  also  in  Pike  county,  continuing  to  repre- 
sent agricultural  interests  here  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  August, 
1895,  and  was  buried  in  Prairie  Mound  cemetery, 
in  Martinsburg  township.  He  survived  until 
March  10,  1905,  when  his  grave  was  made  by 
hers  in  the  Prairie  Mound  cemetery.  The  fam- 
ily on  coming  to  Pike  county  located  on  a  farm 
of  ninety  acres  on  section  n,  Atlas  township. 

It  was  upon  that  place  that  William  H.  Walker 
was  reared;  and  his  education  was  largely  ac- 
quired in  the  West  Point  district  school,  in  Atlas 
township.  During  the  periods  of  vacation  he  as- 
sisted in  the  labors  of  the  fields,  and  early  became 
familiar  with  the  practical  methods  of  tilling  the 
soil  and  gathering  the  crops.  He  remained  at 
home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he 
rented  a  farm  and  began  work  on  his  own  ac- 
count in  Atlas  township,  cultivating  that  property 
for  about  two  years.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 12,  Atlas  township,  tilling  the  soil  for  about 
three  years,  and  then  bought  another  tract  of 
thirty  acres  in  the  same  township.  This,  added 
to  the  forty  acres  which  he  had  purchased  on  sec- 
tion 12  and  forty  acres  also  on  section  12,  Atlas 
township,  which  was  deeded  to  him  by  his  fa- 
ther, constitutes  a  good  property,  upon  which  he 
has  made  excellent  improvements.  The  occu- 
pation to  which  he  was  reared  he  has  made  his 
life  work,  and  his  efforts  have  been  attended  with 
a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


695 


On  the  20th  of  August,  1878,  Mr.  Walker  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Theodosia  Moore,  a 
daughter  of  J.  C.  and  Rachael  Moore.  Unto  this 
union  was  born  one  son,  Emmett  Walker,  whose 
birth  occurred  December  i,  1884,  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  in  Atlas  township.  He  attended 
the  West  Point  district  school,  and  continued  his 
studies  in  the  public  schools  of  Pittsfield. 

He  was  also  reared  to  farm  life,  and  is  now  as- 
sisting his  father  in  the  operation  of  his  land  and 
the  care  of  his  stock.  In  1892  Mr.  Walker  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
died  on  the  6th  of  March  of  that  year..  She  was 
a  loving  and  devoted  helpmate  and  companion  to 
him  on  life's  journey,  and  an  affectionate  mother. 
She  passed  away  at  the  old  home  and  was  buried 
in  the  Prairie  Mound  cemetery  in  Martinsburg 
township. 

Mr.  Walker  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge 
at  New  Hartford.  He  has  not  been  very  active 
in  fraternal  or  political  circles,  however,  but  has 
confined  his  attention  and  energies  largely  to  his 
business  affairs.  Receiving  little  assistance  he 
has  depended  upon  his  own  labors  and  earnest, 
persistent  effort  constitutes  the  real  basis  of  his 
prosperity. 


DAVID  JOHNSON. 

David  Johnson,  who  owns  and  operates  a  farm 
on  section  16,  Pearl  township,  is  a  native  of  Madi- 
son county,  Illinois,  born  December  28,  1830,  and 
since  the  age  of  twelve  years  has  been  a  resident 
of  Pike  county  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  pe- 
riod spent  in  California.  He  is  a  son  of  William 
M.  and  Mary  Caroline  (Lumley)  Johnson,  in 
whose  family  were  seven  children,  David  being 
the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  The  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  and  served  as  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812,  aiding- his  country  throughout 
the  period  of  hostilities.  At  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  this  state  he  became  a  resident  of 
Madison  county,  and  in  1831  removed  to  Greene 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
shoemaking.  There  his  death  occurred  in  the 
spring  of  1835.  His  widow  afterward  removed 
to  Calhoun  county  and  thence  came  to  Pike 


county,  where  she  spent  her  remaining  days,  her 
death  occurring  on  the  I7th  of  January,  1877. 

David  Johnson  was  only  about  a  year  old  when 
his  parents  went  to  Greene  county,  where  he  re- 
sided until  1842,  when,  after  a  brief  residence  in 
Calhoun  county,  he  came  to  Pike  county.  Here 
he  has  since  remained  with  the  exception  of  the 
period  between  1850  and  1854,  which  was  spent 
in  California.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
public  schools  of  Greene,  Calhoun  and  Pike  coun- 
ties ;  and  he  was  reared  to  farm  life,  early  becom- 
ing familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist. 

On  the  I4th  of  February,  1856,  Mr.  Johnson 
secured  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  jour- 
ney by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Wheeler, 
who  was  born  October  23, 1837,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Cyrus  and  Elmira  Wheeler.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  while  her  mother  was 
born  in  the  Empire  state,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
John  Little,  who  was  a  surgeon  in  the  American 
army  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Joseph  Wheeler, 
a  paternal  great-uncle  of  Mrs.  Johnson,  was  also 
a  Revolutionary  officer,  holding  the  rank  of  colo- 
nel. Her  parents  on  coming  to  Illinois  settled  in 
Greene  county,  where  they  remained  for  two  years 
and  then  took  up  their  abode  in  Pearl  township, 
Pike  county,  where  their  remaining  days  were 
passed,  Mr.  Wheeler  departing  this  life  in  Au- 
gust, 1884,  while  his  wife's  death  occurred  in 
1897. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  were  born  eleven 
children  :  Melissa  B.,  the  eldest,  born  October  4, 
1856,  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Garner,  and  they 
reside  in  Spring  Creek  township,  Pike  county. 
Clarissa,  twin  sister  of  Melissa,  died  November 
26,  1856.  William  C.,  born  September  7,  1858, 
married  Mary  Dawson,  and  is  living  in  Newburg 
township.  Ida  M.  born  October  29,  1860,  died 
January  6,  1861.  Ina  M.,  twin  sister  of  Ida,  died 
in  August,  1872.  Elmira  Caroline,  born  Septem- 
ber 1 8,  1863,  became  the  wife  of  Charles  RenoUd, 
December  25,  1887,  and  they  now  reside  in  New- 
burg  township.  Sarah  E.,  born  February  23, 
1866,  died  August  4,  1867.  Hattie  E.,  born  July 
14,  1868,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  B.  P.  Bradburn,  a 
resident  of  Lincoln,  Illinois.  Albert  Sydney,  born 
March  19,  1871,  married  Josephine  McKey,  and 


696 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


resides  in  Pearl  township,  Pike  county.  Delia 
R.,  born  January  17,  1876,  is  the  wife  of  Daily 
Garrison,  of  Pearl.  Earl  C,  born  June  4,  1880, 
married  Jessie  E.  Keller  and  died  June  8,  1904. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  twenty-six  grand- 
children living  while  nine  have  passed  away. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Johnson  is  inde- 
pendent. He  takes  no  active  part  in  political 
work  but  gives  his  support  to  the  principles  which 
he  thinks  will  promote  the  best  interests  of  the 
country.  His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to 
farming,  and  in  the  conduct  of  his  agricultural 
interests  he  has  achieved  a  gratifying  measure  of 
success.  For  about  sixty  years  he  has  lived  in 
Pike  county,  and  has  therefore  been  a  witness  of 
the  greater  part  of  its  development  and  improve- 
ment as  it  has  emerged  from  pioneer  conditions 
and  taken  on  the  evidences  of  an  advanced  civili- 
zation. He  has  been  interested  in  what  has  been 
accomplished  and  has  given  his  co-operation  to 
plans  and  movements  for  the  public  good. 


CHARLES  B.  DUSTIN. 

No  history  of  Pike  county  would  be  a  complete 
record  of  its  development  along  agricultural  lines 
that  did  not  contain  mention  of  Charles  B.  Dus- 
tin  who  is  now  practically  retired,  but  who,  for 
many  years,  was  prominently  identified  with 
stock-raising  interests ;  in  fact,  the  extent  and  im- 
portance of  his  business  affairs  in  this  connection 
made  him  known  far  beyond  the  confines  of  the 
county.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest 
pioneer  families  of  this  part  of  the  state,  and  was 
born  in  Atlas  on  the  2gth  of  November,  1843. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Sarah  (Bentley) 
Dustin.  The  father,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  to  Pike 
county  about  1837.  He  was  married  in  this  county 
to  Miss  Bentley,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  had 
come  to  Illinois  with  Dr.  Whiting  and  his  family, 
who  were  early  settlers  of  Atlas  township,  mak- 
ing their  home  in  Rockport.  William  Dustin 
engaged  actively  in  farming  for  many  years,  suc- 
cessfully carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 


1865.  He  died  upon  the  old  homestead  property, 
now  owned  by  our  subject,  October  12,  1873,  and 
his  remains  were  interred  in  Adams  and  Dustin 
cemetery,  at  Atlas,  Illinois.  His  widow  survived' 
him  until  January  4,  1891,  and  was  then  buried 
beside  her  husband.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dustin 
were  born  three  children,  Charles  B.  being  the 
only  son.  The  sisters  are  Jennie  and  Nettie  Dus- 
tin. The  former  married  Seth  Robinson,  an  at- 
torney of  Lincoln,  Nebraska, .  who  died  in  San 
Francisco,  California.  His  wife  returned  to  the 
home  of  her  brother  in  January,  1877,  and  died 
on  the  5th  of  that  month,  her  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  cemetery.  Nettie 
Dustin  became  the  wife  of  J.  R.  Sayers,  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  and  they  now  reside  in  San 
Francisco,  California. 

Charles  B.  Dustin  acquired  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  town- 
ship, and  later  spent  two  winter  seasons  as  a  stu- 
dent in  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  During  the  first 
winter  he  attended  the  west  district  public  school, 
and  also  during  a  part  of  the  second  winter ;  while 
later  he  became  a  student  in  the  Illinois  College. 
Upon  leaving  college  he  returned  to  Atlas  and  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  operation  of  his  farm  until 
1865,  when  he  rented  the  old  home  place  from  his 
father.  It  comprised  four  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located 
about  a  mile  southeast  of  Atlas.  There  he  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  until  1874,  at  which 
time  he  purchased  the  home  property,  buying  the 
interest  of  his  sisters  in  the  farm.  His  farm  to- 
day comprises  two  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres 
of  valuable  land,  which  had  been  purchased  by 
his  father  from  the  Brown  estate,  and  upon  which 
William  Dustin  erected  a  fine  residence  and  also 
made  other  excellent  improvements.  Here  Mr.  Dus- 
tin of  this  review  continued  to  carry  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising.  He  at 
first  purchased  a  few  head  of  thoroughbred  short- 
horn cattle;  and  he  continued  to  breed  and  raise 
cattle  for  many  years,  gradually  adding  to  his 
herd.  In  1880  he  purchased  four  head  of  imported 
female  shorthorn  cattle.  He  attended  sales  and 
occasionally  purchased  some  thoroughbred  stock, 
and  by  1891  had  become  the  owner  of  quite  a 
number  of  Scotch  bred  shorthorns.  In  August 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


697 


of  that  year  he  went  abroad,  going  to  Scotland, 
where  he  purchased  four  thoroughbred  heifers 
and  two  bulls,  and  also  five  head  of  shorthorns 
for  J.  F.  Prather,  of  Williamsville,  Illinois.  He 
then  returned  to  the  United  States  with  the  cat- 
tle, which  were  placed  in  quarantine  in  Garfield, 
New  Jersey,  and  after  ninety  days  were  shipped 
from  there  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  Mr. 
Prather  took  his.  while  Mr.  Duntin's  were  sent 
on  to  Pittsfield,  and  from  that  city  they  were 
driven  to  his  farm.  He  then  made  a  specialty  of 
breeding  Scotch  shorthorns,  giving  his  particular 
attention  to  this  branch  of  his  business.  He  raised 
nearly  all  of  his  cattle,  and  soon  had  a  very  fine 
herd.  In  1893  n€  imported  two  other  Scotch 
bulls,  and  in  1898  still  another.  By  this  time  Mr. 
Dustin  owned  as  fine  specimens  of  imported  thor- 
oughbred, selected  stock  as  any  one  in  the  United 
States.  In  the  spring  of  1898,  however,  he  held 
a  sale  of  his  thoroughbred  stock  on  his  home  farm, 
which  was  attended  by  representatives  from  al- 
most every  state  in  the  Union.  Forty-three  head 
of  cattle  at  this  sale  were  catalogued,  forty  of 
which  Mr.  Dustin  had  himself  bred ;  and  his  stock 
sale  had  an  average  of  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  dollars  per  head.  He  afterward  sold  many 
head  of  cattle  at  private  sale,  and  in  1901  he  sold 
in  Chicago  at  public  sale  five  head  of  cattle,  all  of 
his  own  breeding,  averaging  twelve  hundred  and 
sixteen  dollars,  being  the  highest  average  made 
throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada  during 
that  year.  Twelve  months  prior  to  selling  his 
herd  he  disposed  of  many  of  his  cattle,  which 
brought  him  a  financial  return  of  twenty  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred  dollars.  It  was  following 
the  death  of  his  younger  son  that  Mr.  Dustin 
disposed  of  his  splendid  herd  of  shorthorns  en- 
tirely at  private  sale.  There  were  thirty-six  head 
in  all,  including  an  imported  Scotch  bull,  consid- 
ered to  be  the  best  bull  in  the  United  States.  He 
realized  from  this  sale  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
He  then  retired  from  active  pursuits  largely  on 
account  of  the  death  of  his  two  sons,  William  A. 
and  Homer. 

It  was  on  the  28th  of  October,  1867,  that  Mr. 
Dustin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  P. 
Stebbens,  a  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Emeline 
(Hendricks)  Stebbens.  Her  father  was  a  re- 


tired farmer,  of  Summer  Hill,  to  which  place  he 
removed  in  1881.  He  passed  away  July  21,  1904, 
and  was  buried  in  the  Adams  and  Dustin  ceme- 
tery. His  wife  still  survives  him,  and  now  makes 
her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dustin,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty  years.  Unto  our  subject 
and  his  wife  were  born  two  sons,  William  A.  and 
Homer.  The  former  was  born  January  2,  1870, 
and  died  at  his  father's  home  June  3,  1899,  leav- 
ing a  widow,  Anna  (Sanderson)  Dustin,  and  one 
child,  Charles  S.  Dustin,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  West  cemetery  at  Pittsfield.  Homer 
was  born  August  n,  1871,  on  his  grandfather 
Stebbens'  farm  in  Atlas  township  and  died  March 
10,  1902,  leaving  a  widow.  Flora  (Pryor)  Dus- 
tin, and  two  children,  Ruth  M.  and  William  A. 
Dustin,  his  grave  being  made  in  the  Adams  and 
Dustin  cemetery.  The  loss  of  the  two  sons  came 
as  the  greatest  blow  that  has  ever  fallen  upon  the 
happy  home  of  our  subject  and  his  wife.  They 
were  both  promising  young  men,  in  whom  the  in- 
terest of  the  parents  centered,  and  they  had  been 
their  father's  assistants  in  business  affairs. 

Mr.  Dustin  was  for  a  long  time  a  stanch  repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  during  the  past  few  years 
his  given  his  support  to  the  democracy.  He  is  a 
man  firm  in  his  honest  convictions,  never  falter- 
ing in  his  support  of  the  principles  which  he  be- 
lieves to  be  right.  There  is  no  man  in  Pike  county 
who  has  done  more  to  improve  the  grade  of  stock- 
raised  than  has  Mr.  Dustin,  who  has  thereby  con- 
tributed to  general  prosperity,  especially  of  the 
agricultural  class.  In  all  of  his  business  affairs 
he  has  been  very  progressive,  and  has  ever  been 
reliable  and  energetic,  and  he  stands  to-day  among 
the  respected  and  honored  citizens  of  his  county. 


WILLIAM  H.  THURMON. 

William  H.  Thurmon  is  the  owner  of  a  good 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  valuable 
land  and  also  has  twenty  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Pike  county,  where  for  many  years  he  has  made 
his  home.  His  birth  occurred  in  Montgomery 
county,  Tennessee,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1829, 
and  he  comes  of  Scotch  ancestry,  the  family  hav- 
ing been  established  in  America  at  an  early  pe- 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


riod  in  the  colonization  of  the  new  world.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  David  Thurmon,  was  a 
Virginia  tobacco  planter  and  was  well-to-do  in 
his  time.  His  entire  life  was  passed  in  the  Old 
Dominion.  His  son,  Thomas  L.  Thurmon,  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Virginia  and  on 
leaving  that  state  removed  to  Cumberland  county, 
Kentucky,  where  he  married  Miss  Millie  Black. 
They  afterward  removed  to  Montgomery  county, 
Tennessee,  settling  about  twelve  miles  from  the 
county  seat  where  the  birth  of  our  subject  oc- 
curred. The  father  acted  as  -an  overseer  on  his 
father's  plantation  in  Virginia,  superintending 
the  negroes  in  their  cultivation  of  the  land  for 
many  years.  He  was  also  similarly  employed  in 
Kentucky  for  about  four  years  and  then  went  to 
Montgomery  county,  Tennessee,  where  he  con- 
tinued in  the  same  occupation  until  1841.  In  that 
year  he  arrived  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  settling 
in  Montezuma  township,  where  he  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  March  17,  1882,  when  he 
was  eighty-two  years  of  age.  His  remains  were 
interred  in  Green  Pond  cemetery,  in  Monte- 
zuma township.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
exemplified  the  true  spirit  of  religion  in  their 
lives  and  were  devoted  members  of  the  Christian 
church.  Mrs.  Thurmon  also  passed  away  in 
Montezuma  township  when  about  seventy  years 
of  age  and  later  her  husband's  remains  were  laid 
by  her  side  in  Green  Pond  cemetery.  In  their 
family  were  nine  children,  namely :  Susan  J.,  Sa- 
rah A.,  Bethena  E.,  Louisa  M.,  Mary  R.,  William 
H.,  John  T.,  James  L.  and  Adeline,  of  whom 
Mary  R.  died  in  infancy  and  was  buried  in  Green 
Pond  cemetery,  while  Susan  J.  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years,  Sarah  A.  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years,  Louisa  M.,  when  fifty-eight  years  of  age 
and  Bethena  E.  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years. 
All  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  family  burial  lot  in 
Green  Pond  cemetery, 

William  H.  Thurmon,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  a  youth  of  eleven  years  when  his 
parents  came  with  their  family  to  Pike  county 
and  here  he  has  since  resided,  his  time  and  at- 
tention being  given  to  the  acquirement  of  an  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  in  his  early  boyhood 
and  to  work  in  the  fields.  Having  arrived  at 


years  of  maturity  he  was  married  on  the  2Qth  of 
August,  1852,  to  Miss  Lucy  L.  Smith,  who  was 
of  Welsh  descent  and  a  daughter  of  Willam  and 
Delano  (Parks)  Smith.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Virginia  and  removed  from  the  Old  Dominion  to 
Ohio  when  about  twelve  years  of  age  in  com- 
pany with  his  parents.  There  he  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Miss  Parks,  whom  he  afterward 
wedded  and  they  became  the  parents  of  but  one 
child — Mrs.  Thurmon.  The  mother  died  when 
the  daughter  was  but  thirteen  months  old  and  her 
remains  were  interred  in  Athens  county,  Ohio. 
The  father  afterward  removed  from  the  Buck- 
eye state  to  Montezuma  township,  where  he  lived 
for  five  years  and  then  went  to  McDonough 
county,  Illinois,  his  death  occurring  in  Col- 
chester. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Thurmon  has  followed 
farming  with  gratifying  success  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  cultivable 
land  in  Montezuma  township.  His  farm  is  un- 
der a  good  state  of  .cultivation,  being  supplied 
with  modern  equipments  and  the  neat  and  thrifty 
appearance  of  the  place  indicates  his  careful 
supervision.  In  addition  to  this  he  has  twenty 
acres  of  timber  land,  mostly  hard  wood — oak, 
hickory  and  walnut.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurmon 
have  largely  devoted  their  lives  to  rearing  and 
educating  their  children.  They  are  the  parents 
of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  four  of  the  for- 
mer being  physicians,  a  record  perhaps  une- 
qualed  in  the  United  States.  They  provided 
them  with  excellent  opportunities  for  preparing 
for  this  field  of  business  activity  and  they  are 
polished  gentlemen,  capable  in  their  profession, 
each  meeting  with  success  in  the  locality  in  which 
he  has  become  established  in  practice. 


NORMAN  W.  BROWN. 

Norman  W.  Brown,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  35.  Atlas  township,  was  born  on  the  old 
family  homestead  of  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  upon  which  his  father,  Isaac  Brown,  lo- 
cated in  1828.  The  natal  day  of  the  son  was 
September  23,  1840,  and  he  was  reared  vipon  the 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


699 


home  place,  acquiring  his  preliminary  education 
in  the  old  log  scchoolhouse  of  the  neighborhood 
about  one  mile  from  his  father's  home.  He 
afterward,  however,  attended  the  Summer  Hill 
district  school,  from  which  he  was  graduated. 
All  this  time  he  was  living  with  his  parents,  Isaac 
and  Susan  (Smoot)  Brown,  the  former  of  Scotch 
ancestry  and  the  latter  of  Dutch  lineage.  Isaac 
Brown  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  removed 
from  the  Old  Dominion  to  Kentucky,  where  he 
was  married.  He  made  farming  his  life  work 
and  followed  that  occupation  until  his  life's  la- 
bor's were  ended  in  death.  He  became  a  pioneer 
resident  of  this  county,  settling  here  in  1828, 
when  much  of  the  land  was  still  in  possession  of 
the  government  and  few  clearings  had  been  made. 
He  at  once  began  to  cultivate  his  land  in  Atlas 
township  and  resided  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  until  his  death  in  1850.  He  had  served  his 
country  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  His 
widow  survived  him  until  April,  1860,  and  was 
then  buried  beside  her  husband  on  the  old  home 
farm  that  is  now  the  property  of  C.  B.  Dustin. 
The  old  flintlock  musket  which  was  carried  by 
Isaac  C.  Brown  in  the  war  of  1812  is  still  in  pos- 
session of  the  family,  being  now  the  property  of 
Willis  Brown,  a  brother  of  Norman  W.  Brown. 
In  the  family  of  Isaac  and  Susan  Brown  were 
thirteen  children,  namely :  Maria,  Mahala,  Squire, 
Owen,  Hardin,  John,  Willis,  James,  Isaac,  Susan, 
Jane,  Benjamin  and  Norman  W.  All  are  now 
deceased  with  the  exception  of  four.  Isaac  died 
in  infancy  and  was  buried  beside  his  parents  on 
the  old  home  farm,  where  also  lie  the  remains 
of  Hardin  and  John  Brown,  while  Susan,  Ma- 
hala and  Benjamin  were  buried  in  California  and 
Owen  was  buried  in  Kentucky  near  Mammoth 
Cave. 

Norman  W.  Brown,  the  youngest  of  his  fa- 
ther's family,  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm.  He  lost  his  father  when  but  ten  years  of 
age  and  was  reared  by  his  older  brothers  and 
sisters  with  whom  he  lived  until  nineteen  years 
of  age.  when,  in  August,  1859,  in  company  with 
William  and  James  Baxter,  he  started  for  Pikes 
Peak,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Colo- 
rado. They  traveled  with  ox  teams  a  part  of  the 
way  and  on  reaching  Nebraska  they  met  many 
35 


gold-seekers  who  were  returning  and  who  gave 
them  information  that  there  was  no  gold  to  be 
found.  This  discouraged  the  party  so  that  they 
turned  back  and  again  came  to  Pike  county.  In 
the  spring  of  1860,  however,  Mr.  Brown  once 
more  determined  to  try  and  win  a  fortune  from 
the  depths  of  the  earth,  for  favorable  reports 
concerning  mining  operations  were  still  being  re- 
ceived from  Colorado  and  California  and  other 
sections  of  the  country.  In  company  with  about 
one  hundred  and  forty  others  he  started,  the 
party  having  forty  wagons,  most  of  which  were 
drawn  by  ox  teams.  The  company  was  com- 
manded by  John  Underwood,  whom  they  elected 
captain,  and  slowly  they  wended  their  way  across 
the  plains,  completing  in  safety  the  long  trip  of 
five  months,  and  reached  Sacramento,  California, 
on  the  5th  of  September,  1860.  They  saw  many 
Indians  en  route  but  they  kept  a  strict  watch,  each 
male  member  of  the  company  standing  guard  in 
his  turn  and  they  were  not  molested.  Upon 
reaching  Sacramento  they  did  not  find  the  gold  as 
plentiful  as  they  had  pictured  in  their  minds,  so 
the  members  of  the  company  scattered  and 
sought  employment  in  various  ways.  Mr.  Brown 
went  to  work  on  a  ranch  and  was  thus  employed 
for  four  and  a  half  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  returned  home  on  the  ocean  steamer, 
Moses  Taylor,  embarking  at  San  Francisco  on 
the  1 3th  of  November,  1865.  He  disembarked 
with  six  hundred  others  at  San  Juan  on  the  coast 
of  Panama  and  from  there  they  traveled  over- 
land, crossing  the  mountains,  Mr.  Brown  riding 
a  pony.  He  finally  reached  Virginia  Bay,  where 
he  with  the  rest  of  the  party  took  a  boat  across 
the  bay  to  the  head  of  San  Juan  river,  where 
they  embarked  on  two  small  river  boats,  going 
to  Walker's  Rapids.  They  traveled  around  the 
rapids  on  foot  and  again  embarked  on  two  other 
boats,  thus  making  their  way  to  old  Graytown. 
a  small  port  in  the  Atlantic  ocean,  where  they 
took  the  steamer  Santiago  de  Cuba  for  New 
York,  arriving  safely  at  that  port.  Thence  they 
traveled  by  rail  to  Niagara  Falls,  and  then  on  to 
Quincy,  Illinois,  and  from  there  Mr.  Brown 
made  his  way  home. 

On  again  reaching  Pike  county  he  once  more 
engaged  in  farming  and  soon  afterward  he  se- 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


cured  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  jour- 
ney. He  was  married  on  the  28th  of  January, 
1869,  to  Miss  Ann  Elizabeth  Gay,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Amelia  (Yokem)  Gay,  who  are  men- 
tioned on  another  page  of  this  volume.  Unto 
this  marriage  six  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  have  been  born,  namely:  Nellie,  who 
was  born  November  25,  1869,  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  X.  J.  Carter,  of  Rockport;  Paul  W.,  who 
was  born  June  19,  1871,  and  is  now  a  practicing 
physician  in  Springfield,  Ohio ;  Carrie,  born  Oc- 
tober 27,  1873,  who  is  the  wife  of  H.  D.  Marion,  a 
resident  of  Atlas  township ;  Claud,  who  was  born 
October  9,  1876,  and  is  living  in  Carterville,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  is  employed  and  is  part  owner  in 
a  mining  machinery  foundry;  Erma,  who  was 
horn  May  22,  1882,  and  is  a  stenographer  with 
the  Simmons  Hardware  Company  of  St.  Louis ; 
and  Bert,  who  was  born  May  10,  1884,  and  re- 
sides with  his  parents. 

Politically  Mr.  Brown  is  a  republican,  unfal- 
tering in  the  advocacy  of  his  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples. He  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860  and  is  proud  of  the  fact 
that  his  second  vote  also  supported  the  martyred 
president.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  now  living 
upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Atlas  township,  where 
for  years  he  has  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits,  having  devoted  his  life  to  farm  work 
since  his  return  home  from  California  more  than 
forty  years  ago. 


MRS.  ELLEN  L.  RUPERT. 

Mrs.  Ellen  L.  Rupert,  one  of  the  most  highr 
esteemed  ladies  of  Rockport,  is  prominent  not 
only  in  social  but  also  in  business  circles,  being 
connected  with  the  firm  of  Haines,  Rupert  & 
Company.  She  possesses  excellent  business  tal- 
ent, tact,  energy  and  perseverance.  She  was 
born  in  Rockport,  July  31, 1847,  ar>d  is  a  daughter 
of  Nicholas  and  Zerilda  (DeWitt)  Crenshaw. 
The  Crenshaws  were  large  slave  owners  in  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky  and  had  extensive  planta- 
tions. The  Virginia  branch  of  the  family  were 


among  the  early  settlers  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
Her  father  and  mother  were  natives  of  Hardin 
county,  Kentucky,  to  which  state  their  parents 
had  removed  from  Virginia  at  an  early  day  in  the 
settlement  of  the  Blue  Grass  district.  Nicholas 
Crenshaw  removed  to  Jackson  county,  Missouri, 
and  Zerilda  DeWitt,  who  was  an  orphan,  also 
became  a  resident  of  that  place,  to  which  she 
went  with  her  uncle,  Daniel  Crump,  and  shortly 
afterward  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Nicholas  Crenshaw.  They  remained  residents 
of  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  for  two  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period  came  to  Rockport, 
Illinois,  where  Mr.  Crenshaw  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  cooperage  business.  He  was  for  years 
a  justice  of  the  peace  in  Atlas  township  and  was 
a  respected  and  prominent  citizen  of  his  commu- 
nity. In  1849  he  removed  to  Summer  Hill,  where 
he  resided  until  1856,  when  he  returned  to  Rock- 
port.  After  two  years,  in  1858,  he  went  to 
Scott's  Landing  in  Atlas  township,  where  he  re- 
mained for  seven  years,  when  in  1866  he  once 
more  came  to  Rockport.  Here  he  engaged  in 
merchandising  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  March,  1882,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  Rockport  cemetery.  In  business 
circles  he  figured  prominently  and  his  well  mer- 
ited reputation  for  reliability  and  enterprise 
gained  him  the  unqualified  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  many  years  before,  having 
died  at  Scott's  Landing,  January  16,  1865,  her 
remains,  however,  being  interred  in  Summer  Hill 
cemetery.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crenshaw  were 
born  eight  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Rupert  was 
the  third  in  order  of  birth.  These  are :  Oscar 
DeWitt,  born  November  4,  1844:  Ellen  Lane, 
July  31,  1847:  Florence  Jane.  November  29, 
1849;  John,  in  1851;  Fannie  Margaret,  in  June, 
1852;  Nicholas,  in  1855;  and  James  Elisha,  in 
1858.  There  was  also  one  child  who  died  at 
birth.  Of  these  the  living  members  of  the  family 
are :  Mrs.  Rupert :  Mrs.  Florence  J.  Rapalee,  of 
Sioux  City.  Iowa ;  Nicholas,  who  is  living  in 
Omaha :  and  James  Crenshaw.  The  father  was 
married  twice,  his  second  wife  being  Lucy  Dol- 
bear,  who  survives  him  and  lives  in  Denver,  Colo- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY 


701 


rado.  Unto  them  were  born  six  children :  Guy 
R..  who  lived  to  manhood  and  was  killed  in  a 
railroad  accident ;  William,  who  died  in  infancy ; 
Mary  Pryor,  a  resident  of  Quincy,  Illinois ;  Lucy, 
Etta  Ellis,  of  Rosalia,  Washington;  and  Hattie 
1  id!  Webb  and  Myrtle  May  Clark,  both  of  Den- 
ver, Colorado. 

Mrs.  Rupert  acquired  her  education  largely  in 
the  schools  of  Rockport  and  Summer  Hill  and 
also  spent  one  year  as  a  student  in  Monticello 
Seminary  at  Godfrey,  Illinois.  She  then  re- 
turned to  her  parents'  home  at  Scott's  Landing  in 
Pike  county,  and  taught  school  up  to  the  date  of 
her  marriage.  On  the  i8th  of  April,  1869,  she 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  William  M.  Haines 
and  unto  them  were  born  three  sons  :  Henry  Wal- 
lace, born  February  17,  1870;  George  Crenshaw, 
who  was  born  October  20,  1871,  and  died  at 
Scott's  Landing,  August  4,  1881,  his  remains  be- 
ing interred  in  Rockport  cemetery ;  and  William 
Homer,  born  October  6,  1876.  Mr.  Haines  was 
a  farmer  and  was  also  agent  for  the  steamboats 
at  Scott's  Landing,  acting  in  that  capacity  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  February  4, 
1 88 1,  his  remains  being  interred  in  the  Rockport 
cemetery. 

On  the  24th  of  July.  1883,  Mrs.  Haines  was 
married  to  James  D.  Rupert,  a  merchant  of 
Rockport  and  a  large  landowner,  who  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  practically  living  a  retired 
life.  He  died  January  8,  1895,  i"  Rockport  and 
was  buried  in  the  Atlas  cemetery,  three  miles 
from  the  village.  Mrs.  Rupert  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company  in 
1897,  being  associated  with  her  son  in  this  enter- 
prise. They  have  a  very  large  general  store, 
carrying  the  most  extensive  stock  of  any  estab- 
lishment in  the  western  part  of  the  county.  Her 
son,  H.  Wallace  Haines.  is  at  the  head 
of  the  firm  of  Haines.  Rupert  &  Com- 
pany, while  her  other  son.  Dr.  William 
Homer  Haines.  is  a  practicing  physician  and 
surgeon  of  note.  He  is  yet  a  young  man  of 
twenty-nine  years,  but  has  attained  success  far 
in  advance  of  most  men  of  that  age.  He  now 
resides  at  Aetna  Mills.  California,  where  he  en- 
joys a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  married 
Eugenia  Keppler,  a  native  of  California.  They 


have  one  child,  a  son,  Louis  J.  H.  Haines,  born 
March  17,  1902. 

Mrs.  Rupert  is  a  prominent  member  of  Rockport 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  takes  an  active 
and  helpful  interest  in  the  various  departments  of 
the  church  work,  being  known  throughout  the 
community  for  her  devout  spirit  and  her  wise 
counsel  and  able  assistance  in  all  matters  relating 
to  the  growth  of  the  church  and  the  extension  of 
its  influence.  It  was  largely  through  her  influ- 
ence that  an  estate  of  five  thousand  dollars  was 
given  to  the  trustees  of  the  church  in  perpetuity, 
the  income  of  which  is  to  be  used  at  the  discretion 
of  the  church  trustees.  Mrs.  Rupert  is  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trustees,  also  steward  of  the 
church  and  is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  Her  good  work  shows  her  true  Christian 
spirit.  The  poor  and  needy  find  in  her  a  friend 
and  she  ever  gives  to  the  extent  of  her  ability 
her  aid  to  all  measures  for  uplifting  humanity. 
She  is  indeed  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed 
ladies  of  Rockport  and  her  business  and  execu- 
tive ability,  her  spirit  of  benevolence  and  her  so- 
cial nature  have  endeared  her  to  all  with  whom 
she  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


S.  W.  DANIELS. 

S.  W.  Daniels  has  the  honor  of  being  the  old- 
est living  pioneer  of  Bedford,  Montezuma  town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  this  township  in  1829,  and 
therefore  through  seventy-seven  years  has  been 
a  witness  of  the  great  changes  which  have  oc- 
curred in  the  county,  his  memory  encompassing 
the  period  of  pioneer  development,  latter-day 
progress  and  of  the  modern  improvements  and 
prosperity.  His  parents  were  James  and  Olive 
Daniels,  the  former  a  native  of  the  state  of  New 
York  and  the  latter  of  Vermont.  James  Daniels 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Montezuma  town- 
ship. Pike  county.  On  emigrating  westward  he 
and  his  wife  became  residents  of  Madison  county, 
Illinois,  and  in  1823  came  to  Pike  county,  settling 
in  Montezuma  township,  where  he  entered  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
he  reared  his  family.  There  he  remained  until 
called  to  his  final  rest  and  he  carried  on  farming 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY 


until  overtaken  with  the  infirmities  of  age.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  died  on  the  old  Daniels  home- 
stead, where  their  son  S.  W.  Daniels  was  born. 
The  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812  and 
there  was  not  a  braver  or  more  gallant  soldier 
who  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  interests 
of  the  states  in  the  war  with  England.  He  be- 
came one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  county 
and  aided  in  subduing  the  wilderness  and  in  con- 
quering the  conditions  of  pioneer  life.  His  name 
is  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  early  records 
of  this  part  of  the  state  and  with  pleasure  we  pay 
our  tribute  of  respect  and  honor  to  his  memory 
because  of  what  he  accomplished  in  behalf  of  pub- 
lic progress  here. 

S.  W.  Daniels  was  reared  upon  the  old  farm 
homestead  amid  the  environments  and  conditions 
of  pioneer  life.  He  can  remember  the  time  when 
almost  all  of  the  houses  in  the  county  were  log 
cabins  and  has  noted  the  progress  that  has  been 
made  as  these  have  been  replaced  by  more  com- 
modious and  substantial  residences  built  in  mod- 
ern style  of  architecture.  The  land,  too,  was 
raw  and  uncultivated  and  the  entire  county  pre- 
sented almost  the  same  appearance  as  it  did  when 
it  came  from  the  hand  of  nature,  the  forests  be- 
ing uncut  and  the  prairies  being  uncultivated. 
There  were  few  indications  of  the  work  of  man 
in  the  county  in  his  early  boyhood  and  he  shared 
with  others  in  the  hardships  and  trials  incident 
to  pioneer  life.  As  his  age  and  strength  per- 
mitted he  met  and  more  largely  assumed  the 
duties  of  improving  the  home  farm  and  per- 
formed the  arduous  toil  incident  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  new  fields.'  In  early  manhood  he  also 
engaged  in  milling  and  continued  in  business  for 
many  years.  Subsequently  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  merchandising,  conducting  a  store  in  Bed- 
ford, being  a  partnef  in  the  firm  of  Merchant  & 
Miller.  The  relationship  was  maintained  for  a 
considerable  period  and  they  received  from  tne 
public  a  liberal  and  gratifying  patronage.  Dur- 
ing this  time  Mr.  Daniels  also  ran  a  ferry,  which 
was  then  located  in  Bedford.  For  several  years 
he  has  been  retired  from  active  life  but  yet  resides 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Daniels  was  tinited  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Frances  French  and  they  have 


since  traveled  life's  journey  most  happily  to- 
gether. She  was  a  daughter  of  John  French  and 
the  wedding  was  celebrated  in  her  father's  home 
in  1846.  Unto  this  union  were  born  five  children. 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Wesley 
P.,  George,  Julia,  Thomas  and  Rozella.  Mr. 
Daniels  and  his  good  wife  have  shared  each  oth- 
er's joys  and  sorrows  for  more  than  sixty  years. 
Their  lives  have  been  tranquil  and  like  a  river 
flowing  quietly  but  steadily  on  have  enriched  the 
community  as  the  river  does  its  valley  lands. 
They  are  now  living  in  quiet  contentment  and  in 
the  evening  of  life  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their 
former  toil  which  has  supplied  them  with  all  of 
the  comforts  which  go  to  make  life  worth  the 
living. 


GEORGE  HAKE. 

'George  Hake,  deceased,  who  was  connected 
with  farming  interests  in  Pike  county  for  many 
years  and  whose  upright  and  honorable  life 
gained  for  him  the  esteem  and  favorable  regard 
of  all  with  whom  he  was  associated,  was  born 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  May  9,  1845,  a  son  ot  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henry  Hake,  who  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  the  fatherland  and  there  spent  their  en- 
tire lives,  the  former  devoting  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  their  family  were  nine 
children,  of  whom  six  are  yet  living:  Dinie,  the 
wife  of  Fred  Strouse;  Ernest,  who  is  living  in 
Barry,  Illinois:  and  Minnie,  Carl,  Augustus  and 
William,  all  living  in  Germany. 

George  Hake  acquired  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  country  and  attracted 
by  the  business  opportunities  and  more  favorable 
conditions  of  the  new  world  he  bade  adieu  to 
friends  and  native  land  when  eighteen  years  of 
age  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America.  He 
worked  upon  a  farm  near  Perry  and  soon  after 
his  marriage  removed  to  Denver.  Colorado, 
where  he  established  a  meat  market,  having 
learned  the  business  in  his  native  country.  He 
carried  on  business  in  Denver  for  twenty  years 
with  excellent  success  and  then  returned  to 
Griggsville  because  of  poor  health,  spending  his 
remaining  days  in  this  city. 


GEORGE  HAKE 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


70S 


Mr.  Hake  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Alice 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois, 
October  10,  1852,  a  daughter  of  Spencer  H.  and 
Elizabeth  (McWhirt)  Smith.  The  father  was 
born  in  Georgetown,  Delaware,  February  9,  1825, 
and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Culpeper, 
Virginia,  November  9,  1826.  In  1847  Mr.  Smith 
came  to  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  locating  south  of 
Bernadotte,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
1861.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  in  the  town  of 
Griggsville,  where  he  engaged  in  the  painting 
business  for  two  or  three  years  prior  to  his  death. 
He  held  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  from 
1863  until  the  time  of  his  demise  and  lived  an 
upright  Christian  life.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  democracy  and  his  loyalty  to 
his  country  was  displayed  by  active  service  in  the 
Mexican  war.  He  held  the  rank  of  corporal, 
participated  in  several  battles  and  at  length  was 
shipwrecked  with  Captain  Reynolds  off  the  coast 
of  Texas.  The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Hake  was  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Smith  con- 
tinued a  resident  of  Griggsville  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1900  and  his 
widow  survived  him  until  January  19,  1906, 
when  she  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years,  two  months  and  twelve  days,  in  Perry,  Pike 
county,  Illinois.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom 
six  are  now  living :  Sarah,  Mrs.  Hake,  Cora,  Wil- 
liam, Charles  and  Lizzie. 

When  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr.  Hake  be- 
came a  member  of  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M..  and  in  his  life  always  exemplified  the  true 
spirit  of  the  craft  which  is  based  upon  mutual 
helpfulness  and  brotherly  kindness.  When  in 
Denver  he  joined  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  lodge,  No.  14,  at  Denver,  Colorado.  He 
also  belonged  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  in 
that  city  and  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  His  political  support  was  given  to  the 
democracy  and  he  always  kept  well  informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  There  was  no 
more  loyal  or  devoted  native  son  of  America  than 
George  Hake,  who  was  ever  true  to  his  adopted 
country,  her  institutions  and  her  principles.  He 
came  to  America  with  limited  capital,  but  here 
found  the  opportunities  he  sought  and  which  are 


always  open  to  ambitious,  determined  young  men. 
He  knew  that  success  might  be  acquired  by  close 
application  and  indefatigable  energy  and  upon 
these  qualities  he  placed  his  dependence  and  grad- 
ually builded  thereon  the  superstructure  of  his 
success.  At  all  times  he  enjoyed  the  confidence 
and  trust  of  his  fellowmen  because  his  life  was  in 
harmony  with  honorable  principles.  He  died  Sep- 
tember I,  1893,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  had  been  a  loyal  citizen,  a  faithful  friend  and 
a  devoted  husband  and  his  loss  comes  with  great- 
est force  in  his  own  household.  He  is  still  sur- 
vived by  his  widow,  who  yet  resides  in  Griggs- 
ville, where  she  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who 
know  her. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hake  became  the  parents  of  six 
children,  of  whom  three  are  deceased,  as  follows : 
Minn<e,»  dted  in  Denver  at  the  age  of  six  years ; 
•jErnest,'  died  in  infancy,  and  another  died  in  in- 
fancy unnamed"  "Those  living  are  George  F., 
aged  twenty-nine  years;  Emma  Nettie,  twenty- 
two  years ;  and  William  Spencer,  aged  eighteen 
years,  all  at  home. 


MRS.  MARY  A.  DOBER. 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Dober,  residing  on  section  26, 
Atlas  township,  where  she  owns  a  good  farm, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  May  14, 
1856,  and  is  the  widow  of  Joseph  Dober  and  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Gottliebe  (Hande)  Auer. 
Her  parents  removed  from  Philadelphia  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  when  their  daughter  was  only 
three  years  of  age  and  settled  upon  a  farm  in 
Kinderhook  township,  where  the  father  engaged 
in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  for  about  three  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Barry  township  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,- 
giving  his  time  and  energies  to  the  further  culti- 
vation and  development  of  the  property  up  to  the 
day  of  his  death,  which  occurred  February  28, 
1899.  He  was  born  on  the  2d  of  June,  1821,  at 
Dizchott,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  while  his  wife's 
birth  occurred  May  2,  1827,  at  Bettlinger,  Wur- 
temberg. They  became  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  ten  daughters  and  three  sons.  The  liv- 


7o6 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ing  are:  Rosina,  Charlotte,  Mary  A.,  Caroline, 
and  Jennie.  All  are  married  and  have  families  of 
their  own  and  reside  in  Pike  county,  except  Car- 
oline. 

Mrs.  Dober  was  educated  in  the  Grubb  Hol- 
low school  in  Barry  township  and  her  girlhood 
days  were  spent  under  the  parental  roof.  She 
met  her  husband,  Joseph  Dober,  in  Pittsfield  and 
was  married  there  on  the  I3th  of  April,  1873, 
by  Squire  Patterson.  Mr.  Dober  was  born  June 
13,  1848,  at  Oemesbach,  Amlobezick,  Achern, 
Baden,  Germany,  and  was  a  son  of  Frank  Dober, 
who  was  born  at  the  same  place  in  1811  and  died 
there  in  1849.  He  married  Helena  Boehler  and 
unto  them  were  born  five  children,  four  sons  and 
a  daughter,  namely :  Nicholas,  Antona,  Jo- 
hanna, Joseph  and  Frank.  After  the  death  of  her 
first  husband  the  wife  and  mother  married  George 
Woerner  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  as  follows: 
Michael,  Leo,  Fred  and  a  daughter  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woerner  with  their  chil- 
dren emigrated  to  America,  settling  in  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois,  where  the  children  .were  reared 
and  educated.  Mr.  Woerner  died  in  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  was  buried  there.  His  wife  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  grave  and  died  in  Arenzville, 
Cass  county,  Illinois,  in  June,  1893,  when  seven- 
ty-one years  of  age,  her  birth  occurring  on  the 
I2th  of  May,  1822,  in  Germany  in  the  same  place 
in  which  her  husband,  Frank  Dober,  was  born. 

Joseph  Dober,  spending  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  native  country,  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1869,  locating  first  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years,  engaged  in  the 
bakery  business.  In  1871  he  came  to  Pittsfield, 
where  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Nicholas, 
who  conducted  a  grocery  and  bakery,  so  contin- 
uing for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
.  disposed  of  his  interest  to  his  brother  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  upon  which  his  widow  now  resides, 
constituting  four  hundred  acres  of  very  valuable 
land.  He  made  extensive  improvements,  build- 
ing a  neat  frame  house,  where  a  log  dwelling  had 
formerly  stood,  the  frame  structure  being  erected 
at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  dollars.  He  also  built 
a  fine  barn  and  shed,  costing  about  nine  hundred 
dollars.  Here  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 


raising,  making  a  specialty  of  sheep,  and  was 
thus  engaged  until  the  time  of  his  demise. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dober  were  born  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters :  Adel- 
bert,  born  in  Pittsfield,  January  27,  1874;  Louis 
J.,  born  in  Pittsfield,  November  6,  1875  ;  Anna 
Dora,  born  in  Pittsfield,  January  17,  1880;  Harry 
A.,  born  in  Pittsfield,  July  27,  1883;  Eta  J.,  born 
in  Atlas  township,  January  17,  1889;  Francis  R., 
born  in  Atlas  township,  October  7,  1892 ;  and 
Joseph  Leo,  born  at  the  present  home  place,  Au- 
gust 14,  1902.  Of  these  all  are  living  with  the 
exception  of  Adelbert,  who  died  in  infancy,  May 
29,  1874,  and  was  buried  in  the  West  cemetery 
at  Pittsfield.  Louis  J.  married  Estie  Fisher  and 
they  have  two  daughters,  Nellie  and  Flora  Do- 
ber. Anna  Dora  is  the  wife  of  Walter  J.  Haynes 
and  they  have  a  daughter,  Lizzie  M.  Haynes. 

Mr.  Dober  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
democrats  of  Pike  county,  recognized  as  a  leader 
in  the  ranks  of  his  party,  while  his  opinions  car- 
ried weight  in  its  local  councils.  He  was  elected 
supervisor  of  Atlas  township  for  two  terms  and 
served  for  two  terms  as  road  commissioner, 
while  for  twelve  years  he  was  a  school  director, 
holding  these  different  offices  in  Atlas  township. 
He  was  likewise  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
branch  line  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  extending 
between  Pittsfield  and  Maysville,  Illinois,  occu- 
pying the  position  for  about  three  years.  He 
was  also  treasurer  for  the  Sny  Island  levee  drain- 
age district  of  Pike,  Adams  and  Calhoun  count- 
ties  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  close 
student  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  the  demands  of 
the  public  and  the  news  of  general  interest  and 
his  efforts  were  always  of  a  practical  and  bene- 
ficial nature. 

He  was  also  a  prominent  member  of  several 
fraternal  orders.  He  became  a  charter  member 
of  Ambrosia  lodge,  No.  778,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he 
likewise  held  membership  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Mutual  Protective 
League,  the  Court  of  Honor,  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Pike  County  Mutual  Life  Asso- 
ciation, being  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  ten- 
ets and  teachings  of  these  various  organizations, 
which  are  based  upon  mutual  helpfulness  and 
brotherly  kindness.  Mr.  Dober  was  likewise  a 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


707 


member  of  the  Congregational  church  and  was 
elected  as  one  of  its  trustees,  serving  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  his  death. 

For  several  years  prior  to  his  demise  he  was 
in  very  poor  health  and  finally  on  the  nth  of  Oc- 
tober, 1903,  he  went  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where 
he  underwent  an  operation  for  appendicitis,  and 
four  days  later,  on  the  iSth  of  October,  he  died 
from  the  effects  of  the  operation.  His  remains 
were  brought  back  to  his  home  in  Atlas,  where 
the  funeral  services  were  held  and  the  great  es- 
teem, which  was  so  uniformly  given  him,  was 
evidenced  by  the  large  concourse  of  friends  who 
attended  the  funeral  services  to  pay  their  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  him.  The  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  took  charge  of  the  funeral  arrangements 
and  escorted  his  remains  to  the  Adams  and  Dus- 
tin  cemetery  near  Atlas,  where  he  was  laid  to 
rest,  being  buried  with  the  rites  of  the  order  by 
Pittsfield  lodge.  The  keenest  sorrow  was  felt  at 
his  death  for  he  was  so  universally  esteemed  and 
loved  as  to  make  his  demise  come  as  a  personal 
loss  to  a  great  many  friends.  An  upright  Chris- 
tian man  he  performed  every  service  devolving 
upon  him  faithfully  and  well  promoted  by"  a  love 
of  his  God,  his  country,  his  home  and  his  honor. 
Mrs.  Dober  still  resides  upon  the  old  home  farm 
in  the  midst  of  her  children  and  grandchildren. 
This  is  a  valuable  property,  well  improved  and 
returning  to  her  each  year  a  handsome  income, 
so  that  she  is  now  enabled  to  enjoy  all  of  the  com- 
forts and  manv  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 


CHARLES  W.  BATLEY. 

Charles  W.  Batley,  whose  entire  life  has  been 
devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  who  is  num- 
bered among  the  enterprising  and  leading  farm- 
ers of  Montezutna  township,  was  born  in  Fair- 
mount  township,  Pike  county,  on  the  4th  of  Au- 
gust, 1859,  his  parents  being  Milton  and  Eliza- 
beth (Walker)  Batley.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Scott  county,  Illinois,  born  in  1836.  while  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  this  county  in  1837. 
They  were  married  February  4,  1858,  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  five  children :  Charles  W., 


Ada,  Mary,  Robert  and  Maud.  Of  this  number 
Ada  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  and 
Maud  died  in  infancy,  the  remains  of  both  being 
interred  in  Dorsey  cemetery  at  Perry.  Milton 
Batley,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war,  enlisting  in  the  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  with  which  he  served  throughout 
the  period  of  hostilities,  taking  part  with  Sher- 
man on  the  march  to  the  sea  and  participating  in 
a  number  of  important  engagements.  He  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Black  River. 

Charles  W.  Batley,  spending  his  boyhood  days 
under  the  parental  roof,  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  and  early  be- 
came familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the 
soil  and  caring  for  the  crops.  In  early  manhood 
he  chose  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey,  being  married  on  the  igth  of  June,  1884, 
to  Miss  Lizzie  Heavner,  by  whom  he  has  one 
son,  Archer  Leland,  born  July  14,  1891.  Mrs. 
Batley  is  a  daughter  of  James  D.  and  Matilda 
(Thomas)  Heavner.  She  was  born  in  Detroit 
township,  February  19,  1864,  and  was  the  third 
in  a  family  of  seven  children,  two  of  whom  are 
now  decased.  Her  father,  who  was  born  in  Pike 
county,  January  7,  1835,  and  was  therefore  one 
of  its  honored  pioneer  settlers,  passed  away  in 
Milton,  February  2,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years,  while  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  Pike 
county,  February  10,  1839,  is  still  living.  They 
were  married  November  4,  1858.  Mr.  Heavner 
was  also  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  in 
1864  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  he  was  wounded  in  the 
battle  of  Memphis.  He  was  connected  with  the 
pioneer  development  of  the  county,  being  famil- 
iar with  the  work  and  the  incidents  which  led  to 
the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  this  section  of  the 
state  at  an  early  day  as  well  as  with  its  latter- 
day  progress  and  prosperity. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Batley  took  up 
his  abode  upon  a  farm  and  has  devoted  his  entire 
life  to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  now  operat- 
ing two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  consti- 
tuting a  valuable  and  well  improved  property. 
He  has  brought  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  uses  the  latest  improved  machin- 
ery in  the  care  of  his  crops.  Both  he  and  his 


PAST  AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and 
are  well  known  and  worthy  representatives  of 
honored  pioneer  families.  Mr.  Batley  gives  his 
political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day,  but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office  seeking,  preferring  to  devote  his 
time  and  energies  to  his  business  interests,  in 
which  he  is  meeting  with  signal  success. 


WILLIAM  E.  PAYNE. 

William  E.  Payne,  following  the  occupation  of 
farming  in  Atlas  township,  was  born  May  16, 
1874,  in  Derry  township,  Pike  county,  his  parents 
being  George  and  Sarah  M.  (Stairs)  Payne. 
The  father  was  born  in  Derry  township,  Decem- 
ber 29,  1849,  which  fact  indicates  that  the  family 
was  well  established  here  in  early  pioneer  times. 
He  followed  farming  during  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  but  also  engaged  in  contracting  to  some 
extent.  He  was  married  in  1871  to  Miss  Sarah 
Stairs,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Atlas  township 
on  the  I4th  of  May,  1850.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Frederick  O. ;  William  E. ;  John  W., 
who  died  in  1902,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven 
years ;  Arthur  E. ;  James  D. ;  George,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  month  and  was  buried  in  the 
Taylor  cemetery  near  'Eldara ;  Clarence  O. ;  Iva 
L. ;  and  Cecil  I.  Payne.  The  parents  are  both 
deceased  and  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Rockport 
cemetery.  The  mother  died  on  the  I7th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1895,  and  the  father  passed  away  on 
Christmas  day  of  the  same  year,  his  grave  being 
made  by  her  side  in  the  cemetery  at  Rockport. 

William  E.  Payne  was  reared  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  has  followed  farming  throughout 
his  entire  life.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  Atlas  and  Derry  townships 
and  during  the  periods  of  vacation  worked  in  the 
fields,  so  that  he  early  became  familiar  with  the 
practical  methods  of  carrying  on  farm  labor.  On 
the  27th  of  December,  1897,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Xettie  M.  Hubble,  a  daughter 
of  William  H.  H.  and  Frances  H.  (Kyle)  Hubble, 


both  of  whom  are  living.  Her  father  is  now  a  farmer 
of  Knox  county,  Missouri,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  was  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army, 
remaining  at  the  front  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties. Ten  children  have  been  born  unto  William 
H.  H.  and  Frances  Hubble,  five  sons  and  five 
daughters,  as  follows:  Elizabeth  A.,  Nettie  M., 
Charles  W.,  George  A.,  Jesse  E.,  Grace  B.,  Nora 
A.,  Lena  E.,  Russell  L.  and  John.  Of  these 
Lena,  Russell  and  John  are  now  deceased  and 
their  remains  were  interred  near  Knox  City,  in 
Knox  county,  Missouri. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Payne  has  been 
blessed  with  two  sons  and  two  daughters :  Mabel 
F.,  born  December  24,  1898;  Ray  A.,  who  was 
born  November  16,  1902,  and  died  February  16, 
1903 ;  Owen  E.,  who  was  born  January  5,  1903, 
and  died  October  9,  1905,  his  grave  being  made 
in  Samuel  Taylor  cemetery,  while  Ray  was 
buried  in  the  Rockport  cemetery ;  and  William 
E.,  who  was  born  July  18,  1905. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Payne  is  an  earnest 
and  stalwart  republican  but  while  in  thorough 
sympathy  with  his  party  and  its  principles  he 
has  never  sought  office  as  a  reward  for  party 
fealty.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  but  his  time  and  attention  are  chiefly 
given  to  his  farm  interests,  which  are  capably 
conducted,  his  early  experience  making  him  a 
practical  representative  of  this  line  of  work  in 
his  native  county. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  AKERS. 

George  Washington  Akers,  who  is  conducting 
the  only  freighting  business  in  Pearl,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  Virginia,  November  9, 
1850,  upon  a  farm  belonging  to  his  father,  Wil- 
•liam  Akers.  The  latter  on  leaving  the  Old  Do- 
minion removed  with  the  family  to  Washington 
county,  Missouri,  settling  in  the  town  of  Cale- 
donia in  1855.  There  he  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  1861,  when  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  enlisting  in  Company 
I,  Third  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Breckenridge  and  Colonel 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


709 


Whiteley.  He  served  until  the  close  of  the  war 
and  took  an  active  part  in  many  of  the  conspicuous 
battles.  At  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  he  picked  up 
the  flag  and  placed  it  upon  the  wall  after  the  color 
bearer  had  been  shot  down.  His  clothes  were 
pierced  by  nine  bullets,  but  he  sustained  no 
wounds.  However,  he  became  ill  while  in  the 
Service  and  never  fully  recovered  his  health. 
His  bravery  and  loyalty  were  above  question  and 
his  interest  in  the  Union  cause  was  manifested 
by  his  unfaltering  fidelity.  Returning  to  the  old 
homestead  in  Caledonia,  his  death  there  occurred, 
and  he  was  buried  in  that  locality.  Soon  after- 
ward his  wife,  with  their  five  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  was  the  eldest,  removed  to  Martins- 
burg,  Pike  county,  in  1865.  She  rented  a  farm  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Martinsburg,  where  she 
lived  with  her  family  for  four  years,  the  chil- 
dren attending  school  in  the  neighborhood. 
These  were:  George  W.,  Charles,  Monroe, 
Maggie  and  William  Akers.  The  mother  now  re- 
sides in  Pearl  with  her  son  George  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years  and  was  for  many  years  received 
a  pension  from  the  government  because  of  her 
husband's  service  in  the  Civil  war. 

During  the  residence  of  the  family  in  Martins- 
burg,  George  W.  Akers  of  this  review  engaged 
in  performing  many  farm  duties  and  from  1869 
until  1875  he  was  employed  as  a  jockey  in  Pike, 
Greene  and  Calhoun  counties  and  also  rode  some 
famous  horses  in  California  for  Benjamin  Stewart, 
the  owner  of  some  noted  race  horses.  In  1876 
he  returned  to  this  county,  settling  in  the  village 
of  Pearl,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

In  November  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Akers  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Dora  Allen  and  unto 
them  were  born  five  children,  of  whom  three  are 
living:  William  E.,  Charles  F.and  Flora.  Of  these 
William  E.  Akers  married  Bertha  Cloninger  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  Edith  M. 
Charles  F.  married  Helen  Lacy  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  one  child,  Temperance  I.  Flora 
is  the  wife  of  William  Manhana  and  has  two  chil- 
dren :  Walter  R.  and  Icel  E.  Manhana.  The  other 
two  children  of  the  Akers  family  were  twins  and 
died  at  birth  and  the  mother's  death  also  occurred 
the  same  time.  On  the  7th  of  November, 
1886,  Mr.  Akers  was  again  married,  his  second 


union  being  with  Lillie  May  Miller,  by  whom  he 
had  ten  chidren,  of  whom  nine  are  yet  living, 
as  follows:  Arnold,  Ina,  Sadie  C.,  Raymond  L., 
Dicy  E.,  Benjamin,  Virden  A.,  Herbert  and 
Mabel  J.  The  other  child  died  at  birth. 

Mr.  Akers  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge.  No.  125,  at  Pearl,  which  he  joined  upon 
its  organization  in  1891.  He  has  made  his  own 
way  in  life  and  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him 
for  what  he  has  accomplished.  Since  1905  he 
has  conducted  a  transfer  business  and  is  the  only 
representative  of  this  line  in  Pearl. 


MRS.  IZORA  A.  DEAM. 

Mrs.  Izora  A.  Deam,  residing  on  sections  15 
and  16,  Atlas  township,  was  born  January  i,  1856, 
in  Martinsburg  township,  Pike  county,  and  is  the 
widow  of  the  late  William  L.  Deam.  Her  par- 
ents were  Samuel  D.  and  Anna  (Cook)  Capps,  the 
former  a  native  of  Missouri  and  the  latter  of  Ten- 
nessee. The  father  during  his  infancy  was 
brought  to  Martinsburg  township,  Pike  county, 
by  his  parents,  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Capps.  The 
former  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  located  on 
a  tract  of  land  in  Martinsburg  township,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  the  culti- 
vation of  crops  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
was  a  very  earnest  advocate  of  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance, and  was  often  heard  upon  that  subject 
upon  the  lecture  platform.  He  was  married  twice, 
wedding  Miss  Butler  after  the  death  of  his  first 
wife.  By  the  first  marriage  there  were  two 
children,  a  daughter  and  son,  and  by  the  second 
marriage  there  were  two  sons  and  six  daughters. 
At  his  death  Daniel  Capps  was  laid  to  rest  in  a 
grave  in  Colorado,  having  gone  to  that  state  dur- 
ing the  gold  excitement  at  Pikes  Peak.  His  first 
wife  was  buried  in  the  Burbridge  cemetery  near 
Martinsburg,  Illinois,  and  his  second  wife  was 
laid  to  rest  in  the  same  cemetery. 

Samuel  Capps,  father  of  Mrs.  Deam,  was  reared 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Martinsburg 
township  amidpioneerconditionsand  surroundings 
for  the  family  lived  here  in  early  days.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  district  schools  in  Martinsburg  and 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  was  only  fifteen 
years  of  age  at  the  .time  of  his  father's  death,  and 
he  greatly  aided  his  mother  in  caring  for  his 
younger  sisters  and  brothers,  and  in  attending  to 
the  farm  duties.  Having  reached  mature  years  he 
wedded  Anna  Cook,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Deam  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth.  There  were  four  sons 
and  four  daughters,  as  follows:  Daniel  G.,  Izora 
A.,  Netha  A.,  Clara  A.,  Stephen  A.,  Marcus  I., 
Leah  Phenia  and  Samuel  D.  Of  these  Daniel, 
Stephen,  Leah  Phenia  and  Samuel  are  deceased, 
the  first  three  having  been  buried  in  the  Black 
Oak  cemetery  in  Martinsburg  township,  while 
Samuel  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Mason  graveyard 
near  Nebo,  Illinois.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
Samuel  D.  Capps  gave  his  entire  attention  to 
farming  arid  stock-raising,  and  his  earnest  and 
well  directed  efforts  brought  to  him  a  good  living 
and  enabled  him  to  provide  his  family  with  many 
of  the  comforts  of  life.  His  birth  occurred  May 
10,  1829,  in  Missouri,  and  he  passed  away  in  this 
county,  April  i,  1873,  his  remains  being  interred 
in  Black  Oak  cemetery.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
January  28,  1832,  in  Tennessee,  now  survives 
him  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years  and  makes 
her  home  in  Nebo,  Illinois,  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Clara  A.  (Capps)  Gaw. 

Mrs.  Deam,  spending  her  girlhood  days  in  her 
parents'  home,  acquired  her  education  in  the  Black 
Oak  schoolhouse  in  her  native  township,  and  un- 
der her  mother's  guidance  she  was  trained  to 
the  work  of  the  household,  so  that  she  was  well 
qualified  to  take  charge  of  a  home  of  her  own  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  On  the  gth  of  October, 
1879,  she  wedded  William  L.  Deam,  a  son  of 
David  W.  and  Sarah  C.  (Deal)  Deam.  His  fa- 
ther was  one  of  Pike  county's  prominent  farmers 
and  stock-raisers.  He  was  born  January  10,  1831, 
in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Susan  (Kiser)  Deam,  also  natives  of 
the  Buckeye  state.  In  his  early  manhood  David 
W.  Deam  joined  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
transferred  his  membership  to  Illinois  when  he 
came  from  Ohio  to  this  state  in  1856,  but  per- 
mitted his  membership  to  lapse  when  sickness 
and  infirmities  of  age  came  upon  him.  He  was 
married  March  23,  1844,  to  Miss  Sarah  Caroline 


Deal,  the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  by 
the  same  minister  who  had  christened  him,  and 
for  whom  he  was  named.  By  this  union  there 
were  four  children :  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs.  Brock ; 
William  L. ;  Dora  B. ;  and  Warren  G.  Of  the 
number  Dora  died  when  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  Warren  G.  married  Helen  Williams,  while 
William  L.  married  Izora  A.  Capps.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1902,  David  Deam  suffered  a  severe  attack 
of  illness,  form  which  he  never  fully  recovered, 
remaining  in  an  invalid  condition  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  August  24,  1905. 
He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Brock,  his  son.  Warren  G.  Deam,  and  his 
grandson,  Homer  D.  Deam,  a  son  of  our  subject, 
besides  six  other  grandchildren  and  Lewis  Deam, 
a  brother,  who  resides  in  Dayton,  Ohio.  His 
daughter  Dora  had  died  February  24,  1876,  and 
his  son,  William  L.  Deam,  on  the  i6th  of  April, 
1902.  David  Beam  had  lived  continuously  at 
his  home  in  Summer  Hill  from  1867  and  in  the 
years  in  which  he  enjoyed  good  health  he  ranked 
among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Pike  county 
and  was  classed  with  her  representative  men. 
He  was  buried  in  the  family  lot  in  the  West 
cemetery  at  Pittsfield. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  L.  Deam  was  bora 
but  one  child,  Homer  David  Deam,  whose  birth 
occurred  June  19,  1893,  and  he  now  resides  with 
his  mother  on  the  home  farm  in  Atlas  township. 
The  father,  William  L.  Deam,  had  been  educated 
in  the  district  schools  of  Summer  Hill,  had  been 
reared  to  farm  life  upon  his  father's  place  and 
had  remained  at  home  until  he  made  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land  of  sixty-two  acres  about  1880.  This 
tract  was  situated  on  section  21,  Atlas  township. 
At  .this  time  he  was  married,  and  as  his  financial 
resources  increased  he  added  to  his  property  from 
time  to  time  until  at  his  death  he  owned  an  es- 
tate of  six  hundred  acres  of  very  valuable  land, 
which  is  now  in  possession  of  his  widow.  Of 
this  sixty-two  acres  is  very  rich  and  productive 
bottom  land  and  the  remainder  is  as  good  rich 
farming  land  as  can  be  found  in  Pike  county. 
William  L.  Deam  was  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  county,  making 
rapid  advancement  in  his  business  career.  Each 
step  was  carefully  and  thoughtfully  made  and 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


71 1 


after  forming  his  plans  he  was  determined  in 
their  execution.  He  was  never  known  to  misuse 
a  public  trust  or  betray  the  confidence  of  a  friend 
and  it  was  through  honorable,  straightforward 
business  methods  that  he  won  his  prosperity.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  a  stalwart  republican, 
interested  in  the  success  of  his  party  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  serving  as  road  commis- 
sioner of  Atlas  township.  He  always  stood  in 
the  front  rank  of  those  who  desired  the  good  and 
welfare  of  the  community  and  was  popular  with 
every  one,  his  friends  being  almost  as  numerous 
as  the  number  of  his  acquaintances.  In  the  midst 
of  a  prosperous  career  and  happy  home  life  he 
was  called  to  his  final  rest  April  16,  1902,  being 
then  but  forty-five  years  of  age,  for  his  birth 
had  occurred  on  the  27th  of  September,  1856. 
Mis  loss  was  deeply  deplored  by  many  warm 
friends  as  well  as  his  immediate  family,  the  com- 
munity mourning  the  loss  of  a  representative 
citizen,  his  lodges  a  faithful  member  and  his  fam- 
ily •  a  devoted  husband  and  father.  He  belonged 
to  the  Masonic  order,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp  and -the  Pike  County  Mutual  Association. 
He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  West  cemetery  at  Pitts- 
field  and  his  memory  is  yet  cherished  by  many 
who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Deam  has  always  lived  in 
this  county,  representing  old  pioneer  families, 
through  her  own  as  well  as  her  husband's  rela- 
tions. She  and  her  son  still  reside  upon  the 
farm,  which  her  husband  left  to  her,  and  Mrs. 
Deam  has  many  friends  in  the  county. 


NELSON  McCANN. 

Nelson  McCann,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war 
residing  in  Rockport,  was  born  in  Jackson 
county,  Ohio,  March  17,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Polly  (Thompson)  McCann.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  where  he  carried 
on  business  as  a  planter,  but  his  last  days  were 
spent  in  White  county,  Illinois,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  at  Carmi,  White  county.  His  wife 
died  when  their  son  Nelson  was  but  three  weeks 
old  and  the  place  of  her  burial  is  unknown  to  him. 

When  about  nine  years  of  age  Nelson  McCann 
was  bound  out  to  John  Pyles,  of  White  county, 


Illinois,  previous  to  his  coming  to  Pike  county. 
He  was  to  serve  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
but  he  remained  with  Mr.  Pyles  only  until  his 
eleventh  year,  when  he  ran  away  and  hired  out 
as  a  steamboat  employe  on  the  Pike  No.  9.  He 
was  thus  engaged  for  about  three  years,  after 
which  he  went  to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where 
he  secured  employment  on  the  plantation  of  Levi 
Lorance,  with  whom  he  continued  for  about  four 
years,  being  engaged  in  general  work  on  the 
plantation.  In  1858  he  returned  northward, 
making  his  way  to  Pittsfield,  and  soon  he  secured 
employment  with  John  Coulter,  a  farmer,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  nearly  three  years,  or 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 

Mr.  McCann  had  watched  with  interest  the 
progress  of  events  in  the  south  and  had  noted 
the  dissatisfaction  manifested  among  the  slave 
holders  and  resolved  that  if  a  blow  was  struck 
to  overthrow  the  Union  he  would  stand  for  its 
defense.  Accordingly  after  the  inauguration  of 
hostilities  he  enlisted  and  became  a  member  of 
Company  B,  Third  Missouri  Volunteer  Cavalry 
in  April,  1862.  He  then  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Kirkville,  Missouri,  Moores  Mill  and  various 
skirmishes  and  was  mustered  out  at  Macon,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
on  the  6th  of  June,  1865,  after  more  than  three 
year's  active  connection  with  the  army.  At  the 
end  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Rockport  and  on 
account  of  a  wound  sustained  at  Pattersonville, 
Missouri,  which  incapacitated  him  for  further 
labor  he  has  largely  lived  retired  since  that  time, 
the  government  granting  him  a  pension. 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  McCann  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Martha  (McMullen)  Roan,  the 
widow  of  Jacob  Roan,  of  Rockport,  Illinois,  and 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Lavina  McMullen.  Unto 
them  have  been  born  five  children :  John,  de- 
ceased :  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Wilson,  of 
Rockport,  and  has  six  children,  Ernest,  Ida, 
Louis,  Goldie,  Mattie  and  Hugh  Wilson;  Hen- 
rietta, the  wife  of  W.  J.  Petty,  by  whom  she  has 
two  children,  Maud  and  Nelson  Petty ;  General 
Francis  McCann,  who  is  deceased,  and,  like  his 
brother  John,  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Taylor 
cemeterv  near  Rockport ;  and  William  McCann, 
who  married  Ida  Hilnian  and  had  seven  children. 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


of  whom  five  are  living — Nelson,  George,  Mary, 
Paul  and  Martha.  The  two  deceased  died  un- 
named in  infancy  and  were  buried  in  the  Taylor 
cemetery.  Mr.  McCann  of  this  review  now  has 
thirteen  living  grandchildren.  He  and  his  es- 
timable wife  reside  in  Rockport,  the  former  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years  and  the  latter  at 
the  age  of  seventy-one.  They  have  now  traveled 
life's  journey  together  for  forty-five  years,  shar- 
ing with  each  other  its  hardships,  its  joys,  its 
adversity  and  prosperity,  its  sorrows  and  its  hap- 
piness. They  are  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  them  and  Mr.  McCann  is  a  worthy  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  thus 
maintaining  pleasant  relationship  with  his  old 
army  comrades. 


WILLIAM  H.  YOKEM. 

William  H.  Yokem,  devoting  his  attention  to 
farming  in  Ross  township,  is  part  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  fine  bottom  land.  In  the  ownership  and  con- 
trol of  this  property  he  is  associated  with  his 
brothers,  J.  D.  and  S.  O.  Yokem.  He  was  born 
in  Atlas  township,  May  30,  1874,  a  son  of  Henry 
F.  and  Hattie  A.  (Weaver)  Yokem.  The  father 
.died  in  October,  1890,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
Wells  graveyard  but  the  mother  is  still  surviving 
and  resides  at  Pleasant  Hill  with  her  youngest 
son,  Solomon  O.  Yokem.  There  were  five  chil- 
dren in  the  family.  Zula,  who  died  in  infancy  and 
was  buried  in  the  Wells  graveyard  near  Pleasant 
Hill ;  William  H.,  of  this  review ;  Catherine  B. ; 
Jesse  D. ;  and  Solomon  O. 

William  H.  Yokem  acquired  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  Atlas  and  Ross  townships. 
He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  and  as- 
sisted him  in  the  work  of  cultivating  the  land  and 
caring  for  the  crops  until  his  eighteenth  year,  at 
which  time  the  father  died.  He  then  took  charge 
of  the  property,  so  continuing  until  his  twenty- 
fifth  year,  during  which  time  his  grandfather, 
William  Yokem,  died  and  deeded  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  to  our  subject,  his  two 
brothers  and  his  sister.  The  brothers  then  pur- 


chased the  sister's  interest  and  are  now  the  own- 
ers of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
Pike  county.  Mr.  Yokem  of  this  review  also  con- 
ducted this  farm  as  well  as  the  home  farm  up  to 
the  time  of  his  marriage. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1899,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  William  H.  Yokem  and  Miss  Jennie 
E.  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  James  B.  and  Mary 
L.  (Mooney)  Thompson.  The  father  is  a  native 
of  Pike  county,  where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life 
and  at  the  present  is  engaged  in  farm  duties  on 
our  subject's  farm.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
League  and  his  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  republican  party.  Unto  him  and  his  wife 
were  born  two  children,  Mrs.  Yokem  and  her  sis- 
ter Laura,  who  was  born  September  23,  1886, 
and  died  April  19,  1893,  her  remains  being  in- 
terred in  the  Balls  Bluff  cemetery  near  Atlas, 
Illinois.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Thompson,  is  a  native 
of  Tennessee  and  is  now  making  her  home  in 
St.  Louis. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yokem  have  been  born 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  name- 
ly: Solomon,  born  November  26,  1900;  Hallie  B., 
born  June  14,  1902 ;  Mary,  December  26,  1903 ; 
and  Henry,  on  the  4th  of  September,  1905. 

Politically  Mr.  Yokem  is  a  republican,  who 
has  always  been  identified  with  the  party  since  age 
conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  His 
attention  has  ever  been  given  to  his  farm  work 
and  his  agricultural  interests  are  capably  man- 
aged, the  farm  being  a  valuable  property  well 
improved. 


WILLIAM  P.  SARGENT. 

William  P.  Sargent  is  one  of  the  old  settlers  of 
Bedford  deserving  honorable  mention  in  the  pages 
of  Pike  county's  history.  He  was  born  December 
31.  1824,  in  Worcester  county,  Massachusetts,  and 
has  therefore  passed  the  eighty-first  milestone 
on  life's  journey.  His  parents  were  William  and 
Polly  (Frost)  Sargent.  The  father  was  born, 
reared  and  educated  in  Worcester  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  afterward  turned  his  attention  to 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


farming,  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  that 
pursuit  for  ten  years.  When  his  son  William  P. 
was  a  youth  of  twelve  years  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  settling  at  Summer  Hill,  Pike 
county,  where  he  rented  a  farm,  carrying  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  in  that  locality  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  about 
a  half  mile  from  Bedford,  when  he  was  fifty- 
three  years  of  age,  his  remains  being  interred  in 
Bedford  cemetery.  His  wife  also  died  at  the 
same  place  and  her  grave  was  made  by  the  side  of 
her  husband's  remains.  She  was  sixty-three 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 

William  P.  Sargent  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county 
and  continued  his  studies  in  Summer  Hill.  He 
was  reared  to  farm  life  and  in  1856  he  went  to 
Whiteside  county,  Illinois,  where  he  secured  em- 
ployment as  a  farm  hand,  remaining  there  for 
seven  weeks.  He  was  afterward  similarly  em- 
ployed by  Elijah  Burnham,  of  Pike  county,  with 
whom  he  continued  for  three  months,  when  he 
entered  the  employ  of  Cyrus  H.  Chandler,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  1854.  In  the  meantime 
he  married  Mr.  Chandler's  daughter,  Eliza  E. 
Chandler,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the 
5th  of  January.  1853.  Her  great-grandfather, 
David  Chandler,  was  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  Canada.  He  was 
sitting  at  the  breakfast  table  when  a  British  offi- 
cer came  and  notified  him  to  join  the  British 
ranks  or  else  leave  for  the  United  States.  He 
abruptly  quitted  the  table  without  finishing  his 
breakfast  and  at  once  came  to  this  country,  where 
his  descendants  have  since  remained  as  worthy 
residents  of  the  United  States.  The  paternal 
grandparents  of  Mrs.  Sargent  were  David  and 
Hannah  (Abbott)  Chandler,  and  the  former 
built  the  second  saw  and  grist  mill  in  Pike 
county,  its  location  being  on  Six  Mile  creek.  He 
died  in  1845.  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1848, 
and  both  were  buried  in  the  Bethel  graveyard  at 
Martinsburg.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Sargent  were 
Silas  A.  and  Laura  K.  (Coleman)  Chandler,  who 
were  married  March  5,  1835.  Her  father  was 
engaged  in  milling  and  farming  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  fifty-two 
years  of  age.  His  wife  also  passed  away  in 


Bedford  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  his  side  in  Bed- 
ford cemetery.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Silas  Chan- 
dler were  born  seven  'children:  Harriet  E.,  now 
Mrs.  Sargent ;  David,  deceased,  who  was  laid 
to  rest  on  the  old  homestead  farm  near  Summer 
Hill ;  Josiah  C. ;  Hannah  M.,  who  died  and  was 
buried  in  Bedford  cemetery ;  Silas  E. ;  Mary  A., 
whose  remains  were  also  interred  in  Bedford 
cemetery;  and  John  W.  Chandler. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Sargent  built  a 
home  in  Bedford  and  afterward  worked  in  his 
father-in-law's  mill  there  for  several  years.  He 
assisted  in  laying  the  foundation  as  well  as  build- 
ing the  mill,  doing  this  work  in  1852.  During 
that  time  he  was  also  a  partner  in  a  general  mer- 
cantile store  in  Time,  so  continuing  for  six 
months,  after  which  he  sold  his  interest.  He  next 
turned  his  attention  to  flat-boating  on  the  Illinois 
river  but  after  two  months  returned  to  the  mill, 
with  which  he  was  connected  for  several  years  or 
until  the  death  of  his  father-in-law  on  the  2Oth 
of  September,  1864.  Mr.  Sargent  then  pur- 
chased the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  mjll 
and  removed  to  the  old  Chandler  homestead, 
where  he  and  his  wife  now  reside.  He  gave  his 
attention  to  farming  and  for  many  years  exten- 
sively carried  on  genefal  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  has  led  a  life  of  intense  and  well  directed  ac- 
tivity and  his  unfaltering  diligence  and  persever- 
ance constitute  the  secret  of  his  success. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sargent  have  been  born 
nine  children:  William  O.,  Laura  A.,  Mary  E., 
Silas  O.,  Arthur  E.,  Harriet  E.,  Martha  E., 
Frank  and  Sarah  O.  Of  these  six  have  now 
passed  away  and  they  are  mentioned  in  order  of 
death  as  follows:  Mary  E.,  Laura  A.,  Silas  O., 
Arthur  E.,  Frank  and  Sarah,  all  of  whom  were 
laid  to  rest  in  the  Bedford  cemetery.  The  first 
born  son.  William  O.  Sargent,  was  born  June 
18,  1855.  in  the  house  which  his  father  had  built 
in  1854.  The  family  removed  to  the  old  Chan- 
dler homestead  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age 
and  there  he  was  reared.  He  married  Ella  A. 
Morgan,  a  daughter  of  Walter  and  Catharine 
Morgan  and  they  now  occupy  the  old  home- 
stead which  was  built  by  his  father.  William  O. 
Sargent  has  for  twelve  years  been  agent  for  the 
Eagle  Packet  Company,  whose  boats  ply  between 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


St.  Louis  and  Peoria.  Harriet  E.  Sargent  was 
married  March  n,  1884,  to  Thompson  A.  Lan- 
dess  and  they  have  three  children,  William  A., 
Jessie  E.,  and  Gladys  A.  Their  home  is  two  and 
a  half  miles  southeast  of  Milton.  Martha  E. 
Sargent  was  married  December  20,  1898,  to  John 
A.  Bauer  and  they  have  one  child.  Their  home 
is  about  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Milton 
and  just  across  the  road  from  the  Landess  farm. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sargent  are  still  living  upon 
the  old  Chandler  homestead,  he  having  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years,  while  his 
wife  is  now  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  they  are  worthy  and  prominent  couple,  the 
circle  of  their  friends  being  almost  co-extensive 
with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintances.  Mr.  Sar- 
gent is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Bedford  and 
has  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the  develop- 
ment and  growth  of  this  county,  taking  an  active 
interest  in  what  has  been  accomplished  and  sup- 
porting in  as  far  as  possible  every  measure  which 
he  has  deemed  of  public  benefit. 


CHARLES  I.  RUPERT. 

Charles  I.  Rupert,  whose  activity  in  business 
has  been  a  potent  element  in  the  commercial  prog- 
ress of.  Rockport.  is  well  known  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company.  He 
was  born  November  6,  1858,  in  the  town  where  he 
yet  makes  his  home,  his  parents  being  James  D. 
and  Elizabeth  (Applegate)  Rupert.  His  father 
was  born  in  Armstrong  county,  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  i2th  of  January,  1825,  and  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Pike  county  in  1838,  when  but  twelve 
years  of  age,  accompanying  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  this  section  of  the  state.  The  name 
Rupert  therefore  has  been  associated  with  the 
history  of  Pike  county  through  almost  seven  de- 
cades and  has  always  stood  as  a  synonym  for 
good  citizenship  and  for  loyalty  to  progressive 
public  measures.  His  education  was  obtained 
in  one  of  the  old-time  log  schoolhouses  and  he 
afterward  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  1850 
he  crossed  the  plains  to  California  with  the  great 


tide  of  emigration  that  was  constantly  flowing 
westward  and  working  at  blacksmithing  in  Sacra- 
mento until  1853,  when  he  again  came  to  Pike 
county.  In  1854,  however,  he  returned  to  Cali- 
fornia and  again  followed  his  trade  there  for  about 
a  year  but  in  1855  once  more  came  to  Pike  county. 
Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  three  children : 
a  daughter  who  died  in  infancy  unnamed; 
Carson  X.,  who  died  February  26,  1897,  and 
was  buried  in  the  Adams  cemetery  at  Atlas, 
Pike  county ;  and  Charles  I.,  of  this  review.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  when  fifty-three  years  of 
age  and  was  also  laid  to  rest  in  the  Adams  ceme- 
tery at  Atlas.  Later  the  father  married  again, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Ellen  L.  Haines. 
who  is  yet  a  resident  of  Rockport.  The  father, 
however,  died  in  this  village,  nearing  his  seven- 
tieth year  and  the  interment  was  made  in  Adams 
cemetery. 

Charles  I.  Rupert  acquired  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Rockport,  and  later 
entered  the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  where 
he  completed  the  work  for  the  sophomore  year. 
He  was  achssmateof  Ex-Governor  Richard  Yates, 
of  Illinois,  and  Ex-Congressman  Williams,  of 
Pike  county,  and  William  Jennings  Bryan  was 
a  student  in  the  college  at  the  same  time.  After 
leaving  Jacksonville,  Mr.  Rupert  became  a  fac- 
tor in  business  life  in  Rockport  as  a  member  of  the 
mercantile  firm  of  Rupert  &  Donohoe.  This  was 
formed  in  1878,  and  the  relation  was  maintained 
until  1889,  at  which  time  a  change  in  the'  part- 
nership occurred,  and  the  firm  style  of  J.  D.  Ru- 
pert &  Son  was  assumed,  our  subject  becoming  a 
partner  of  his  father.  They  carried  on  business 
together  until  February,  1891,  at  which  time  a  dis- 
astrous fire  destroyed  their  store  and  its  contents, 
and  the  succeeding  four  years  were  spent  in  set- 
tling up  the  business  of  the  firm.  On  the  8th  of 
January,  1895,  the  elder  Mr.  Rupert  died,  and 
subsequent  to  his  death,  Charles  I.  Rupert  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  the  mercantile  store  of  An- 
derson, Taylor  &  Company,  at  which  time  the 
name  of  Anderson,  Rupert  &  Company  was  as- 
sumed, the  partners  being  H.  L.  Anderson,  H. 
W.  Haines,  W.  J.  Garner  and  Charles  I.  Rupert. 
The  firm  continued  to  do  business  under  that 
name  until  the  summer  of  1897,  when  the  partner- 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


ship  was  dissolved  and  the  business  closed  out. 
At  that  time  Charles  I.  Rupert  entered  into  part- 
nership with  his  stepmother,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Rupert, 
and  his  half-brother,  H.  W.  Haines,  the  business 
being  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  Haines 
&  Rupert  for  several  years ;  but  the  present  firm 
style  is  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company.  They  carry 
a  very  large  line  of  goods,  embracing  everything 
found  in  a  general  store,  and  their  business  has 
increased  year  by  year  until  it  has  assumed  quite 
extensive  proportions.  Mr.  Rupert  also  has  quite 
valuable  farm  interests,  principally  in  Atlas  town- 
ship. He  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Rockport 
and  has  taken  a  deep  and  helpful  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  town,  county 
and  state.  His  co-operation  has  been  a  strong, 
directing  force  in  many  movements  for  the  gen- 
eral good.  In  matters  relating  to  private  business 
interests  and  to  public  concern  his  views  are  pene- 
trative and  practical,  and  his  labors  have  been  a 
beneficial  and  resultant  element.  Politically  he  is 
a  republican,  having  always  affiliated  with  that 
partv. 


CHARLES  E.  THURMON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Thurmon  is  a  well  known  rep- 
resentative of  the  medical  fraternity  in  Milton 
and  in  his  practice  has  advanced  beyond  medi- 
ocrity and  become  recognized  as  a  capable  expo- 
nent of  the  great  scientific  principles  which  under- 
lie his  chosen  profession.  He  was  born  July  25, 
1853,  near  Milton  and  is  a  son  of  William  H>  and 
Lucy  L.  (Smith)  Thurmon.  His  father  came  to 
Pike  county  in  the  early  '403  with  his  parents 
and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs!  William  H.  Thurmon 
are  now  living  upon  the  old  family  homestead 
near  Milton,  his  life  having  been  given  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  his  well  improved  farm  being 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  activity  and  energy  in 
former  years. 

Dr.  Thurmon  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field  and 
meadow  until  his  twentieth  year,  at  which  time  he 
obtained  a  certificate  to  teach  school.  He  spent 
the  following  ten  years  as  an  instructor  in  the 
country  and  graded  schools  of  Pike  county  and 


was  an  able  educator,  imparting  with  clearness 
and  readiness,  to  others  the  knowledge  that  he 
had  acquired.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  dec- 
ade he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
instruction  of  Dr..  Evan  Scott,  of  Time,  and 
afterward  attended  a  full  course  of  lectures  in 
Missouri  Medical  College  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1885.  He  en- 
tered upon  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Pearl,  Pike  county,  where  he  also  conducted  a 
drug  store  for  six  and  a  half  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  retired  from  mercan- 
tile life  to  devote  his  attention  exclusively  to  his 
professional  duties  and  removed  to  Milton,  where 
he  has  since  practiced  with  gratifying  success, 
having  a  large  and  growing  patronage.  He  has 
kept  in  touch  with  the  advancement  made  by  the 
medical  fraternity  and  in  addition  to  a  large  pri- 
vate practice  he  was  acting  as  railroad  surgeon 
for  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  during  his 
residence  in  Pearl.  He  was  the  originator  and 
proprietor  of  a  tobacco  cure  that  is  fast  gaining 
wide-spread  reputation. 

Dr.  Thurmon  was  married  December  18,  1888, 
to  Miss  Mary  B.  Hayden  and  unto  them  have 
been  born  two  children :  Charles  R.,  who  died  in 
infancy ;  and  Edward  V.  Thurmon,  who  is  living 
with  his  parents  in  Milton.  The  Doctor  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Milton  lodge,  No.  275,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
also  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  Of  strong 
mentalitv  and  earnest  purpose,  he  has  advanced  in 
his  profession  until  he  ranks  among  the  leading 
members  of  the  medical  fraternity  and  moreover 
by  a  genial  manner,  unfailing  courtesy  and  defer- 
ence for  the  opinions  of  others  he  has  -gained  a 
wide  and  favorable  social  acquaintance. 


MRS.  EMMA  J.   BROWN. 

Mrs.  Emma  J.  Brown,  residing  in  Atlas  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  July  20.  1844, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Hag- 
erty)  Lutz.  Her  parents  left  the  Keystone  state 
when  their  daughter  was  but  six  years  of  age, 
and  made  their  way  direct  to  Pittsfield.  Pike 
county. Illinois, where  Mrs.  Brown  was  educated. 


7i6 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


Her  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed 
that  pursuit  up  to  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  Pittsfield  in  1853  and 
was  buried  in  the  South  cemetery,  while  Mr. 
Lutz  departed  this  life  in  1883  in  Summer  Hill, 
and  his  remains  were  interred  by  the  side  of  his 
wife's  grave. 

Emma  J.  Lutz  spent  her  girlhood  days  in  her 
parents'  home,  and  on  the  5th  of  February,  1862, 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  in  Rockport,  Illi- 
nois to  Roger  Sherman  Brown,  who  was  born 
in  Missouri,  September  i,  1838.  He  was  a  Mis- 
sissippi river  pilot,  and  made  trips  mostly  between 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  He 
engaged  in  steamboating  up  to  the  time  of  his 
illness,  which  was  terminated  in  death  at  Summer 
Hill  on  the  2Qth  of  June,  1901,  his  remains  being 
interred  in  the  cemetery  at  that  place. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  had  been  born  seven 
children :  Sherman  H.,  deceased ;  Charles  M. ; 
Addie  May,  who  has  also  passed  away ;  Walter 
P. ;  Emma  M.,  likewise  deceased ;  Lizzie  B. ;  and 
W.  Robert  Brown.  Of  these  Sherman  H.  died 
February  2,  1895,  and  was  buried  in  Summer 
Hill  cemetery,  while  Addie  M.  passed  away  Au- 
gust II,  1899,  and  Emma  on  the  22d  of  July, 
1895.  All  were  interred  in  Summer  Hill  ceme- 
tery, where  the  remains  of  the  father  were  also 
kid  to  rest.  Of  the  surviving  children,  Lizzie 
became  the  wife  of  Clarence  Wassell,  who  is  a 
general  merchant  of  Summer  Hill,  Illinois.  He 
was  born  October  31,  1880,  in  New  Hartford, 
Pike  county,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Emma 
(Bentley)  Wassell.  His  father,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
is  now  a  farmer  of  New  Hartford,  Illinois,  and 
was  there  married,  since  which  time  he  and  his 
wife  have  resided  in  New  Hartford.  Their  son 
Clarence  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  town 
and  in  Brown's  Business  College  at  Jacksonville, 
Illinois.  He  had  previously  engaged  in  teaching 
at  Stoney  Point  at  the  age  of  .seventeen  years.  He 
left  college  in  1889,  and  afterward  obtained  a 
position  as  profit  clerk  with  the  Simmons  Hard- 
ware Company,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  with 
which  he  continued  for  about  three  and  a  half 
years.  Subsequently  he  opened  a  general  mercan- 
tile store  in  Summer  Hill,  which  he  is  now  con- 
ducting, being  one  of  the  enterprising  and  suc- 


cessful merchants  of  that  place.  Previous  to  this 
time  he  married  Miss  Lizzie  B.  Brown,  daughter 
of  Captain  R.  S.  and-  Emma  (Lutz)  Brown,  the 
wedding  being  celebrated  on  the  I5th  of  De- 
cember, 1900.  By  this  union  there  have  been 
born  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter:  Clar- 
ence Dwight,  who  was  born  May  n,  1902;  and 
Edna  Elizabeth,  born  August  18,  1905. 

Mrs.  Brown  resides  in  Summer  Hill  with  her 
daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  WasseU, 
and  is  deeply  interested  in  her  little  grandchil- 
dren, who  contribute  much  to  her  happiness. 


DAVID  A.  WILLIAMS. 

David  A.  Williams,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Davidson  county,  North  Carolina, 
July  22,  1832.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Dora  Wil- 
liams, who  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  a  direct  lineal 
descendant  of  the  Williams  family  of  Virginia, 
who  came  from  England  many  years  prior  to  the 
Revolution.  John  Anderson  Williams,  the  father 
of  David  A.,  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois  in 
the  fall  of  1834,  and  settled  on  section  30  in  De- 
troit township,  Pike  county,  where  he  cleared  the 
land,  made  a  home,  and  reared  his  family  of  ten 
children.  About  1849  ne  purchased  a  farm  ad- 
joining the  village  of  Detroit  and  resided  on  the 
same  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Sedalia, 
Missouri,  where  some  of  his  children  had  pre- 
ceded him,  and  there  he  spent  his  last  years,  dy- 
ing in  March,  1876. 

David  A.  Williams  at  an  early  age  began  farm- 
ing operations  for  himself  and  from  the  outset 
was  a  successful  business  man  and  soon  became 
possessed  of  a  valuable  farm,  on  which  he  resided 
until  his  retirement  from  business  and  removal 
to  Pittsfield  in  the  fall  of  1891,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death,  February  13,  1906.  His  marriage 
to  Emily  A.  Hayden,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  E. 
Hayden,  of  Newburg  township,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  was  solemnized  May  10,  1854. 
To  them  were  born  eleven  children,  three  dying 
in  infancy,  the  remaining  eight  are:  Mrs.  H. 
D.  Williams;  W.  E.  Williams;  Mrs.  D.  F.  Allen, 


DAVID  A.   WILLIAMS 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


719 


whose  decease  occurred  August  16,  1905;  A. 
Clay;  David  Lawson;  Dr.  Hugh  T. ;  Lillian  E. ; 
and  Blanche  N.  His  wife  died  March  15,  1896, 
and  ten  years  later,  after  four  years  of  failing 
health,  due  to  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  he  passed 
away  peacefully,  surrounded  by  a  devoted  family 
of  children,  who  mourn  the  loss  of  a  dutiful  and 
affectionate  father. 

By  his  death  the  county  lost  a  good  citizen ; 
one  who  always  stood  up  boldly  for  the  right  as 
he  saw  it.  He  was  a  frank,  plain-spoken  man  of 
strong  character  and  detested  shams  and  hypoc- 
risy wherever  found.  Public  affairs  were  to  him 
of  great  concern,  and  he  always  bore  his  part  of 
the  burden  incident  to  good  citizenship  and  the 
early  development  of  the  county.  He  was  a 
democrat  and  took  an  active  interest  in  politics, 
believing  it  to  be  a  duty  of  every  citizen  to  par- 
ticipate and  have  a  voice  in  all  matters  affect- 
ing the  public  welfare. 


GEORGE  W.  ROBERTS. 

George  W.  Roberts,  one  of  the  oldest  native 
sons  of  Pike  county,  and  a  resident  of  Pearl 
township,  was  born  in  Kinderhook  township,  De- 
cember 25,  1841,  and  is  descended  from  an  old 
Virginian  family.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
George  Roberts,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  as  was 
his  wife,  and  he  removed  from  the  Old  Domin- 
ion to  Kentucky,  when  the  latter  state  was  a  vast 
wilderness,  with  savage  foes  on  every  hand;  and 
so  numerous  were  the  encounters  with  the  red 
men,  that  the  districts  became  known  as  "the 
dark  and  bloody  ground."  He  assisted  in  open- 
ing up  the  wilderness  to  the  advance  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  co-operated  with  Daniel  Boone  and 
other  sturdy  pioneers  in  subjugating  the  coun- 
try, repelling  the  attacks  of  the  savages  and  plant- 
ing the  seeds  of  development  and  culture  there. 
He  became  a  resident  of  the  settlement  known  as 
Boonesboro. 

Ezekiel  Roberts,  father  of  George  W.  Roberts, 
was  born  in  Boone  county,  Kentucky,  where  he 
remained  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he 
went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  served  an 


apprenticeship  to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which 
he  carried  on  throughout  his  active  business  ca- 
reer. He  died  in  Cincinnati,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
seven  years,  and  his  remains  were  interred  there. 
He  married  Alvira  Clarke,  who  died  at  Kinder- 
hook,  Pike  county,  when  about  forty-eight  years 
of  age.  Her  mother  was  born  in  England  and 
came  to  America  with  her  parents  before  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ezekiel 
Roberts  were  born  six  children,  namely:  James 
D.,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  John,  George  W.  and  Cath- 
erine. All  are  now  deceased  with  the  exception 
of  George  W.  and  James,  the  latter  a 
resident  of  Carson  City,  Nevada.  He  was 
one  of  the  gold-miners  of  California  of  1849, 
going  to  the  Pacific  coast  from  Kinderhook,  and 
he  is  now  deputy  warden  at  the  penitentiary  at 
Carson  City,  Nevada. 

GeVge  W.-. Roberts,  was  reared  to  farm  life; 
and  pursued  his;  education  in  the  country  schools 
of  Pike  county^  where  his  parents  had  taken  up 
their  abode  about"1 .1.833,  being  among  the  earliest 
settlers  in  the  county.  'yHe  began  earning  his  own 
living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand ;  and  was  thus 
employed  until  1857,  when  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  he  became  a  river  man,  working  on  the 
steamers,  rafts  and  woodboats  for  about  five  years 
or  until  1862.  In  that  year  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Rowena  Albert. 

It  was  not  long  afterward  that  Mr.  Roberts 
enlisted  in  the  Twentieth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, which  was  assigned  to  the  Third  Division, 
First  Brigade,  Seventeenth  Army  Corps,  com- 
manded by  General  Frank  P.  Blair,  of  Missouri. 
He  was  with  General  Sherman's  army  on  the 
celebrated  march  to  the  sea,  which  proved  the 
weakness  of  the  Confederacy.  He  served  until 
hostilities  were  ended  and  was  then  mustered  out 
in  Chicago,  in  June,  1865. 

Returning  to  Pearl  township,  Mr.  Roberts  was 
engaged  in  merchandising,  milling  and  farming 
up  to  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  active  busi- 
ness life  in  1890.  He  now  lives  upon  the  old 
homeplace  at  Bee  creek,  and  is  in  possession  of  n 
comfortable  competence,  which  has  been  acquired 
entirely  through  his  own  labors.  He  gave  clost 
and  unremittng  attention  to  his  business;  and 
carefullv  directed  his  work  until,  as  the  years 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


passed,  he  had  gained  a  capital  that  now  enables 
him  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest. 

Mr.  Roberts  is  well  known  not  only  in  Pike 
county  but  throughout  the  congressional  district ; 
and  the  sterling  traits  of  character,  which  he  has 
ever  manifested,  have  made  him  worthy  the  re- 
spect which  is  uniformly  accorded  him.  The  first 
official  position  he  ever  filled  was  that  of  school 
director  of  district  No.  3,  in  Pearl  township,  about 
1873.  He  afterward  served  as  constable  of  the 
township  for  four  years,  and  was  next  chosen 
supervisor,  which  office  he  has  filled,  at  various 
times,  for  twelve  years.  He  was  township  col- 
lector for  one  term,  and  is  assessor  of  Pearl  town- 
ship, having  been  elected  in  1905.  He  has  al- 
ways affiliated  with  the  democratic  party,  and  is 
an  ardent  supporter  of  William  Jennings  Bryan. 
His  official  service  has  been  characterized  by  un- 
questioned loyalty,  as  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  has  been  so  long  retained  in  office. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  have  been  born 
eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  namely : 
Josephine,  now  the  wife  of  T.  B.  Fisher ;  George 
E. ;  John  E. ;  Mary ;  W.  J. ;  J.  W. ;  Florence,  now 
the  wife  of  J.  A.  Stillwell,-  of  Pearl;  and  Virgil. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  T.  J.  Taylor  and  resides  in 
St.  Louis.  The  family  are  a  credit  to  the  parents, 
the  members  being  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  Pike  county ;  and  Mr.  Roberts,  as  one  of  the 
honored  pioneer  residents,  public-spirited  citi- 
zens and  reliable  business  men,  well  deserves  rep- 
resentation in  this  volume. 


HENRY  JASPER  HAMNER. 

Henry  Jasper  Hamner,  who  follows  farming 
on  section  27,  Atlas  township,  was  born  in  Hardin 
township  on  the  24th  of  October,  1859,  and  in  his 
boyhood  was  sent  to  the  district  schools,  and  later 
continued  his  studies  in  Franklin  county,  Kansas 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Margaret  (Black- 
ketter)  Hamner.  The  father  is  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, having  been  born  near  Columbus,  that  state. 
He  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming, 
which  he  chose  as  a  life  work;  and  in  the  early 
'405  he  came  to  Pike  county,  settling  in  Hardin 


township  upon  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
good  land.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began 
the  cultivation  and  development  of  this  property, 
and  throughout  his  entire  life  carried  on  the  work 
of  tilling  the  soil  and  gathering  his  crops.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Blackketter  be- 
fore he  left  Indiana,  and  ten  children  were  born 
unto  them,  the  subject  of  this  review  being  the 
fifth  in  order  of  birth.  The  members  of  the  family 
are  as  follows :  Martha  J. ;  Francis  M.,  deceased, 
who  was  buried  in  the  Rose  Hill  cemetery  near 
Nebo,  Illinois;  Sarah  R. ;  George  W.,  deceased, 
whose  remains  were  interred  at  Muskogee,  In- 
dian Territory;  Henry  Jasper  of  this  review; 
Francis  T. ;  Rosa  E.,  who  at  her  death  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Ball  Bluff  cemetery  near  Atlas,  Il- 
linois ;  Joshua  E. ;  Thomas  W. ;  and  Lucinda.  The 
father  of  Henry  J.  Hamner  died  in  the  forty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Rose  Hill  cemetery  near  Nebo,  Illinois.  His 
wife  survives  him  and  resides  with  her  son 
Thomas  W.  Hamner,  of  Nebo. 

Henry  J.  Hamner  of  this  review  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  no 
event  of  special  importance  occurring  to  vary 
the  routine  of  such  a  life  for  him.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  the  22d  of  July,  1880,  to  Miss  Belle  Cline, 
a  daughter  of  Taylor  M.  and  Charlotte  (Jen- 
kins) Cline.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, and  in  1860  emigrated  to  Pike  county,  set- 
tling in  Atlas  township,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  for  a  year.  He  then  removed  to  Mis- 
souri, where  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  for  about  twelve  years.  Later  he  went 
to  Peoria,  Illinois.  Subsequently  he  removed 
to  Pike  county  and  afterward  went  to  Peoria,  in 
the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  still  carries  on 
farming ;  and  he  and  his  wife  make  their  home  in 
that  place.  Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Hamner,  was 
born  in  Columbus,  Indiana,  in  June,  1860,  and 
when  twenty  years  of  age  gave  her  hand  in  .mar- 
riage to  Mr.  Hamner.  By  this  union  have  been 
born  five  children,  three  daughters  and  two  sons, 
namely :  Henry  T..  born  May  6,  1881 ;  Rosa  E., 
February  27,  1884;  Charles  E.,  November  18, 
1889;  Edna  L.,  October  8,  1891;  and  a  daugh- 
ter who  died  at  birth  unnamed,  and  was  buried 
in  the  Petty  cemetery  near  Rockport. 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


721 


Mr.  Hamner  came  to  Atlas  without  a  dollar, 
bringing  a  tent  with  him  and  living  in  it  in  Jockey 
Hollow  in  Atlas  township  through  the  greater 
part  of  one  summer.  He  is  truly  a  self-made 
man,  acquiring  his  possessions  entirely  through 
his  own  efforts.  At  the  present  time  he  is  enjoy- 
ing a  creditable  and  gratifying  measure  of  pros- 
perity, having  become  the  owner  of  a  good  tract 
of  land,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  so  that  he  annually  harvests  good 
crops  that  bring  him  a  very  desirable  financial 
return.  He  has  not  allowed  himself  to  become 
discouraged  and  disheartened  by  any  obstacles 
or  difficulties  in  his  path,  but  has  regarded  such 
as  an  impetus  for  renewed  effort;  and  his  in- 
defatigable energy  has  been  one  of  the  strongest 
•  features  in  his  success.  In  politics  he  has  ever 
been  a  stalwart  republican,  and  fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ica.  He  now  has  a  large  acquaintance  in  Pike 
county ;  and  no  man  is  more  deserving  of  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume,  among  its  representative 
citizens,  than  Henry  Jasper  Hamner. 


J.  H.  BILLINGS. 

Of  the  younger  men  who  have  won  prominence- 
in  Pike  county  by  reason  of  superior  business 
ability,  none  are  more  deserving  of  mention  in 
this  volume  than  J.  H.  Billings,  a  capitalist  of 
Rockport,  who  from  a  humble  financial  position 
has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward,  his  business 
career  being  such  as  any  man  might  be  proud  to 
possess.  Characterized  by  strict  adherence  to 
the  rules  which  govern  unfaltering  industry  and 
unabating  energy,  he  has  so  utilized  his  oppor- 
tunities that  he  stands  today  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful business  men  of  the  western  part  of  Pike 
county.  He  was  born  in  Atlas  township,  near 
Rockport,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1864,  and  is 
a  son  of  Samuel  and  Fannie  (Bowman)  Billings. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  became  a  prominent  farmer  of  Pike 
county.  In  1884  he  removed  to  Dutch  creek, 
where  he  died  in  1893,  his  remains  being  interred 
in  the  Taylor  cemetery,  about  four  miles  from 


Rockport.  His  wife  survived  until  March  13, 
1903,  and  died  in  Louisiana,  Missouri,  afteY 
which  her  remains  were  brought  back  to  Pike 
county  for  burial  by  the  side  of  her  husband  in 
Taylor  cemetery. 

J.  H.  Billings  is  indebted  to  the  country  schools 
of  his  native  township  for  the  educational  privi- 
leges he  enjoyed.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm,  and  gave  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1895.  In  the  meantime  his  earnest 
labor  had  brought  him  capital  sufficient  to  justify 
his  purchase  of  land ;  and  in  the  conduct  of  his 
farm  he  had  acquired  a  handsome  competence, 
which  he  saved,  sufficient,  in  the  year  mentioned, 
to  enable  him  to  become  a  factor  in  the  money- 
loaning  interests  of  the  county.  In  connection 
with  other  business  affairs  he  became  a  financial 
broker;  and  he  now  has  at  his  command  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  which  he  loans  out  from  time 
to  time  on  real  estate,  and  chattel  mortgages.  He 
has  also  for  ten  years  done  a  note-brokerage  busi- 
ness, and  is  the  owner  of  a  well  cultivated  farm 
of  seventy-eight  acres,  situated  on  Dutch  creek, 
in  Atlas  township.  His  property  holdings  also 
embrace  two  of  the  best  residences  in  Rockport ; 
and  his  realrestate  business  interests  are  the  visible 
evidence  of  a  life  of  well  directed  energy  and 
thrift.  He  has  been  intimately  associated  in  busi- 
ness affairs  with  Dr.  J.  H.  Welch  for  some  years. 
They  were  reared  together,  being  playmates  in 
their  boyhood  days ;  and  a  warm  friendship  has 
since  existed  between  them  that  lias  also  been 
maintained  in  intimate  relations  in  business  af- 
fairs. They  are  now  associated  together  in  a 
number  of  business  concerns. 

On  the  igth  of  October,  1904,  Mr.  Billings  was 
married  to  Miss  Minnie  M.  Miller,  a  daughter 
of  Newton  J.  and  Julia  (Ward)  Miller,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Pike  county,  having  been 
born  in  Atlas  township.  The  father  died  in  thai 
township,  near  Rockport,  April  10,  1891,  and  was 
buried  in  the  West  cemetery  near  Pittsfield.  JO!M 
Ward,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Billings,  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Pike  county  in  1844. 
He  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Atlas 
township,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  for  many  years.  He  died  in  that  town- 
ship near  Rockport,  and  his  remains  were  in- 


722 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


terred  in  the  Hornback  cemetery,  in  Derry  town- 
ship. His  wife,  Mrs.  Rhoda  Ward,  was  also  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years  on  the  same  farm  on  which  her  husband's 
death  occurred,  her  remains  being  then  interred 
by  his  side. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Billings  is  an  earnest 
republican,  having  supported  the  party  since  at- 
taining his  majority.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  and 
is  popular  in  both  organizations.  His  life  is  a 
splendid  illustration  of  what  may  be  accomplished 
through  energy,  determination  and  laudable  am- 
bition. In  early  manhood  he  worked  for  eight 
years  for  William  H.  Gay,  being  employed  by 
the  month  at  a  salary  of  from  thirteen  to  twenty- 
four  dollars  per  month.  By  the  careful  husband- 
ing of  his  resources  and  his  sound  business  judg- 
ment, supplementing  his  unfaltering  industry  he 
stands  today  among  the  capitalists  of  the  county, 
and  is  an  honored  representative  of  its  financial 
interests. 


JAMES  H.  WELCH,  M.  D. 

Dr.  James  H.  Welch,  physician  and  surgeon  at 
Rockport,  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1868.  The  family  in  America  came 
originally  from  Ireland,  the  grandfather  of  Dr. 
Welch  emigrating  from  the  Green  Isle  of  Erin 
to  Bullitt  county,  Kentucky.  Samuel  Welch,  his 
son  and  the  father  of  Dr.  Welch,  was  born  in 
Bullitt  county,  and  on  attaining  man's  estate  was 
married  to  a  childhood's  playmate,  Miss  Clemma 
McNutt,  also  a  native  of  that  county.  He,  too, 
was  a  physician  of  superior  capability  and  learn- 
ing. Removing  from  Kentucky  to  Audrain 
county,  Missouri,  he  was  one  of  its  earliest  and 
most  prominent  practitioners. 

Dr.  James  H.  Welch,  spending  his  boyhood 
days  in  his  parents'  home,  supplemented  his  early 
•educational  privileges  by  a  partial  classical  course 
in  the  public  schools  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and 
was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Ladclonia, 
Missouri,  in  1885.  He  further  continued  his  stu- 
dies in  Lewis  College  in  Glasgow,  Missouri,  in 
1887,  there  pursuing  a  classical  course.  In  the 


same  year  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine.  He 
may  have  been  influenced  concerning  his  choice 
of  a  profession  by  inherited  tendency,  by  environ- 
ment or  by  natural  predilection.  At  all  events,  it 
seems  that  the  choice  which  he  made  for  a  life 
work  was  a  very  wise  one,  as  he  is  well  adapted 
for  professional  services  in  this  capacity  and  has 
won  creditable  success.  In  1888  he  entered  the 
Central  University  Hospital  College  of  Medicine 
at  Louisville,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1891,  the  commencement  exercises  being 
held  on  the  I7th  of  June  of  that  year.  A  year 
prior  to  his  graduation  he  had  also  attended  Ma- 
rion Sims  Medical  College  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, and  was  likewise  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution in  1891. 

Entering  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Vic- 
tor, Missouri,  Dr.  Welch  remained  there  for  six 
months  and  in  1892  came  to  Rockport,  where  he 
has  since  remained  in  active  practice.  He  is  prac- 
tically a  self-made  man,  for  although  he  received 
some  aid  from  his  father  in  his  college  course,  he 
afterward  repaid  him  and  therefore  he  owes  his 
professional  knowledge  to  his  own  industry  and 
laudable  ambition.  Since  becoming  an  active 
representative  of  the  medical  fraternity,  he  has 
made  continued  advancement,  for  he  possesses 
a  nature  that  could  never  content  itself  with  me- 
diocrity. He  has  constantly  endeavored  to  pro- 
mote his  efficiency  and  knowledge  of  the  science 
of  medicine,  and  has  won  the  esteem  and  respect 
of  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity  as  well  as  of  the 
general  public. 

Dr.  Welch  was  married  in  1892  to  Miss  Mollie 
Donbhoe,  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Phila  Dono- 
hoe.  There  were  two  children  born  of  this  mar- 
riage, 'Phila  D.  and  Samuel  P.  The  wife  and 
mother  died  December  9,  1899,  and  was  buried  in 
the  Taylor  cemetery  near  Rockport.  On  the  I4th 
of  February,  1903,  Dr.  Welch  wedded  Miss 
Maud  Harris,  of  Atlas,  Illinois,  and  they  enjoy 
the  favorable  regard  of  many  friends  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  reside.  Dr.  Welch  has  an 
extensive  practice  in  Atlas  township,  and 
other  parts  of  the  county.  He  possesses 
a  genial,  cordial  nature  which  renders  him 
a  companionable  gentleman ;  and  his  cheery 
presence  is  a  valuable  supplement  to  his  profes- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


723 


sional  skill  in  the  sickroom.  A  gentleman  of 
broad,  general  reading,  as  well  as  professional 
knowledge  he  keeps  informed  on  all  the  ques- 
tions of  interest  of  the  day ;  and  his  salient  char- 
acteristics bear  the  stamp  of  "sterling." 


FREDERICK  H.  FARRAND. 

Frederick  H.  Farrand,  a  well  known  repre- 
sentative of  the  banking  business  in  Griggsville, 
being  the  cashier  of  the  Illinois  Valley  Bank,  was 
born  in  this  city,  April  24,  1871,  and  is  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  eighth  generation  of  the  descend- 
ants of  Nathaniel  Farrand,  the  progenitor  of  the 
family  in  America,  who  in  1645  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Milford,  Connecticut.  At  a  more  remote 
period  the  Farrands  were  a  French  Huguenot  fam- 
ily, whose  estates  were  forfeited  in  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  sixteenth  and  early  part  of  the  sev- 
enteenth centuries.  Some  of  the  family,  escap- 
ing from  France,  appear  to  have  settled  in  Eng- 
land on  the  border  of  Wales,  while  others  went 
to  the  north  of  Ireland ;  and  it  is  believed  that  the 
Farrand  family  as  represented  in  the  line  from 
which  our  subject  springs,  came  from  the  branch 
that  was  established  in  Ireland.  In  France  the 
name  was  sometimes  spelled  Ferrand.  Nathaniel 
Farrand.  the  progenitor,  was  the  father  of  Na- 
thaniel Farrand,  second,  and  grandfather  of  Sam- 
uel Farrand,  who  toward  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  settled  in  Newark,  New  Jersey. 
His  son,  Ebenezer  Farrand,  lived  in  Bloomfield, 
New  Jersey,  and  became  the  father  of  Bethuel 
Farrand,  who  enlisted  with  the  New  Jersey  pro- 
vincial troops  and  held  a  commission  as  lieuten- 
ant, with  which  rank  he  commanded  a  company  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  He  lived  in  Parsippany, 
Morris  county,  New  Jersey,  and  his  wife  was 
Rhoda  (Smith)  Farrand.  Their  son,  Samuel  Far- 
rand, settled  in  Michigan  in  1835,  and  with  his 
son  shared  in  the  hardships  of  frontier  life  there. 

Elbridge  Gerry  Farrand,  son  of  Samuel  Far- 
rand and  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Bridgeport,  Vermont,  November  12,  1814,  and 
died  on  the  ist  of  May,  1885.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth McWilliams,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Scotch 
Ridge,  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  July  3,  1827,  and 


she  passed  away  on  the  23d  of  January,  1903. 
An  extended  account  of  the  parents  is  given  in 
connection  with  the  sketch  of  James  A.  Farrand 
on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Frederick  H.  Farrand,  spending  his  boyhood 
days  under  the  parental  roof,  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Griggsville, 
and  afterward  was  given  an  opportunity  of  at- 
tending the  State  University  of  Illinois  at  Cham- 
paign. In  1892  he  became  a  factor  in  commercial 
circles  in  Griggsville,  dealing  in  hardware.  He 
conducted  his  store  for  about  nine  years  or  until 
1901,  when  he  sold  out  and  in  the  following  year 
joined  his  brother,  James  A.,  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness, establishing  the  Illinois  Valley  Bank.  He 
has  since  been  its  cashier,  and  has  been  active  in 
its  management.  Already  the  bank  has  become 
a  strong  financial  institution  of  the  county,  and 
has  secured  a  gratifying  patronage. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1893,  Frederick  H. 
Farrand  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna- 
bel Parker,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  at  her 
home  in  Griggsville  by  the  Rev..Poe,  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mrs.  Farrand  was 
born  April  16,  1870,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Ed- 
gar and  Emily  (Shinn)  Parker,  who  were  mar- 
ried October  8,  1850.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  April  17,  1830,  while  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  Griggsville  on  the  5th 
of  February,  1834.  Mr.  Parker  came  to  Pike 
county  in  1844  with  his  parents.  He  acquired 
a  public-school  education,  and  in  1848  he  went 
to  California.  Following  his  return  he  was  mar- 
ried and  then  gave  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  has  followed  the  business  of  an 
auctioneer  for  over  forty  years,  and  has  gained 
a  very  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in  this 
connection^  He  belongs  to  Griggsville  lodge,  No. 
45,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  being  today  the  oldest  living 
member  of  that  organization.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  one  of  the  trustees  for  many  years,  and 
in  his  political  allegiance  he  is  a  stalwart  repub- 
lican. There  are  few  residents  of  Pike  county 
who  do  not  know  Mr.  Parker,  and  everywhere  he 
is  held  in  high  esteem  for  his  genuine  worth,  his 
genial  disposition  and  his  pleasant  manner.  His 
wife  died  November  4,  1881.  In  their  family  were 


724 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  J. 
Fred,,  who  was  born  June  30,  1857,  and  is  en- 
gaged, in  the  drug  business  in  New  London,  Mis- 
souri; Thomas  O.,  who  was  born  May  12,  1861, 
and  died  March  28,  1893;  Lewis  W.,  who  was 
born  May  18,  1866,  and  is  engaged  in  farming 
in  this  township;  and  Annabel,  born  April  16, 
1870,  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Farrand.  Unto  this 
marriage  have  been  born  two  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter :  Ralph  P.,  born  January  26,  1895 ;  Elbridge, 
Kitchel,  November  15,  1898;  and  Emily  Eliza- 
beth, born  December  31,  1900.  Mrs.  Farrand  is 
eligible  to  membership  in  the  society  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  Mr. 
Farrand  belongs  to  Griggsville  lodge,  No.  45, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  has  served  as  master 
for  twelve  years,  filling  the  position  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  and.  for 
four  years  has  been  alderman  of  Griggsville.  He 
is  a  worthy  representative  of  a  prominent  pio- 
neer family,  the-  name  of  Farrand  having  been 
closely  and  honorably  associated  with  the  develop- 
ment, progress  and  upbuilding  of  Pike  county  for 
many  decades.  He  has  fully  sustained  the  excel- 
lent reputation  always  borne  by  its  members,  and 
is  today  a  leading  business  man  of  Griggsville, 
who,  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life,  also  finds  time 
and  opportunity  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  those 
measures  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  general 
good. 


DAVID  SMITH. 

Divid  Smith,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  a 
representative  farmer  of  Montezuma  township, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and 
forty-three  acres  of  good  land,  was  born  in  High- 
land county,  Ohio,  April  4,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  and  Angelina  (Landess)  Smith.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  his  death  oc- 
curing  in  Highland  county  when  he  was  about 
sixty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  the  same 
county  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years. 

David  Smith  was  reared  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  country 
schools  of  Highland  county.  He  remained  at 
home  until  1864,  when  at  the  age  of  eighteen 


years  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops, 
enlisting  for  three  years'  service  in  the  Second 
Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  the  Shenandoah  valley,  of  Win- 
chester, Petersburg  and  others  of  lesser  impor- 
tance. He  was  with  Sheridan  on  his  famous  raid 
through  the  Shenandoah  valley,  after  which  he 
returned  to  the  lines  and  two  days  later  the  regi- 
ment received  re-inforcements  and  horses  and 
made  the  attempt  to  get  to  Richmond.  They  tore 
up  a  part  of  the  railroad  track  to  Richmond,  but 
before  the  work  of  demolition  was  accomplished 
the  city  surrendered,  and  Mr.  Smith  and  his 
company  passed  through  Richmond  and  saw  the 
house  in  which  Jefferson  Davis  lived.  Mr.  Smith 
became  ill  and  was  sent  to  a  hospital  in  Cincinnati, 
where  he  remained  until  his  discharge  in  July, 
1865,  following  the  close  of  the  war.  He  made  a 
creditable  military  record  as  a  brave  and  loyal 
soldier,  displaying  valor  equal  to  that  of  many 
a  veteran  of  twice  his  years. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Smith  resumed  farming 
upon  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained until  November,  1867,  when  he  came  to 
Pike  county  and  settled  in  Mostezuma  township, 
where  he  has  since  followed  farming.  He  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  forty-three  acres  of  rich 
and  productive  land,  which  he  devotes  to  general 
farming,  and  he  annually  harvests  good  crops 
which  bring  him  a  gratifying  financial  return. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1870,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Sweat,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Rachel  Sweat.  Five  children  have 
been  born  of  this  marriage,  of  whom  three  are  yet 
living:  Ivy  Jane,  John  W.  and  Laura  L.  Smith. 
Those  deceased  are  Elmer,  who  was  born  in  1871 
and  died  in  1875;  and  Augustus,  who  died  at 
birth.  In  1894  Mr.  Smith  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  on 
the  i4th  of  October,  of  that  year,  her  remains 
being  interred  at  Blue  River,  near  the  village 
of  Detroit.  Her  loss  was  deeply  regretted  by 
many  friends  as  well  as  her  immediate  family,  be- 
cause she  displayed  sterling  qualities  that  en- 
cleared  her  to  all  with  whom  she  was  associated. 
Mr.  Smith  owes  his  success  entirely  to  his  well 
directed  and  earnest  efforts.  He  has  worked  per- 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


725 


sistently  and  energetically  as  the  years  have  gone 
by,  and  has  acquired  a  good  property,  which  in  its 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  his  careful 
supervision.  Moreover  in  citizenship  he  is  as 
true  and  loyal  as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and 
stripes  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south. 


CHARLES  HALL. 

Charles  Hall,  residing  on  section  34,  Pearl 
township,  has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  farming,- 
and  is  an  energetic,  practical  and  progressive  ag- 
riculturist. He  was  born  November  6,  1872,  in 
this  county,  Tiis  parents  being  Robert  and  Mary 
(Roberts)  Hall.  The  father  was  a  Kentuckian  by 
birth,  his  natal  year  being  1821.  He  remained  in 
Kentucky  through  the  period  of  his  minority,  was 
reared  to  farm  life  and  devoted  his  attention  to 
the  work  of  the  fields  until  his  removal  to  Belle- 
view,  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  where  he  again 
engaged  in  farming  for  about  five  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  took  up  his  abode 
on  Bee  creek,  in  Pike  county,  where  he  carried 
on  general  farming  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred when  he  was  sixty-four  years  of  age,  pass- 
ing away  in  1885.  His  wife  was  born  in  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  July  14,  1834,  and  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Robert  Hall  on  the  2ist  of 
March,  1854,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in 
Belleview,  Calhoun  county,  Illinois.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  eight  children,  seven  sons 
and  one  daughter,  of  whom  Charles  was  the 
youngest.  All  are  now  living  with  the  exception 
of  James  R.,  who  died  March  21,  1877,  an^  Wil- 
liam T.,  whose  death  occurred  on  the  2pth  of  De- 
cember, 1893.  Those  who  still  survive  are:  Ed- 
ward, George  W.,  Frances  E.,  John  S.,  Lewis 
A.  and  Charles.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  Hall, 
died  at  the  home  of  her  son  Charles  November  9, 
1904,  when  seventy  years  of  age. 

The  birth  of  Charles  Hall  occurred  in  Belle- 
view,  Illinois,  and  he  was  reared  upon  his  father's 
farm,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  country 
schools  of  Pike  county.  When  fourteen  years  of 
age  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account,  and  has 
devoted  his  entire  life  to  general  agricultural 


pursuits.  He  has  always  advanced,  never  mak- 
ing a  backward  step  in  his  business  career ;  and 
he  is  recognized  as  an  energetic  and  leading  agri- 
culturist of  his  community.  At  the  time  of  his 
father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  old  home 
farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
as  valuable  and  productive  land  as  can  be  found  in 
Pike  county.  Forty  acres  of  this  is  covered  with 
timber,  mostly  hard  wood,  including  ash,  oak 
and  walnut.  The  remainder  is  under  cultivation ; 
and  the  fields  are  richly  tilled,  producing  excel- 
lent crops. 

Charles  Hall  was  married  April  22,  1896,  to 
Miss  Nervia  Hahn,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Martha  (Draper)  Hahn.  Her  people  were  na- 
tives of  New  York  and  her  ancestors  were  among 
the  early  Dutch  settlers  there.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hall  have  been  born  two  daughters  and  a 
son:  Pauline,  born  May  14,  1897;  Anelda,  born 
August  18,  1900;  and  Hulbert,  October  8,  1903. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  are  most  estimable  people,  enjoying  the 
friendly  regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have 
come  in  contact.  Mr.  Hall  has  spent  almost  his 
entire  life  in  this  county,  and  has  made  a  credit- 
able record  in  business,  winning  advancement 
through  his  close  application  and  diligence. 


WARREN  DOYLE. 

Warren  Doyle,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of 
Spring  Creek  township,  is  a  self-made  man,  the 
analyzation  of  his  life  record  showing  that  he  has 
been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  for  all  that 
he  possesses;  and,  that  earnest,  persistent  effort 
has  been  the  dominant  element  in  his  career.  He 
was  born  in  Hardin  township,  July  22,  1872,  and 
has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Pike  county.  His 
parents  were  also  natives  of  this  county;  and  the 
father  is  still  living,  but  the  mother  passed  away 
on  the  6th  of  June,  1905. 

Mr.  Doyle,  of  this  review,  is  indebted  to  the 
public-school  system  of  the  county  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  his  youth. 
His  attendance  at  school  was  alternated  by  his  la- 
bors on  the  home  farm  through  the  summer 


726 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


months,  while  his  studies  were  pursued  in  the 
winter  seasons.  He  has  worked  earnestly  and  per- 
sistently, early  developing  self-reliance  and  force 
of  character  that  have  enabled  him  to  surmount 
all  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of  land, 
which  he  is  carefully  cultivating  in  order  to  bring 
it  up  to  the  highest  possible  state  of  productive- 
ness, his  principal  crops  being  wheat  and  corn. 
Cattle  and  horses  and  hogs  are  also  raised ;  and 
he  can  accommodate  during  the  winter  thirty-five 
head  of  cattle  and  seven  horses,  having  large 
barns  and  sheds  upon  his  place. 

On  the  29th  of  October,  1897,  Mr.  Doyle  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elsie  Smith,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Mary  (Phegley)  Smith.  She 
was  born  in  this  county,  November  9,  1874,  and 
by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four 
children,  namely :  Mabel,  Eula,  Virgil  and  Euna 
Doyle. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Doyle  has  always 
been  a  democrat,  but  without  aspiration  for  of- 
fice, having  found  his  time  fully  occupied  with 
the  management  of  his  business  affairs,  and  his 
close  application  and  energy  constitute  the  basic 
elements  in  his  prosperity.  He  leads  an  active 
and  busy  life;  and  the  sure  rewards  of  labor 
are  his. 


ELMER  SMITH. 

Elmer  Smith,  devoting  his  life  to  general  farm- 
ing, was  born  June  30,  1878,  in  Spring  Creek 
township,  and  it  is  in  this  township  that  he  is  now 
carrying  on  his  business  interests.  He  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Mary  (Phegley)  Smith.  The 
father,  also  a  native  of  Pike  county,  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  following  that  pursuit  in  order  to 
provide  for  his  family.  He  died  in  Spring  Creek 
township,  January  25,  1891,  while  his  wife  sur- 
vived until  January  12.  1893.  In  their  family 
were  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters : 
Elsie,  the  wife  of  Warren  Doyle,  who  is  repre- 
sented elsewhere  in  this  work ;  Melvin,  who  mar- 
ried Laura  Ballenger ;  Elmer,  of  this  review ;  Ella, 
the  wife  of  Alvin  Bunn;  Clema;  and  Oscar,  who 
married  Verna  Bobo. 


Elmer  Smith,  at  the  usual  age,  entered  the  com- 
mon schools  near  his  father's  home,  and  therein 
pursued  his  education.  He  was  also  trained  to 
farm  labor  upon  the  old  homestead.  At  his  fa- 
ther's death  he  was  only  thirteen  years  of  age,  and 
was  left  an  orphan  at  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 
His  brother-in-law,  Warren  Doyle,  purchased  the 
interests  of  the  heirs  in  the  old  family  homestead, 
and  after  holding  the  property  for  a  time,  sold  it 
to  our  subject,  who  now  has  sixty  acres  of  land 
here  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  an- 
nually harvests  good  crops  of  corn  and  wheat, 
and  he  has  a  well  improved  property,  which  he  is 
improving  as  the  years  go  by,  and  which  in  its 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  the  careful 
supervision  of  a  painstaking  owner.  His  political 
views  accord  with  republican  principles.  He  is 
wellx  known  in  the  community  where  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed  and  is  best  liked  where  best 
known. 


N.  A.  THORNTON. 

N.  A.  Thornton,  an  attorney-at-law  and  police 
magistrate  at  Milton,  was  born  in  Detroit  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  December  25,  1839.  He  is  a 
son  of  Larkin  and  Polly  (Allen)  Thornton,  who 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Warren  county, 
Kentucky.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  Mr. 
Thornton  were  Aaron  and  Sarah  (Evans)  Thorn- 
ton, who  settled  in  Warren  county,  Kentucky, 
about  1800,  and  afterward  removed  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  becoming  pioneer  residents  of 
this  locality.  They  contributed  to  the  early  de- 
velopment and  progress  of  the  community,  and 
continued  residents  of  Pike  county  up  to  the  time 
of  their  death.  The  maternal  grandparents  of 
Mr.  Thornton  were  Zachariahand  Dinah  (Boone) 
Allen,  who  became  residents  of  Boone  county, 
Kentucky,  when  that  state  was  a  vast  wilderness 
inhabited  mostly  by  Indians,  who  were  so  hostile 
that  the  white  settlers  were  obliged  to  live  in 
block  houses  and  to  be  constantly  alert  in  order 
to  protect  themselves  from  the  invasions  of  the 
red  men.  The  grandmother,  Dinah  Boone  Allen, 
was  a  niece  of  the  noted  hunter  and  explorer, 
Daniel  Boone,  who  was  the  first  to  visit  Kentucky 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


727 


and  make  extensive  explorations  there.  With  her 
uncle  and  with  his  brother,  Jonathan  Boone, 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Air.  Galloway,  she  left 
Virginia  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  the  neighborhood 
wherein  Daniel  Boone  achieved  world-wide  fame, 
contributing  so  greatly  to  the  world's  history  by 
his  explorations  in  the  Blue  Grass  state.  It  was 
Jonathan  Boone  and  his  wife  who  were  the  par- 
ents of  Daniel  Boone.  In  Kentucky  she  became 
the  wife  of  Zachariah  Allen.  John  Thornton 
and  his  wife,  great-grandparents  of  our  subject 
in  the  paternal  line,  became  pioneer  settlers  in 
Texas,  removing  from  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia to  the  Lone  Star  state,  living  there  under 
the  rule  of  Governor  Samuel  Houston  when  Texas 
was  a  separate  republic  under  its  own  flag,  and 
became  known  by  the  name  of  the  Lone  Star 
state,  which  has  since  clung  to  it.  Zachariah  Al- 
len, the  maternal  grandfather,  was  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier,  who  served  for  seven  years  in  the  war 
for  independence.  He  died  in  Pike  county  near 
Milton,  and  was  buried  in  what  is  now  known 
as  the  French  cemetery  near  the  town. 

Mr.  Thornton  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this 
county,  pursued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  prepared  for  the  practice  of  law,  to 
which  he  has  given  his  attention  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  has  also  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Detroit  township  for  twelve  years. 


JOHN  J.  BROWNING. 

John  J.  Browning,  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  now  belonging  to  Hayes  post,  No. 
477,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Summer  Hill,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Bracken  county,  Kentucky,  December  13, 
1838.  When  he  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age  he 
was  taken  to  Palmyra,  Marion  county,  Missouri, 
by  his  parents,  Andrew  and  Alice  (Chick) 
Browning,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Bracken 
county.  The  father  learned  the  distiller's  trade 
and  was  employed  in  his  grandfather's  distillery 
up  to  the  time  he  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he 
engaged  in  freighting  prior  to  the  advent  of  rail- 
roads. He  took  up  his  abode  in  that  state  in  1840, 


and  continued  to  make  his  home  there  for  some 
time ;  but  afterward  returned  to  Kentucky,  where 
he  died  in  1853.  His  wife  long  survived  him 
and  passed  away  in  her  ninetieth  year,  her  remains 
being  interred  hi  Shelby  county,  Missouri. 

John  J.  Browning  was  reared  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  lads  in  a  country  town,  and  he  acquired 
his  education  in  Palmyra,  Missouri.  The  first 
money  he  ever  earned  was  secured  by  assisting 
in  a  livery  business,  in  which  he  continued  for 
about  six  years.  In  1856  he  came  to  Atlas  town- 
ship, Pike  county,  and  secured  employment  as  a 
farm  hand  with  William  Dustin,  a  farmer  of  At- 
las township,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two 
years.  He  afterward  began  working  for  Henry 
H.  Yokem,  continuing  upon  his  farm  until  1860, 
at  which  time  he  went  to  Pittsfield,  remaining 
there  until  the  I7th  of  August,  1861.  His  pa- 
triotic spirit  being  aroused  by  the  attempt  of  the 
south  to  overthrow  the  Union  caused  him  to  offer 
his  services  to  his  country  and  he  was  sworn 
into  the  Union  army  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  be- 
coming a  member  of  Company  B,  Twenty-eighth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he  re- 
mained for  three  years.  During  this  period  he 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Harmon,  Ten- 
nessee, and  the  engagements  at  Shiloh,  Corinth, 
Davis  Bridge,  Holly  Springs,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  the  battle  of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  af- 
terward returned  to  Vicksburg.  Later  he  was  in 
the  engagement  at  Natchez,  Mississippi,  and  then 
went  with  his  regiment  to  Harrisburg,  Louisiana, 
but  the  enemy  evacuated  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Union  troops,  so  Mr.  Browning,  with  his  com- 
mand, returned  to  Natchez  and  then  went  to  the 
Big  Black  River,  nine  miles  from  Vicksburg, 
where  the  regiment  went  into  camp  for  the  win- 
ter. When  spring  came  they  marched  back  to 
Vicksburg  and  embarked  for  Cairo,  Illinois,  where 
the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps  joined  McPher- 
son's  command  and  was  reorganized.  They  took 
passage  on  steamboats  going  to  Savannah,  Ten- 
nessee, and  marched  to  Kingston,  Alabama,  where 
Mr.  Browning  and  his  corps  overtook  Sherman's 
command  and  under  the  guidance  of  that  bril- 
liant military  leader  engaged  in  the  battle  of  At- 
lanta. At  that  time  his  term  of  service  having 
expired,  Mr.  Browning  returned  to  Springfield, 


728 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


Illinois,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  on  the 
26th  of  August,  1864.  After  the  battle  of  Shiloh 
he  was  detailed  from  his  regiment  for  detached 
service.  When  his  term  of  enlistment  had  expired 
he  returned  to  his  home  in  Pike  county,  Illinois ; 
but  the  war  was  still  raging,  and  he  could  not 
content  himself  to  remain  in  the  village  while  the 
safety  of  his  country  was  imperiled,  and  on  the 
1 2th  of  October,  1864,  he  again  enlisted,  this  time 
for  one  year's  service,  as  a  member  of  Company 
A,  Thirty-second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
started  to  the  front,  but  was  delayed  on  account 
of  illness,  and  did  not  reach  his  command  in  Ra- 
leigh, North  Carolina,  until  the  time  of  the  sur- 
render of  General  Joe  Johnston.  With  his  com- 
mand he  went  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  took 
part  in  the  grand  review,  the  most  celebrated  mili- 
tary pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hemisphere. 
Not  long  afterward  he  became  ill  and  was  finally 
discharged  August  2,  1865. 

Mr.  Browning  then  returned  to  Pike  county 
and  took  up  his  old  occupation  as  a  farm  hand 
with  Mr.  Yokem,  continuing  with  him  for  a  short 
period.  On  the  I4th  of  September,  1865,  how- 
ever, he  completed  arrangements  for  having  a 
home  of  his  own  by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet J.  Dunaven,  a  daughter  of  James  Duna- 
ven,  of  Virginia.  His  wife  died  August  6,  1866, 
and  their  only  child,  a  daughter,  died  in  infancy. 
On  the  8th  of  April,  1868,  Mr.  Browning  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Sarah 
T.  Dunaven,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.  She  died 
April  8th,  1869,  and  their  son  died  at  birth.  On 
the  ist  of  June,  1869,  Mr.  Browning  wedded 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Carr,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliz- 
abeth Carr,  and  unto  this  union  were  born  nine 
children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters :  Huey, 
born  January  30,  1871 ;  Fred  K.,  born  January  6, 
1873 ;  Elsie  E.,  January  8,  1875 ;  Mary  J.,  Octo- 
ber 24,  1876;  William  R.,  August  6,  1878;  Ho- 
mer C,  May  24,  1880;  Stella  E.,  December  27, 
1882;  Nathan  M.,  March  26,  1884;  and  Ernie, 
March  19,  1886.  All  are  yet  living  but  the 
mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Browning,  passed  away 
February  14,  1888.  Mr.  Browning  has  since 
married  Mrs.  Eliza  Johnson,  nee  Waters,  the 
widow  of  James  S.  Johnson.  Her  husband  was  a 
Civil  war  veteran,  enlisting  on  the  i8th  of  Febru- 


ary,   1865,   and   was   discharged   from   service  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  July  9,  1865. 

Politically  Mr.  Browning  is  a  stalwart  repub- 
lican, never  faltering  in  his  allegiance  to  -the 
party  since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860.  In  an  active  buiness 
career  he  has  depended  entirely  upon  his  own  re- 
sources and  labors  and  has  justly  won  the  proud 
American  title  of  a  self-made  man. 


JON  W.  BALLENGER. 

Jon  W.  Ballenger  operates  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  Spring  Creek  township.  He  was  born  Octo- 
ber 3,  1843,  in  Kenton  county,  Kentucky,  and  is 
a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Lipscomb)  Bal- 
lenger. The  parents  were  natives  of  Kenton 
county,  Kentucky,  and  the  father  engaged  in  the 
butchering  business  for  a  short  time  in  Coving- 
ton,  that  state,  after  which  he  removed  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  settling  in  Pittsfield,  where  he 
conducted  a  meat  market  throughout  almost  the 
remainder  of  his  active  business  career.  However, 
about  two  years  prior  to  his  death  he  retired  from 
butchering  and  engaged  in  farming.  His  death 
was  occasioned  by  accident,  his  team  running  off 
while  he  was  stacking  wheat.  He  was  born  Sep- 
tember 10,  1819,  and  was  killed  when  sixty-two 
years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  Kentucky  in  1849. 

Jon  W.  Ballenger  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  and  entered  busi- 
ness life  as  an  employe  in  his  father's  butcher 
shop,  in  which  he  continued  until  the  business 
was  closed  out.  He  afterward  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  and  later  he  engaged  in  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  in  butchering.  How- 
ever, in  1885  he  retired  altogether  from  the  latter 
trade,  and  has  since  given  his  undivided  atten- 
tion to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He  now 
operates  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Spring  Creek 
township,  and  has  made  excellent  improvements 
upon  it  since  he  rented  it.  He  has  about  forty- 
five  head  of  cattle  and  fifty  head  of  hogs ;  and  in 
addition  to  raising  stock,  he  makes  a  specialty  of 
the  production  of  corn. 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


729 


Mr.  Ballenger  has  been  married  twice.  He 
first  wedded  Miss  Deborah  Dow,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Sallie  Dow,  and  unto  them  were 
born  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  Wil- 
liam and  Sallie  Ballenger.  The  latter  is  the  wife 
of  Reuben  O'Donnell,  and  they  reside  in  Shel- 
bina,  Missouri.  William  Ballenger  married  Flor- 
ence Judd,  and  they  make  their  home  in  Staun- 
ton,  Illinois.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  Wil- 
son county,  Kansas,  in  1871.  He  afterward  mar- 
ried again,  his  second  union  being  with  Virginia 
Chappell,  who  was  born  May  n,  1853,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Hiram  and  Polly  Chappell.  Of  this 
union  there  were  born  the  following  children : 
Annie,  born  September  8,  1874;  Laura,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1876;  Hiram  E.,  December  18,  1879; 
James  C.,  January  28,  1881 ;  Charlie  F.,  who  was 
born  November  21,  1883,  and  died  when  a  year 
old ;  Nellie,  born  November  22,  1885 ;  Alva,  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1889;  Virgil  C.,  October  31,  1898;  and 
Walter  F.,  January  26,  1894. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ballenger  is  a  demo- 
crat, and  has  always  affiliated  with  that  party.  He 
has  not  time  nor  inclination  for  office,  however, 
but  devotes  his  entire  attention  to  his  farming 
interests,  which  are  capably  conducted.  He  is 
operating  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Spring  Creek 
township,  and  his  labors  are  bringing  him  a  good 
financial  return. 


CHARLES  BILLINGS. 

Charles  Billings  is  a  representative  of  com- 
mercial interests  at  Rockport,  where  he  is  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business.  He  also  has  the  rural 
mail  route  of  Rockport,  and  is  a  well  known  citi- 
zen of  this  part  of  the  county.  His  birth  oc- 
curred on  the  nth  of  March,  1868,  in  Atlas  town- 
ship, his  parents  being  Richard  and  Mahala  J. 
(Payne)  Billings.  The  father  is  a  native  of 
Hamilton  county,  Illinois,  and  for  more  than 
forty  years  has  been  living  in  Atlas  and  Derry 
townships,  Pike  county,  his  time  and  attention 
being  given  to  farming.  He  now  makes  his  home 
in  Rockport ;  and  there,  on  the  7th  of  September, 
1905,  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
his  wife,  who  was  laid  to  rest  in  Taylor  cemetery. 

Upon  his   father's   farm   Charles   Billings  was 


reared;  and  his  education  was  acquired  in  the 
country  schools  of  the  Taylor  district  and  at 
Rockport.  Between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and 
twenty-one  years  he  worked  at  farm  labor,  being 
in  the  employ  of  one  man  for  three  years.  After 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  wishing  that  his 
work  might  more  directly  benefit  himself,  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Derry  township,  where  he  car- 
ried on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for  five 
years  and  later  he  followed  the  same  calling  in 
Atlas  township.  In  1902,  however,  he  disposed 
of  his  agricultural  interests  in  Pike  county  and 
removed  to  Pueblo,  Colorado,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  steel  works  for  a  short  time,  and  in 
a  lumberyard  for  two  and  a  half  months.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Atlas 
township,  where  he  resumed  farming ;  but  after 
a  brief  period  he  gave  up  farm  life  altogether  and 
engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  wheat  for  the 
firm  of  Haines,  Rupert  &  Company,  which  he 
represented  until  the  fall  of  1902.  He  then  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  clerk  in  the  large  general 
store  owned  by  that  firm,  and  so  continued  until 
May,  1903,  On  the  22d  of  the  same  month  he 
purchased  the  stock  of  drugs,  stationery,  paints, 
oils  and  tobacco  from  the  firm  of  Miller  &  Gar- 
ner, and  together  with  his  sister,  Miss  Susie  M. 
Billings,  has  since  conducted  the  business,  his 
sister  becoming  a  partner  in  September,  1904. 
They  carry  a  large  and  well  selected  line  of  goods 
and  are  now  enjoying  a  large  and  growing  trade. 
Mr.  Billings  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Rock- 
port  Percheron  Horse  Company,  and  is  agent  for 
the  American  Insurance  Company  of  Newark, 
New  Jersey.  He  has  filled  a  number  of  public 
offices,  acting  as  clerk  in  the  postoffice  in  con- 
nection with  the  management  of  his  mercantile 
interests  for  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then  took  a 
civil  service  examination  for  rural  mail-carrier 
at  Pittsfield,  passing  at  a  grade  of  eighty-nine  and 
five-eighths  per  cent  in  all  the  questions  asked. 
He  received  the  appointment  and  entered  upon 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  October  I,  1904. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1905,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Billings  and  Miss  Georgiana 
Pryor,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Fanny  Pryor, 
of  Rockport,  Illinois.  Her  parents  are  both  de- 
ceased. Politically  Mr.  Billings  is  a  republican, 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  the 


730 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


work  of  the  party.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  affiliated  with  lodge  No.  830, 
at  Rockport,  and  he  likewise  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp.  He  is  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
term  one  of  Pike  county's  self-made  men,  and  has 
early  in  life  established  a  good  business  and  won 
for  himself  a  creditable  position  in  trade  circles, 
so  that  it  is  safe  to  predict  for  him  a  still  more 
prosperous  future. 


CHARLES  A.  CHARLTON. 

Charles  A.  Charlton,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
war  and  an  enterprising  farmer  living  on  section 
I,  Belleview  township,  Calhoun  county,  near  the 
Pike  county  line,  and  who  at  one  time  made  his 
home  in  Pike  county,  was  born  in  Martinsburg 
township  on  the  I3th  of  January,  1847,  represent- 
ing one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  pursued  his 
education  in  the  early  district  schools ;  and  when 
not  occupied  with  his  text-books  gave  his  at- 
tention to  the  work  of  the  fields.  He  was  thus 
engaged  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
when  he  enlisted  for  one  hundred  days'  service 
as  a  member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  join- 
ing his  company  at  Pittsfield.  With  his  regiment 
he  went  to  the  front  and  continued  there  during 
the  term  of  his  enlistment,  being  mustered  out 
and  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield,  Illinois. 

Following  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Charlton 
returned  to  Pike  county,  where  he  was  employed 
at  farm  labor  by  others  for  a  time.  As  a  compan- 
ion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey,  he  chose  Miss 
Louisa  J.  Kirk,  whom  he  wedded  on  the  15*  of 
October,  1867.  U^nto  them  were  born  five  children: 
Annie  E.,  Nellie  L.,  Gertie,  Pearl  L.  and  George 
J.  Charlton.  Of  these  Annie  and  George  are  now 
deceased.  Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Charlton 
rented  his  father-in-law's  farm,  and  continued  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  that  place  for 
about  fourteen  years.  He  then  removed  to  Cal- 
houn county,  Illinois,  settling  in  Belleview  town- 
ship, where  he  has  continued  farming  up  to  the 
present  time.  He  has  here  a  well  developed  tract 


of  land,  having  brought  his  fields  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  used  the  latest  improved 
machinery  for  plowing  and  planting  his  land  and 
caring  for  the  crops,  and  everything  about  his. 
place  indicates  his  careful  supervision  and  prac- 
tical methods. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1893,  Mr.  Charl- 
ton was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first 
wife.  Three  years  later,  on  the  I2th  of  April, 
1896,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Buchanan 
Fielder,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, Lillie  S.  and  Orville  Raymond,  both  of 
whom  are  at  home  with  their  parents.  Mr.  Charl- 
ton has  ever  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  republican 
principles  and  votes  for  the  party  at  state  and  na- 
tional elections,  but  at  local  elections,  where  no 
issue  is  involved,  he  gives  an  independent  ballot 
for  the  men  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for 
office,  regardless  of  party  affiliation.  He  started 
out  in  business  life  empty-handed,  working  first 
as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  afterward  renting 
land  and  eventually  acquiring,  through  his  own 
earnings,  the  money  which  enabled  him  to  pur- 
chase a  farm  of  his  own.  He  is  now  in  posses- 
sion of  a  good  property  which  returns  to  him  a 
gratifying  income ;  and  his  life  record  proves 
the  value  and  force  of  unremitting  diligence  and 
unabating  energy  in  the  everyday  affairs  of  life. 


GEORGE  B.  CAREY,  D.  D.  S. 

Dr.  George  B.  Carey, practicinghis  profession  in 
Perry,  his  native  city,  was  born  August  31,  1856, 
his  parents  being  Eleazer  and  Rebecca  (Morris) 
Carey.  The  father  was  born  in  Arkport,  Steu- 
ben  county,  New  York,  and  was  married  on  the 
7th  of  September,  1841,  in  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, to  Miss  Rebecca  Morris,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Kentucky,  October  26,  1826.  Enter- 
ing business  life  he  first  devoted  his  energies  to 
teaching  school  in  Pike  county,  but  subsequently 
determining  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine and  surgery,  he  was  graduated  from  the 
old  Jefferson  Medical  College,  in  Philadelphia. 
In  1847  ne  pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  sur- 
gery in  the  same  school.  He  displayed  broad 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


humanitarian  principles  in  his  practice,  never 
making  any  charge  to  a  poor  widow  or  family 
who  could  not  afford  to  pay  for  his  services,  and 
yet  responding  readily  to  the  call  of  those  who 
needed  his  professional  aid.  His  practice  covered 
Brown,  Scott,  Morgan  and  Pike  counties,  and 
he  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  physicians  of 
this  part  of  the  state.  He  was  often  called  in  con- 
sultation of  cases  to  Jacksonville,  Quincy  and 
Springfield.  In  1850  he  went  to  California, 
spending  two  years  there  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health  and  in  attendance  upon  medical  societies. 
In  1852  he  returned  to  Illinois;  but  losing  his 
eyesight  from  exposure,  he  was  blind  during  the 
last  seven  years  of  his  life.  In  1850  he  was  made  a 
Mason  in  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  Dr.  Carey  becoming  a  member 
when  sixteen  years  of  age.  His  death  occurred 
when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age,  and  his 
widow  is  now  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children, 
A.  B.,  a  dentist  of  Pittsfield,  and  George  B.,  of 
this  review,  being  the  only  ones  now  living. 

In  his  boyhood  days  George  B.  Carey  assisted  his 
father  in  every  way  that  he  could.  He  also  attended 
school  and  worked  with  his  brother,  Dr.  A.  B. 
Carey,  in  his  dental  office.  In  1871  his  brother 
removed  to  Pittsfield,  and  in  1873  Dr.  Carey  of 
this  review  went  to  the  county  seat,  remaining 
with  his  brother  there  for  about  nine  years.  In 
1882  he  opened  a  dental  office  in  Perry  and  has 
engaged  in  general  practice  with  constantly  grow- 
ing success.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Morgan 
County  District  Medical  Society  and  of  the  Illi- 
nois State  Dental  Association,  with  which  he  was 
connected  for  twenty-five  years.  He  also  belongs 
to  Perry  lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Perry 
chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  the  Independent  Order  of 
(  1(1(1  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  Mutual  Protective  League  and  the  Pike  Coun- 
ty Anti-Horse  Thief  Association.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Pike  County  Insurance  Company  and 
to  the  Northwestern  Life  and  Savings  Company 
i.f  Minneapolis.  Minnesota. 

On  the  2gth  of  September,  1904,  Dr.  Carey 
was  married  to  Miss  Celia  Vail,  a  daughter  of 
Leander  and  Mary  (Elledge)  Vail,  who  were 


married  January  23,  1879.  Her  father  was  born 
in  Fainnount  township,  October  13,  1849,  and  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  the  same  township, 
October  25,  1848.  Mr.  Vail  has  been  a  stock- 
raiser  and  farmer,  but  at  the  present  time  is  giv- 
ing his  entire  attention  to  buying  and  selling  live 
stock.  Unto  him  and  his  wife  have  been  born  two 
daughters :  Mrs.  Carey,  whose  birth  occurred 
April  25,  1880;  and  Olive,  who  was  born  Decem- 
ber 27,  1885,  and  was  married  November  25, 
1904,  to  Richard  A.  Reynolds. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Carey  occupy  an  enviable  social 
position,  and  their  pleasant  home  is  the  center  of 
a  cultured  society  circle.  Both  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church;  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  republican,  unfaltering  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  party.  He  does  not  seek  nor  desire  public 
office,  however,  but  concentrates  his  energies 
upon  his  professional  duties ;  and  he  has  a  well 
equipped  dental  office,  supplied  with  all  modern 
devices  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  practi- 
tioner. His  work  has  given  uniform  satisfaction 
and  a  liberal  patronage  is  accorded  him. 


JOSEPH  C.  HARRINGTON. 

Joseph  C.  Harrington,  long  an  active  factor 
in  agricultural  circles  in  Pike  county,  and  now 
living  retired  in  Griggsville,  was  born  on  the  2d 
of  January,  1838,  in  Griggsville  township,  his 
parents  being  Martin  and  Catherine  (Hagaman) 
Harrington.  The  name  of  Harrington  has  been 
a  familiar  and  honored  one  in  connection  with 
Pike  county  through  many  decades.  Martin  Har- 
rington at  the  time  of  his  death  was  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  of  the  county,  and  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  and  honored  citizens.  He  had  resided 
within  its  borders  for  more  than  a  half  century, 
and  was  in  his  ninety-fourth  year  at  the  time  of 
his  demise.  He  came  of  old  New  England  an- 
cestry honorable  and  distinguished.  When  the 
colonists  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Brit- 
ish oppression  two  of  the  Harringtons,  Jonathan 
and  Caleb,  who  were  closely  related  to  the  fa- 
ther of  Martin  Harrington,  were  among  the  six 
who  fell  under  the  first  fire  at  the  battle  of  Lex- 


732 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


ington,  and  to  their  memory  and  that  of  the 
others,  whose  blood  was  shed  on  that  sacred 
spot,  a  beautiful  monument  has  been  erected. 

Samuel  Harrington,  grandfather  of  Joseph  C. 
Harrington  of  this  review,  was  born  in  Grafton, 
Massachusetts,  August  3,  1769,  and  after  reach- 
ing man's  estate  was  married  to  Abigail  Putnam, 
who  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  September  15, 
1775,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Zadoc  Putnam,  a 
relative  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  whose  name 
is  deeply  engraved  on  the  hearts  of  all  students 
of  American  history,  as  that  of  a  patriot  who  did 
much  for  the  cause  of  independence.  Zadoc  Put- 
nam's father  built  the  first  wagon  in  Worcester 
county,  Massachusetts,  and  it  is  related  that  over 
two  hundred  men  came  from  long  distances  to 
see  one  pair  of  wheels  follow  another,  so  great 
was  the  novelty  at  that  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sam- 
uel Harrington  remained  residents  of  Massachu- 
setts throughout  their  entire  lives,  the  former 
passing  away  October  5,  1802,  and  the  latter  in 
April,  1871,  having  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-six  years.  She  came  of  a  family  noted 
for  longevity,  and  her  descendants  have  mani- 
fested the  same  strong  family  characteristic. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Harrington  were 
born  four  children ;  and  by  the  mother's  second 
marriage  to  Captain  David  Trask,  of  Leicester, 
Massachusetts,  other  children  were  born. 

Martin  Harrington  was  born  in  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  December  24,  1797,  and  was 
early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  owing  to 
the  death  of  his  father.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  rather  limited ;  but  in  the  school  of  ex- 
perience he  learned  many  valuable  and  practical 
lessons,  and  always  kept  informed  on  the  trend  of 
events  and  on  matters  of  local  and  national  prog- 
ress through  reading  and  observation.  In  his 
early  life  he  engaged  in  manufacturing  scythes, 
which  was  a  profitable  business  at  that  day.  He 
possessed  considerable  mechanical  ingenuity  and 
gave  considerable  attention  to  the  manufacture  of 
gun  barrels  and  to  work  as  a  machinist.  He  was 
also  for  some  time  in  the  employ  of  Samuel  and 
John  Slater,  the  first  mamifacturers  of  the  spin- 
ning jenny.  He  was  very  thorough  and  accu- 
rate in  all  of  his  work,  and  the  same  characteris- 
tics were  displayed  in  his  farming  operations 


when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  identified  himself 
with  agricultural  pursuits.  He  had  had  little 
previous  experience  in  this  line  of  labor,  but 
his  ready  adaptability  and  energy  soon  enabled 
him  to  master  the  points  which  lead  to  successful 
farming. 

Martin  Harrington  had  been  married  January 
22,  1822,  in  his  native  county  to  Miss  Myra  Wil- 
lard,  and  the  same  year  removed  to  Amsterdam, 
New  York,  where  his  wife  died,  leaving  three 
children,  but  the  only  one  now  living  is  Mrs. 
Abby  L.  Brimblecam.  One  son,  Charles  L.,  who 
had  been  mining  in  the  west,  was  accidentally 
drowned  in  Humboldt  Bay,  California,  February 
22,  1863,  when  in  his  fortieth  year.  Josephus  W. 
also  spent  his  last  days  in  California.  In  1833 
Martin  Harrington  wedded  Miss  Catherine  Hag- 
aman,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  in  1836  they 
came  to  the  west,  settling  in  Griggsville  township, 
Pike  county.  The  year  following  Mr.  Harring- 
ton removed  to  the  adjoining  township  of  Perry, 
where  he  resided  until  1870,  when  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  the  village  of  Perry,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death,  spending  his  last  years  in  honor- 
able retirement  from  labor.  By  his  second  mar- 
riage there  were  five  children :  Francis  M.,  who 
married  Martha  Dutcher,  of  Pike  county,  Illi- 
nois, is  now  living  in  Kirksville,  Missouri,  where 
he  is  a  prominent  attorney,  having  been  gradu- 
ated from  the  Chicago  Law  School,  while  for 
eight  years  he  represented  his  district  in  the  Mis- 
souri legislature.  Joseph  C.  is  the  subject  of  this 
review.  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  James  Whitaker, 
a.  prominent  farmer  of  Perry  township.  John 
E.  married  Lucretia  Reynolds,  and  is  a  successful 
agriculturist  of  Griggsville  township.  Sarah  E. 
is  the  wife  of  Hon.  William  P.  Browning,  who  re- 
sides upon  a  farm  near  Memphis,  Missouri.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  April  27,  1875,  in  the  faith 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  she  had 
long  been  an  active  and  helpful  member.  She 
ably  assisted  her  husband  in  his  work  of  getting 
a  start  in  the  west ;  and  theirs  was  a  most  conge- 
nial and  happy  married  life.  Mr.  Harrington 
passed  away  on  the  22d  of  January,  1891.  A 
newspaper  published  at  the  time  said  of  him : 
"He  worked  upon  the  principle  that  whatever  he 
attempted  to  do  he  would  do  his  best,  and  he  had 


PAST   AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


733 


a  large  measure  of  success.  He  was  a  man  of  very 
strong  convictions,  but  had  great  respect  for  the 
feelings  and  convictions  of  others.  He  was  a 
firm  believer  in  the  Christian  religion,  though 
never  a  church  member,  and  in  the  Bible  as  the 
inspired  work  of  God,  by  whose  principles  our 
lives  should  be  regulated.  He  was  a  constant  at- 
tendant on  the  house  of  God  as  long  as  he  could 
hear,  and  insisted  on  his  children  attending  reg- 
ularly the  church  and  Sabbath  school ;  and  also 
contributed  to  their  support.  He  taught  both 
by  precept  and  example  that  all  should  lead  an 
honorable  and  upright  life,  and  his  children,  who 
are  among  our  most  worthy  citizens,  show  the 
deep  impression  made  upon  their  minds  by  his 
wise  and  kind  instruction.  When  he  died  these 
children  lost  a  kind  and  loving  father,  his  neigh- 
bors a  most  kind  and  generous  friend,  and  the 
state  an  intelligent  and  noble  citizen." 

Joseph  C.  Harrington,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm,  early 
becoming  familiar  with  the  labors  that  bring 
success  in  agricultural  life,  being  trained  to  prac- 
tical methods  of  farm  work.  When  twenty-one 
years  of  age  he  started  out  on  his  own  account, 
and  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  others  for 
eight  years,  when  with  the  capital  he  had  ac- 
quired through  his  own  labors,  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  and  began  farming  for  himself.  Here 
he  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  its  cultivation 
and  to  the  raising  and  handling  of  live  stock.  As 
the  years  passed  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings 
owing  to  his  careful  management,  his  keen  busi- 
ness discrimination,  his  watchfulness  of  oppor- 
tunities and  his  fair  dealing.  For  the  past  thirteen 
years,  however,  he  has  made  his  home  in  Griggs- 
ville,  merely  giving  his  attention  to  the  super- 
vision of  his  invested  interests.  • 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1869,  Mr.  Harrington  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Frances  S.  Wilson 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Mary  C.  and  John  C.,  but  the  latter  died  Decem- 
ber 2,  1899.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Harrington  was  married  on  the  i6th  of  July, 
1889,  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Smith,  nee  Wilson. 
She  was  born  in  England,  and  when  quite  young 
came  to  this  country,  where  she  was  reared  and 
educated. 


Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrington  are  earnest 
Christian  people.  He  was  formerly  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  Perry,  but  now 
belongs  to  the  Congregational  church  in  Griggs- 
ville.  In  politics  he  is  stanch  republican,  unfal- 
tering in  his  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  the 
party.  He  was  made  a  member  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Perry  thirty-five 
years  ago,  and  has  taken  the  demit  from  his  home 
lodge  to  the  lodge  in  Griggsville.  He  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  Griggsville  National  Bank  and 
of  the  Perry  State  Bank,  holds  considerable  stock 
in  both  institutions,  and  is  a  director  of  both. 
He  is  now  practically  living  retired  after  long 
and  active  connection  with  agricultural  interests, 
in  which  his  labors  were  crowned  with  a  gratify- 
ing measure  of  success. 


W.  F.  THURMON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  W.  F.  Thurmon,  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  at  Bunker  Hill,  where  he  is  also  con- 
ducting a  drug  store,  was  born  in  Pike  county, 
near  Milton  on  the  i/).th  of  October,  1854.  He 
acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  district 
schools  at  Milton,  and  afterward  spent  six  weeks 
as  a  student  in  the  normal  school  at  Pittsfield. 
He  subsequently  taught  four  terms  of  school  and 
he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  winter  of 
1 88 1 -2.  In  the  later  year  he  entered  upon  his 
collegiate  course,  and  in  1885  was  graduated  at 
the  Missouri  Medical  College. 

Dr.  Thurmon  entered  upon  the  active  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Wilmington,  Greene  county, 
and  later  practiced  at  Farmersville,  Montgomery 
county,  and  at  Philadelphia,  Cass  county.  He  was 
also  located  for  a  time  at  Detroit,  in  Pike  county. 
He  holds  a  registered  pharmacist's  certificate,  and 
at  the  present  writing  is  conducting  a  drug  store 
as  well  as  practicing  his  profession  in  Bunker 
Hill,  where  he  has  secured  a  good  patronage  as 
a  merchant  and  a  gratifying  practice  as  a 
physician. 

Dr.  Thurmon  was  married  in  1886  to  Miss 
Mary  I.  James,  of  Whitehall,  Illinois,  and  they 
have  three  children:  Harry,  born  in  1888;  Virgil, 


734 


PAST  AND   PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


born  in  1896;  and  Carl,  born  in  1901.  Mrs. 
Thunnon  is  a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Martha 
James,  now  of  Litchfield,  where  the  father  is 
connected  with  building  operations,  being  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have 
a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  at  Bunker 
Hill,  where  they  occupy  an  enviabk  position  in 
social  circles. 


A.  L.  GALLOWAY. 

Perhaps  no  citizen  of  Pike  county  was  more 
uniformly  esteemed  or  held  in  warmer  friend- 
ship than  A.  L.  Galloway,  now  deceased.  He 
was  lovingly  and  familiarly  called  Uncle  Dick 
by  all  who  knew  him,  a  name  which  was  indica- 
tive of  his  friendly  cordial  nature  and  his  kindly 
interest  in  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He 
was  classed  for  many  years  with  the  prosperous 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  the  county  and  was 
numbered  among  the  old  settlers,  having  taken 
up  his  abode  here  about  1832  or  1833.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Pike  county,  Missouri,  Septem- 
ber 4,  1829,  his  father,  James  Galloway,  having 
located  there  in  pioneer  times.  He  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  whence  he  removed  to  Missouri  and 
during  the  early  boyhood  of  our  subject  crossed 
the  river  to  Pike  county,  Illinois,  so  that  the  son 
was  here  reared.  He  grew  to  manhood  amid  the 
conditions  and  environments  of  frontier  life,  for 
in  his  early  days  Pike  county  was  still  largely  an 
undeveloped  region  and  only  here  and  there  could 
be  seen  the  home  of  a  pioneer.  His  educational 
advantages  were  those  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  and  after  he  had  completed  his  literary 
course  he  studied  law  and  practiced  in  the  justice 
courts. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1859,  A.  L.  Gallo- 
way was  united  in  marriage  in  Pike  county  to 
Miss  Sarah  Brant,  formerly  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. She  died  in  1874  and  of  the  five  children 
born  of  that  marriage  three  reached  years  of  ma-, 
turity.  Lyman  H.,  the  eldest,  wedded  Laura 
Fisher,  who  died  leaving  one  child,  Bertie,  now 
the  wife  of  Newton  Shinn.  a  resident  of  Carroll- 
ton,  Missouri.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife 
Lyman  H.  Galloway  wedded  Clara  C.  Dodge,  a 


daughter  of  Clinton  Dodge  and  they  had  two 
children :  Scott  Galloway,  a  business  man  of 
Pleasant  Hill,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J. 
Smith  Thomas ;  and  Beatrice,  the  wife  of  Harry 
Bush,  who  is  in  a  store  in  Nebo.  Lyman  H.  Gal- 
loway was  for  many  years  a  well  known  farmer 
of  Pike  county  but  is  now  deceased.  Ann  P. 
Galloway,  the  second  member  of  the  family, 
married  Curtis  Yocum  and  at  her  death  left  one 
child,  Fay  Yocum,  who  is  now  a  young  lady  re- 
siding with  her  father  in  Pleasant  Hill.  Minnie 
L.  Galloway  became  the  wife  of  James  De  Camp 
and  at  her  death  left  a  daughter,  Lora  De  Camp, 
who  is  residing  with  her  father.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Galloway  of  this  review 
was  married  in  Calhoun  county  on  the  26th  of 
April,  1875,  to  Maria  E.  McConnell,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  (Sidwell)  McConnell,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  became 
early  settlers  of  Pike  county,  Missouri.  They 
removed  to  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  during  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war  and  Mrs.  Galloway  was 
largely  reared  in  that  county.  At  the  time  of 
her  marriage  she  went  to  her  husband's  farm  in 
Pleasant  Hill  township. 

For  many  years  Mr,  Galloway  was  one  of  the 
large  land  owners  of  the  county,  having  several 
farms  embracing  nearly  one  thousand  acres  of 
valuable  land.  He  made  a  business  of  raising 
and  feeding  stock  and  found  this  a  profitable 
source  of  income.  He  was  widely  recognized 
as  a  good  financier  and  enterprising  •  business 
man,  watchful  of  all  the  details  of  his  business, 
and  putting  forth  every  effort  in  his  power  to 
provide  a  good  living  for  his  family.  He  real- 
ized that  "there  is  no  success  without  labor"  and 
also  that  "honesty  is  the  best  policy"  and  these 
two  maxims  found  exemplification  in  his  life  rec- 
ord. 

By  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Galloway 
there  were  born  four  children,  but  the  eldest, 
Clara  Myrtle,  died  in  infancy.  Milo  E.,  who  is 
a  prominent  merchant  of  Pleasant  Hill,  married 
Daisy  Ladow  and  has  one  son,  Truman.  Carrie 
Lenora  is  the  wife  of  A.  T.  Brant,  a  farmer  and 
stockman  of  Pleasant  Hill  township  and  has  two 
children:  Milo  B.  and  Thelma.  Mayo  L.  is  a 
lumber  dealer  residing  at  Pleasant  Hill. 


A.    L.  GALLOWAY 


«v<* 

X 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


737 


In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Galloway  was 
a  stalwart  republican  and  during  the  period  of 
the  Civil  war  he  served  as  enrolling  officer.  He 
also  held  numerous  local  positions  of  honor  and 
trust,  acting  as  supervisor  and  also  as  a  dele- 
gate to  the  county  and  state  conventions.  He 
lived-  a  consistent  Christian  life,  having  the  en- 
tire confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  and 
his  name  became  an  honored  one  wherever  he 
was  known.  He  died  February  4,  1898,  and  the 
entire  community  mourned  the  loss  of  a  repre- 
sentative citizen.  His  many  good  qualities,  his 
genial  disposition  and  kindly  spirit  had  endeared 
him  to  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  and 
has  caused  his  memory  to  be  cherished  by  all 
who  knew  him. 


A.  S.  NEESE. 

A.  S.  Neese,  a  representative  of  farming  inter- 
ests in  Pearl  township,  resides  on  section  7, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  eighty  acres  of  good 
land.  He  is  a  native  of  Putnam  county,  Indiana, 
born  August  16.  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Christo- 
pher and  Angeline  (Myers)  Neese.  The  par- 
ents left  Indiana  when  their  son,  A.  S.  Neese,  was 
about  seven  years  of  age.  and  made  their  way 
westward  to  Spring  Creek  township,  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  where  the  father  secured  a  tract  of  land 
and  engaged  in  farming  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  February  14,  1902.  His 
widow  still  survives  and  is  now  living  in  Cal- 
houn  county  about  three  miles  south  of  Nebo, 
Illinois. 

A.  S.  Neese  was  a  young  lad  of  about  seven 
\  cars  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Pike  county, 
where  he  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm,  while  in  the  district  schools  of  Spring  Creek 
township  he  acquired  his  education.  No  event  of 
special  imjjortancc  occurred  to  vary  the  routine 
of  farm  life  for  him  in  his  boyhood  days.  He  as- 
sisted in  the  'cultivation  of  the  land  and  the  care 
of  the  stock  up  to  his  twenty-first  birthday.  He 
was  then  married  to  Miss  Delilah  McCann,  a 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Eliza  McCann,  and  the}' 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm.  Mr. 
Neese  has  given  his  entire  attention  in  a  business 


way  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  principal 
products  are  now  wheat  and  corn.  He  also  raises 
some  stock,  and  at  the  present  writing  (1906) 
has  upon  his  farm  eight  head  of  cattle,  four  head 
of  horses  and  twelve  head  of  hogs.  He  lias  ac- 
commodation for  thirty-five  head  of  stock  during 
the  winter  months,  for  there  are  good  barns  and 
sheds  upon  his  place,  together  with  other  modern 
equipments,  while  the  latest  improved  farm  ma- 
chinery constitutes  a  valuable  assistant  to  him  in 
the  work  of  the  fields. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neese  were  born  four  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely :  Nona 
P.,  Clara  F.,  Orin  E.,  and  Russell  F.  Neese.  In 
1904  the  family  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  the  wife  and  mother  whose  death  oc- 
curred on  the  2 ist  of  April,  of  that  year.  She  was 
very  devoted  to  her  family,  and  was  a  woman  pos- 
sessed of  many  excellent  traits  of  character.  Her 
remains  were  interred  in  the  Green  Pond  ceme- 
tery, and  her  death  was  deeply  deplored  by  all 
who  knew  her. 

Politically  Mr.  Neese  is  a  democrat,  who  has  al- 
ways affiliated  with  the  party,  but  has  never 
sought  the  rewards  of  office  in  recognition  of 
party  fealty.  On  the  contrary,  his  entire  atten- 
tion has  been  concentrated  upon  his  business  ef- 
forts and  he  is  a  self-made  man,  having  started 
out  in  life  without  a  dollar.  His  self-reliance  and 
force  of  character,  however,  have  enabled  him 
to  surmount 'difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path 
and  he  is  now  in  possession  of  a  good  farming 
property,  while  his  life  is  another  proof  of  the  as- 
sertion of  the  old  Greek  philosopher,  "Earn  thy 
reward ;  the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth." 


JOHN  A.  JAMES. 

John  A.  James,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in 
stock-raising  at  Perry,  has  by  keen  business  dis- 
cernment and  judicious  management  gained  a 
creditable  position  in  business  circles  in  Pike 
county.  He  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Illinois, 
December  21.  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Allen  W.  and 
Elizabeth  (Sartain)  James,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Tennessee,  the  former  born  October 
13,  1818,  and  the  latter  January  i,  1827.  Mr. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


James  was  twice  married,  his  first  union  being 
with  Miss  Matilda  Clardy,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  and  who  at  her  death,  left  two 
daughters:  Frances  A.,  the  wife  of  James 
Thomas,  a  farmer  of  Tennessee ;  and  Virginia, 
who  married  Williamson  Bond,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Pike  county.  By  the  second  marriage  there 
were  six  children :  Columbus  A.,  Harvey  C., 
William  E.,  John  A.,  Cordelia  and  Charles  E. 
All  are  now  living  with  the  exception  of  the  last 
named,  who  died  in  Missouri.  He  was  born  De- 
cember 4,  1862,  in  Perry,  Pike  county,  and  after 
being  graduated  with  first  honors  in  the  business 
college  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  July  2,  1880,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  engaged  in  keeping 
books  for  a  few  years,  while  later  he  became  con- 
nected with  railroad  interests  in  the  south.  He 
returned  home  to-  care  for  his  aged  parents,  and 
after  two  years  spent  upon  the  home  farm  in 
Pike  county,  removed  with  them  to  Deepwater, 
Missouri,  in  December,  1889.  He  was  married 
March  6,  1889,  to  Miss  Maggie  Hudnet,  who  re- 
sided near  Deepwater,  and  their  marriage  proved 
a  most  congenial  and  happy  one.  In  September, 
1889.  Mr.  James  again  engaged  in  railroading 
and  became  operator  at  Clinton  on  the  Kansas 
City  &  Galveston  Railroad.  After  a  month  he 
was  transferred  to  Brownington,  but  soon  became 
ill,  his  death  resulting.  The  year  1852  witnessed 
the  arrival  of  Allen  W.  James  in  Illi- 
nois and  several  years  later  they  removed 
from  Adams  county  to  Pike  county,  where 
he  remained  until  1888,  when  he  and  his 
wife  became  residents  of  Bates  county,  Mis- 
souri, but  afterward  returned  to  Pike  county, 
where  both  died.  They  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church ;  and  in  politics  he 
was  a  democrat. 

John  A.  James  was  a  young  lad  at  the  time 
his  parents  came  to  Pike  county,  so  that  his 
youth  was  largely  passed  here;  and  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  he  acquired  his  education.  Starting 
out  in  business  life  on  his  own  account,  he  was 
employed  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  until  1882, 
when  on  the  igth  of  July,  of  that  year,  he  was 
married  and  began  farming  for  himself  on  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Perry  township.  Subsequently 
he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  which  he 


cultivated  until  1899,  and  on  the  5th  of  Septem- 
ber, of  that  year,  he  took  up  his  abode  on  the 
family  homestead,  where  he  now  resides,  giving 
his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and 
to  stock-raising.  He  sold  his  own  farm  in  1901. 

On  the  igth  of  July,  1882,  Mr.  James  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Elizabeth  Gerard,  who  was  born 
January  21,  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Laommi 
R.  and  Elizabeth  (Daugherty)  Gerard.  Her  fa- 
ther, who  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 5,  1820,  died  February  28,  1898,  while  his 
wife,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Virginia,  March 
31,  1829,  died  August  19,  1904.  Mr.  Gerard 
was  quite  young  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared ;  while 
later  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Fayette  county,  that 
state,  coming  thence  to  Illinois  in  1856.  In 
October,  of  that  year,  he  located  in  Perry  town- 
ship, where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  He 
was  an  enterprising  agriculturist  of  good  busi- 
ness ability,  and  his  labors  enabled  him  to  add  to 
his  capital  year  by  year.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
held  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  The  latter  represented  one  of  the  early 
pioneer  families  of  Ohio,  her  people  having  re- 
moved from  Virginia  to  that  state  at  an  early 
day.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gerard  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
were  born  five  children :  May,  born  May  10, 
1883,  now  the  wife  of  John  F.  Read;  Maud,  who 
was  born  October  30,  1885,  and  died  in  infancy; 
Ray,  born  September  16,  1888;  Eva  V.,  May  2, 
1892;  and  Floyd  Allen,  who  was  born  June  27, 
1900,  and  died  March  27,  1905. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  their  good 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind  have  brought  to  them 
a  large  circle  of  friends.  Mr.  James  votes  with 
the  democracy,  and  has  served  as  road  commis- 
sioner and  for  two  years  as  school  director.  He 
maintains  membership  relations  with  various  fra- 
ternal organizations,  and  is  now  master  of  Perry 
lodge,  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  been  a 
delegate  to  the  grand  lodge,  holding  its  meetings 
in  Chicago.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Pike  County  Mu- 
tual Life  Insurance  Company.  His  position  in  the 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


739 


public  regard  is  that  of  a  man  whose  history  will 
bear  close  investigation  and  scrutiny,  whose  mo- 
tives have  been  honorable,  his  actions  manly  and 
his  words  sincere. 


NATHAN  SCRANTON. 

Xathan  Scranton,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  township,  owns  and  operates  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  constituting  a  well 
improved  and  valuable  farm.  He  has  resided 
in  Xebo  for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  wide  and 
favorable  acquaintance  demands  that  his  life  his- 
tory be  given  in  this  volume.  He  is  a  native  son 
of  Pike  county,  having  been  born  in  Spring  Creek 
township  on  the  I4th  of  February,  1839,  when 
this  was  still  a  frontier  district  in  which  the  work 
of  improvement  and  cultivation  had  been  carried 
on  to  only  a  limited  extent.  His  grandfather. 
David  Scrantqn,  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois 
from  Virginia,  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Pike  county,  locating  in  Spring  Creek  town- 
ship when  much  of  the  land  was  still  in  its  primi- 
tive condition.  He  assisted  in  its  reclamation  for 
the  uses  of  the  white  race,  and  aided  in  planting 
the  seeds  of  civilization  which  in  due  time  had 
borne  fruit  in  the  advanced  material,  intellectual 
and  moral  conditions  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
Reuben  J.  Scranton,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Virginia,  but  was  reared  in  Pike  county, 
and  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
a  new  farm.  He  was  married  here  to  Miss 
Sarah  Allison,  and  for  a  number  of  years  there- 
after engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  lost  his  wife  in  this  county  and  subsequently 
removed  to  Madison  county,  Missouri,  where  his 
last  years  were  passed.  He  was  killed  during  the 
Civil  war.  Of  the  family  of  five  brothers,  and  one 
sister  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reuben  J.  Scran- 
ton, only  two  are  now  living,  the  brother  of  our 
subject  being  Thomas  Scranton,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Spring  Creek  township. 

Xathan  Scranton  was  reared  to  farm  labor,  and 
in  his  early  life  worked  at  anything  that  he  could 
get  to  do  that  would  yield  him  an  honest  living. 


for  from  an  early  age  he  was  dependent  upon 
his  own  resources.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid  and 
enlisted  in  1862  as  a  member  of  Company  E, 
Third  Missouri  Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  in 
the  Western  Army.  He  participated  in  the  fight 
at  Chalk  Bluff,  also  in  the  engagements  at  Pilot 
Knob  and  Patterson,  together  with  many  skir- 
mishes. He  served  altogether  for  three  years, 
one  month  and  sixteen  days,  and  after  the  close 
of  the  war  was  honorably  discharged  at  Jeffer- 
son City,  Missouri,  having  done  his  full  duty  as 
a  soldier. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  aid, 
Xathan  Scranton  returned  to  Pike  county  and 
began  work  on  a  farm.  It  was  not  long  after- 
ward before  he  sought  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  life's  journey,  and  was  married  here 
to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
Xebo.  They  traveled  life's  journey  happily  to- 
gether for  about  five  years ;  and  there  were  two 
children  born  to  this  union,  of  whom  one  is  liv- 
ing. Following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Scranton  rented 
a  farm  and  engaged  in  operating  leased  land  for 
several  years,  after  which  he  bought  land  in 
Spring  Creek  township.  He  then  located  thereon 
and  cultivated  and  improved  the  place  for  three 
years,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  invested 
in  a  farm  in  Hardin  township,  where  he  lived  for 
five  years,  during  which  time  he  erected  a  good 
residence  upon  the  property.  Subsequently  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  Pleasant  Hill  town- 
ship, and  he  still  owns  this  property.  In  1887 
he  came  to  Nebo  and  erected  the  house  now 
owned  by  Dr.  Williams.  He  also  conducted  a 
hotel  for  two  years,  after  which  he  sold  out,  re- 
turning to  his  farm  in  Hardin  township.  Later 
he  purchased  his  Pleasant  Hill  township  property 
and  afterward  bought  a  neat  residence  in  Nebo — 
a  brick  building  in  which  he  now  makes  his  home. 

On  the  1 2th  of  August,  1875,  in  Nebo,  Mr. 
Scranton  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy  M.  Crow- 
der,  a  native  of  this  county,  where  she  was  reared. 
Her  father,  James  V.  Crowder,  was  born  in  Pike 
county,  and  became  a  soldier  who  died  in  the 
service  of  his  country  while  a  member  of  a  Mis- 
souri regiment  of  infantry.  His  wife,  who  bore 


740 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


the  maiden  name  of  Mahala  Allison,  survived  her 
husband  and  reared  her  family.  Mr.  Scranton's 
son  by  his  first  marriage  is  Albert  Scranton,  who 
now  lives  in  Nebo,  and  the  deceased  son  was 
Francis,  who  died  when  a  lad  of  about  nine  years. 
By  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Scranton  have 
been  born  two  children:  Clara  Maud,  the  wife 
of  Harry  North,  who  resides  upon  the  Scranton 
farm  in  Pleasant  Hill  township;  and  Opal,  at 
home. 

Politically  Mr.  Scranton  is  a  stanch  republican, 
although  he  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  demo- 
cratic party.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Court 
of  Honor  and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  Mr.  Scran- 
ton has  never  been  an  office  seeker,  but  has  earn- 
estly labored  to  advance  his  business  interests. 
His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Pike  county, 
and  he  has  helped  to  improve  and  make  the 
county  what  it  is  today,  having  himself  cultivated 
three  farms.  In  connection  with  the  tilling  of  the 
soil  he  has  engaged  in  raising  and  feeding  stock, 
handling  cattle,  hogs  and  horses.  He  com- 
menced life  a  poor  man,  but  by  his  own  labor  and 
enterprise  and  the  assistance  of  his  estimable 
wife  he  has  become  the  possessor  of  a  well  im- 
proved and  valuable  farm  and  a  good  home  in 
Nebo,  and  is  today  numbered  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state. 


McCLINTOCK  BROWN. 

McClintock  Brown,  starting  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  at  the  early  age  of  ten  years  and  re- 
ceiving a  wage  of  eight  dollars  per  month,  has 
from  that  humble  financial  position  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence. 
so  that  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  the  sub- 
stantial farmers  of  Hadlev  township,  his  home 
being  on  section  31.  where  he  owns  and  operates 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  that  is  today 
very  valuable  and  productive.  In  addition  to  its 
cultivation  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  business  of 
buying,  feeding  and  shipping  cattle  and  hogs. 

Mr.  Brown  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that 
the  Empire  state  has  furnished  to  Pike  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Washington  county. 


New  York,  near  Sandy  Hill,  about  four  miles 
from  the  historic  tree  at  which  Jane  McCrea  was 
massacred  by  the  Indians.  This  tree  died  in  1849, 
and  Mr.  Brown  has  a  snuffbox  made  from  a  part 
of  the  wood.  His  natal  day  was  October  2,  1847, 
his  parents  being  Josiah  and  Maria  (Clark) 
Brown,  the  former  a  native  of  Vermont,  while  the 
latter  was  also  born  in  the  east.  The  father  was 
a  physician  and  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  also 
a  shoemaker,  having  learned  his  trade  in  early 
life.  He  followed  shoemaking  at  an  early  day 
in  the  Empire  state,  and  also  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  at  Sandy  Hill,  New  York. 
There  his  death  occurred  in  1851,  and  his  widow 
afterward  came  with  her  family  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  being  accompanied  by  her  husband's 
brother,  Benjamin  D.  Brown.  They  settled  in 
Barry  and  Mrs.  Brown  later  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  B.  T.  Gray,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  the  locality.  Mr.  Gray  is  still  living  in  Barry, 
but  his  wife  is  deceased.  In  her  family  were  five 
children :  Josiah  and  Jane,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  away;  Henry  W.,  who  is  living  at  the  Sol- 
diers' Home  at  Quincy;  James  C..  who  died  in 
Missouri;  and  McClintock. 

In  the  schools  of  Barry  McClintock  Brown  ac- 
quired his  education,  having  been  brought  by  his 
mother  to  the  west  at  an  early  age.  He  was  a 
youth  of  only  ten  years  when  he  started  out  in 
life  on  his  own  account,  securing  employment  at 
farm  labor  by  the  month.  His  time  was  thus 
passed  for  a  number  of  years,  during  which  pe- 
riod he  received  only  about  eight  dollars  per 
month  in  compensation  for  his  services.  Later 
he  received  a  larger  wage,  and  saving  nearly  all 
of  his  earnings  he  was  at  length  enabled  to  pur- 
chase a  tract  of  land,  investing  in  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  when  twenty-seven  years  of 
age.  This  constitutes  a  part  of  the  farm  which 
he  still  owns,  but  its  boundaries  have  been  ex- 
tended until  within  the  tract  are  now  embraced 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  lie  is  engaged  in 
the  stock  business,  buying,  feeding  and  shipping 
cattle  and  hogs,  and  has  found  this  a  very  profit- 
able undertaking.  He  ships  several  carloads  of 
stock  each  year,  and  his  annual  sales  bring  him  a 
gratifying  figure.  His  son  is  engaged  in  the 
butchering  business,  having  a  shop  at  Barry.  In 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


74' 


iSijS  Mr.  I'.rown  lost  a  part  of  one  of  his  hands 
and  since  then  has  done  very  little  work. 

In  fanuary,  1872,  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mahala  Pence,  who  was  born 
in  Treble  county,  Ohio,  October  26,  1846,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Earhart)  Pence. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  when  a 
young  man  went  to  Ohio,  in  which  state  his  wife 
was  born  and  reared.  In  1857  they  came  to  Pike 
county,  settling  in  Haclley  township,  where  their 
remaining  days  were  passed,  Mr.  Pence  being 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  April,  1879,  when  he  was 
about  seventy-seven  years  of  age,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  June  8,  1802.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  November  4.  1810,  died  on  the  2$th  of 
April.  180,0.  In  their  family  were  ten  children, 
of  whom  four  are  now  living,  as  follows :  Mrs. 
Brown;  Joseph  Pence,  who  resides  in  Kansas 
City;  Mrs.  Lyclia  Emerson;  and  Mrs.  Adeline 
Furniss.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  one  child, 
L.  G.  Brown,  who  married  Mell  Peck  and  lives 
in  Barry.  Our  subject  also  has  an  adopted 
daughter,  Minnie,  who  attended  the  schools  of 
Barry,  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  in 
the  class  of  1901  and  is  now  engaged  in  teaching. 

Mr.  Brown  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  repub- 
lican party,  and  was  supervisor  of  Haclley  town- 
ship for  one  term  in  1898.  He  has  also  been 
road  commissioner.  He  belongs  to  Barry  lodge. 
No.  336,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Barry  camp,  No.  540,  M. 
W.  A. ;  and  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  Of 
the  last  two  he  is  a  charter  member.  He  has 
been  past  noble  grand,  past  chief  patriarch  and 
also  representative  to  the  grand  lodge  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  wife  is 
connected  with  the  Rebekah  degree,  has  filled  all 
of  the  chairs  in  that  lodge  and  has  been  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  grand  lodge.  Their  home  is 
pleasantly  located  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast 
of  Barry,  and  here  they  have  lived  for  many 
years,  during  which  time  Mr.  Brown  has  made 
many  excellent  improvements  upon  his  farm.  His 
reliability  in  business  has  secured  for  him  an  in- 
flexible reputation,  while  his  prosperity  repre- 
sents his  fit  utilization  of  opportunities  that  has 
made  him  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  and 
stock-raisers  of  this  part  of  the  county.  His  life 


record  stands  in  exemplification  of  what  may  -be 
accomplished  with  firm  and  unfaltering  purpose, 
and  proves  that  success  is  ambition's  answer. 


HARRISON  DAIGH. 

It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  a  great  majority  of 
the  successful  men  are  those  who  have  planned 
their  own  advancement  and  have  accomplished  it 
in  spite  of  obstacles  and  difficulties  which  they 
have  encountered.  Labor,  however,  in  America 
is  unhampered  by  caste  or  class,  and  in  due  time 
will  find  its  just  reward;  and  it  is  by  reason  of 
his  untiring  activity  that  Mr.  Daigh  has  won  a 
creditable  position  in  financial  and  social  circles, 
enjoying  the  good  will  and  trust  of  all  with  whom 
he  lias  been  associated. 

A  native  son  of  Perry,  he  was  born  February 
10,  1845,  ancl  was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
His  parents  were  James  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Pool) 
Daigh,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the 
latter  of  South  Carolina.  Leaving  the  Old  Domin- 
ion, James  M.  Daigh  came  to  Illinois  in  the  '205, 
settling  in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness  in  Chris- 
tian or  Sangamon  county.  He  afterward  came 
to  Pike  county  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
portion  of  the  state,  and  aided  in  its  early  and  sub- 
stantial development.  However,  attracted  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  he  crossed  the 
plains  in  1849.  I"  l&52  n€  returned  to  Illinois,  but 
in  1853  again  went  to  California,  this  time  by 
way  of  New  York  city,  whence  he  took  passage 
on  a  sailing  vessel  bound  for  San  Francisco.  He 
was  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  Golden 
state  until  the  spring  of  1855,  when  his  life's  la- 
bors were  ended  in  death,  he  being  then  fifty-five 
years  of  age.  His  wife  passed  away  in  this  county 
in  1853,  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years.  They  were 
earnest  and  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
church,  and  Mr.  Daigh  was  also  affiliated  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His 
political  views  were  in  harmony  with  the  princi- 
ples of  the  whig  party.  In  the  family  were 
twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  Harrison  and  Mar- 


742 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE    COUNTY. 


tha,  the  latter  the  wife  of  J.  J.  Smith,  a  farmer  of 
Chambersburg  township. 

Harrison  Daigh  lost  his  mother  when  nine 
years  of  age,  and  was  left  an  orphan  when  a 
youth  of  ten.  Three  years  later  he  left  Pike 
county  and  went  to  Dewitt  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  was  employed  as  a  farm  laborer  during  the 
summer  months,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he 
fed  cattle  for  his  board  and  the  privilege  of  at- 
tending school.  He  was  thus  occupied  until 
1862,  when  his  patriotic  spirit  was  aroused  by 
the  attempt  of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union, 
and,  although  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  en- 
listed on  the  27th  of  July  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany F,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  remaining 
with  that  regiment  until  honorably  discharged  in 
August,  1865,  being  mustered  out  at  Baton  Rouge, 
Louisiana.  He  took  part  in  a  number  of  impor- 
tant engagements  and  manifested  valor  and  loy- 
alty equal  to  that  of  many  a  veteran  of  twice  his 
years.  He  made  a  creditable  military  record,  and 
when  his  aid  was  no  longer  needed  he  returned 
to  his  home  to  resume  the  pursuits  of  civil  life. 

He  was  again  engaged  in  farm  labor  up  to  the 
time  of  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  on 
the  25th  of  April,  1867,  Miss  Margaret  Turner 
becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  June  25,  1849, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
(Haughey)  Turner,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ohio,  in  which  state  they  were  married.  Their 
children,  eleven  in  number,  were  born  in  Ohio. 
Five  of  these  are  yet  living,  Charles,  Isaac,  Mary, 
Jane  and  Margaret.  Elizabeth  died  January  10, 
1906.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  Sep- 
tember 21,  1858,  and  Mr.  Turner  was  afterward 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Re- 
becca Shelton,  who  is  also  now  deceased.  There 
were  four  children  of  that  marriage,  George, 
James,  Albert  and  Laura,  all  of  whom  are  yet 
living.  On  removing  from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  Mr. 
Turner  settled  in  Perry  township,  Pike  county, 
where  he  secured  a  tract  of  land  and  carried  on 
general  farming  until  within  a  few  years  prior 
to  his  demise,  when  he  lived  retired  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Perry.  He  was  a  member  of  the  New 
Light  church  in  Ohio.  His  political  endorse- 
ment was  given  to  the  whig  party  until  its  dis- 
solution, when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  repub- 


lican party.  His  death  occurred  in  Perry,  Sep- 
tember 21,  1888,  when  he  was  seventy-six  years 
of  age. 

Following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Daigh  carried  on 
farming  in  Perry  township  until  the  spring  of 
1868,  when  he  removed  to  Dewitt  county,  Illi- 
nois, there  residing  until  the  fall  of  1869,  when  he 
returned  to  Pike  county  and  once  more  became 
identified  with  its  agricultural  interests.  In  1875 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Perry,  where  he  now 
lives.  At  the  present  writing  he  is  engaged  in 
farming,  and  he  also  has  charge  of  the  mail 
route  between  Perry  and  Griggsville.  At  the 
same  time  he  has  been  active  and  influential  in 
community  affairs,  and  has  served  as  constable 
and  town  marshal,  as  street  commissioner,  as 
school  director  and  road  commissioner. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daigh  was  blessed 
with  thirteen  children  :  Estella ;  Charles ;  Frank 
C,  who  died  October  17,  1904,  in  his  thirty- third 
year;  Nellie;  Lillian;  Harry  L. ;  Clarence;  one 
who  died  in  infancy ;  Russell ;  Grace ;  Louise ;  Jo- 
seph F. ;  and  Marie.  The  members  of  the  family 
are  well  known  in  the  community  where  they 
reside.  Mr.  Daigh  belongs  to  Perry  lodge,  No. 
95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  with  which  he  has  affiliated 
since  March,  1878,  and  he  is  now  a  past  master. 
He  likewise  belongs  to  Perry  chapter,  No.  35,  R. 
A.  M. ;  and  in  politics  he  supports  the  men  who 
are  pledged  to  give  their  allegiance  to  the  re- 
publican party.  Dependent  upon  his  own  re- 
sources from  an  early  age,  whatever  success  he 
has  achieved  is  attributable  to  his  earnest  and  in- 
defatigable industry.  He  possesses  "a  genial  dis- 
position and  kindly  nature  that  have  gained  him 
many  friends  in  social  circles,  as  he  has  a  very 
wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in  this  part  of 
the  county. 


SAMUEL  WILLIAMS. 

Samuel  Williams,  one  of  the  public-spirited  and 
prominent  men  of  Pike  county,  has  for  some  years 
been  supervisor  of  Detroit  township,  and  is  the 
present  efficient  chairman  of  the  honorary  board 
of  supervisors.  A  native  son  of  the  county,  he 
was  born  in  Detroit/April  18,  1868.  His  father 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF   PIKE  COUNTY. 


743 


Samuel  Williams,  was  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, born  in  1829,  and  the  grandfather  was  An- 
derson Williams,  who  removed  with  his  family 
westward  to  Illinois  about  1835,  locating  in  De- 
troit township,  Pike  county,  when  few  settle- 
ments had  been  made  within  the  borders  of  this 
county.  He"  entered  land  in  this  locality  and 
opened  up  a  farm.  He  shared  with  the  early  set- 
tlers in  the  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  pio- 
neer life  and  aided  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land 
for  the  purposes  of  civilization.  He  also  built  a 
sawmill  and  cut  timber  for  the  old  plank  road  and 
lived  a  life  of  usefulness  and  activity.  He  reared 
his  family  here  and  later  removed  to  Missouri, 
settling  at  Sedalia,  where  he  spent  his  last  years. 

Samuel  Williams,  Sr.,  father  of  our  subject, 
came  to  Pike  county  when  a  young  lad,  and  was 
here  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  and  environ- 
ments of  pioneer  life,  sharing  with  the  family  in 
the  hardships  incident  to  a  life  in  a  frontier  dis- 
trict. He  gained  practical  experience  in  the  work 
of  the  fields  so  that  he  was  well  qualified  to  earn,' 
on  business  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account.  He  married  Miss  Eunice  Hatch,  a  na- 
tive of  this  county.  Through  much  of  his  life 
he  followed  merchandising,  and  was  a  trader,  cap- 
italist and  money-loaner.  He  reared  his  family 
and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Pike 
county,  where  he  died  in  1897.  His  wife  still 
survives  him  and  now  resides  in  Detroit.  In 
their  family  were  three  children:  Frances, 'now 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Hall,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Detroit;  Clayton  A.  Williams,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  in  Newburg  township ;  and  Samuel 
A.,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  was  reared  at  the  old  farm 
home,  and  in  the  country  schools  acquired  his 
education,  save  that  he  has  added  largely  to  his 
knowledge  through  experience,  reading  and  ob- 
servation in  later  years.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  after 
which  he  began  working  by  the  month  at  a  salary 
of  fifteen  dollars.  He  was  employed  in  this  way 
for  five  or  six  years,  embracing  every  oppor- 
tunity that  would  improve  his  business  condi- 
tion. In  Newburg  township  on  the  I4th  of  Au- 
gust, 1894,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Cora  Jane  Eagle,  who  was  born  in  this  county 


and  was  a  daughter  of  John  H.  C.  Eagle,  a  farmer 
of  Newburg  township.  After  their  marriage  the 
young  couple  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  tract  of 
land  which  Mr.  Williams  rented,  and  there  in 
connection  with  the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  he 
engaged  in  buying  and  feeding  stock,  becoming 
one  of  the  well  known  stock-dealers  of  the  county, 
carrying  on  the  business  on  an  extensive  scale. 
He  shipped  on  an  average  of  about  fifty  carloads 
of  stock  a  year.  He  is  today  justly  classed  with 
the  active,  practical  and  prosperous  farmers  of 
Detroit  township.  He  controls  five  hundred  acres, 
of  which  he  keeps  two  hundred  acres  for  pastur- 
age and  he  now  has  about  one  hundred  head  of 
cattle  and  a  large  number  of  hogs,  and  his  annual 
shipments  bring  him  a  gratifying  financial  return. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  a  family  of  two 
children,  Inez  Fern  and  V.  Elmer.  They  also 
lost  a  daughter,  Hazel,  who  died  in  infancy.  Po- 
litically Mr.  'Williams  has  been  a  lifelong  demo- 
crat, and  his  first  presidential  ballot  was  cast  for 
Grover  Cleveland.  He  has  been  elected  and  re- 
elected  to  the  office  of  supervisor  until  he  is  now 
serving  for  the  third  term  and  he  is  president  of 
the  county  board.  In  the  discharge  of  his  official 
duties  he  has  ever  been  prompt  and  faithful,  and 
his  record  in  office  is  one  above  reproach.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church;  and 
Mr.  Williams  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  at  Milton  but 
has  since  demitted  to  Detroit  lodge.  He  has 
served  through  all  of  the  chairs  and  is  a  past 
grand,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  connected 
with  the  Rebekah  degree.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  Mr.  Williams 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  county  where  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed,  and  where  he  has  so 
directed  his  efforts  as  to  win  signal  success  in 
business,  and  at  the  same  time  gain  the  honor 
and  respect  of  his  fellowmen.  His  life  record 
proves  what  can  be  accomplished  by  determined, 
indefatigable  and  honorable  purpose.  While 
"the  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the  battles 
to  the  strong,''  the  inviolable  law  of  destiny  ac- 
cords to  tireless  energy,  industry  and  ability  a 
successful  career;  and  the  truth  of  this  assertion 
is  abundantly  verified  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Williams, 
who.  though  he  has  met  many  difficulties  and  ob- 


744 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


stack's,  has  overcome  these  by  determined  pur- 
pose and  laudable  endeavor,  working  his  way 
steadily  upward. 


WILLIAM   ALLEN   PECK. 

William  .Mien  Peck,  residing  on  section  20, 
Hadley  township,  is  a  native  son  of  Ohio,  his 
birth  having  occurred  near  Chillicothe,  Pickaway 
county.  May  27,  1842.  His  parents,  Jesse  and 
Jane  (Reeves)  Peck,  were  both  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  were  married  subsequent  to  their  re- 
moval to  Ohio.  The  mother  was  married  three 
times,  her  first  husband  being  Mr.  Shanton  and 
her  second,  Mr.  Hines.  The  father  of  our  subject 
was  married  twice,  and  it  was  after  losing  his 
first  wife  that  he  wedded  Mrs.  Hines.  By  this 
marriage  there  were  born  five  children,  two  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely :  Mrs.  James  Davis, 
who  is  now  living  in  Barry ;  Mrs.  Ella  Sweet, 
whose  home  is  in  Denver,  Colorado;  Jesse  F. 
I'eck,  who  is  living  in  Little  Sioux,  Iowa;  Wil- 
liam A. ;  and  Minnie,  the  deceased  wife  of  Arthur 
(iillum.  The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1847, 
settling  south  of  Pittsfield.  They  had  traveled 
across  the  country  with  a  wagon  and  team,  and 
they  remained  at  their  first  location  from  the  fall 
of  1847  until  March,  1848,  when  they  removed 
to  a  farm  near  which  the  subject  of  this  review 
now  resides.  Later  they  bought  the  farm  where 
William  Allen  Peck  lived  for  fifty-six  years,  its 
location  being  one  mile  east  of  his  present  place 
of  residence.  Jesse  Peck  was  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which,  owing  to 
his  care  and  cultivation,  became  a  very  pro- 
ductive and  valuable  tract.  He  spent  his  remain- 
ing days  thereon,  passing  away  in  1876,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years,  while  his  wife  died  Janu- 
ary 25,  1881,  in  her  eighty-fifth  year.  Mr.  Peck 
was  a  democrat  in  his  political  views,  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  held  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

The  educational  privileges  whfch  William  A. 
IVck  enjoyed  were  quite  limited.  To  some  ex- 
tent he  attended  the  public  schools,  but  his  Cerv- 
ices were  largely  needed  on  the  home  farm  and 


he  worked  in  the  fields  from  the  time  of  early 
spring  planting  until  the  crops  were  harvested 
in  the  late  autumn.  He  continued  to  reside  upon 
the  old  home  property  until  October,  1905.  when 
he  removed  to  his  present  place  of  residence. 
Here  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  making  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  hogs 
and  cattle.  He  and  his  son  are  now  managing 
and  improving  the  farm,  which  comprises  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  arable  land.  In  all  of 
his  work  he  is  systematic  and  methodical,  and  his 
labors  have  been  attended  with  the  success  which 
crowns  active,  persistent  and  practical  effort. 

In  1864  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Peck  and 
Miss  Jessie  P>.  Wilson,  who  was  born  in  Scot- 
land, May  27,  1840,  and  came  to  the  new  world 
when  fourteen  years  of  age.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Peck  have  been  born  eleven  children,  but  four 
died  in  infancy.  The  others  are  as  follows: 
Arena,  now  the  wife  of  John  McTucker,  a  resi- 
dent of  Hadley  township;  Minnie,  the  wife  of 
John  McConnell,  who  is  living  in  Jacksonville. 
Illinois;  Willie,  who  resides'in  Oklahoma;  Katie, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Elmer  Furniss,  and  at  her 
death  left  five  children ;  Mell,  who  married  Louis 
ttrown  and  lives  in  Barry;  Harry,  who  is  as- 
sociated with  his  father  in  business,  and  is  now 
serving  as  supervisor  of  Hadley  township ;  and 
Charles,  who  is  living  at  home. 

Mr.  Peck  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Baptist 
church.  He  is  a  genial,  whole-souled  man,  well 
liked  by  all,  upright  in  his  business  dealings  and 
has  the  cultured,  genial  nature  that  wins  warm 
friendships.  He  has  long  been  known  as  a  lead- 
ing representative  of  agricultural  interests  in  this 
county,  and  as  such  deserves  mention  in  this 
volume. 


ALEXANDER  COUCH. 

Alexander  Couch,  who  follows  farming  on  sec- 
tion 14.  Spring  Creek  township,  was  born  in  Har- 
din  township.  Pike  county,  April  26,  1858,  his 
parents  being  Lewis  and  Sarah  J.  (Daniel) 
Couch.  The  mother  of  Lewis  Couch  was  a  native 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


745 


of  Kentucky  and  lived  to  the  very  advanced  age 
of  ninety-two  years,  spending  the  last  fifteen  years 
of  her  life  with  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Alexander 
Couch.  Lewis  Couch  was  a  native  of  Hillsboro, 
Highland  county,  Ohio,  horn  July  4,  1827.  He 
engaged  in  dealing  in  poultry,  sheep,  hogs,  etc., 
for  ten  years  and  afterward  gave  his  time  to  farm- 
ing until  his  demise,  which  occurred  in  Spring 
Creek  township,  this  county,  on  the  loth  of  June, 
1894,  when  he  was  in  his  sixty-seventh  year.  He 
married  Miss  Sarah  Daniel,  who  was  born  De- 
cember 23,  1837,  and  was  a  daughter  of  James 
Daniel,  who  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  in 
that  state  was  married,  his  first  wife  also  dying 
there.  He  afterward  came  to  Pike  county  with 
his  two  children,  and  later  was  married  here  to 
Polly  Bristo.  For  many  years  he  was  a  resident 
farmer  of  this  part  of  the  state,  and  died  in  Spring 
Creek  township  in  1888.  His  wife  passed  away 
several  years  later.  In  their  family  were  the  fol- 
lowing named:  William,  Albert.  Sarah,  .Mrs. 
Jane  Couch,  Martin  Van  Buren,  Mary,  James  J. 
Polk.  Martha  Rebecca,  Caroline  and  Clarke.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  Couch  were 
twelve  in  number,  namely :  John,  Alexander,  Al- 
phonso  Hunter,  Mary  E.,  Lewis  G.,  Eliza,  Rosie 
A..  Dora  L.,  Alva,  Ora,  and  Eddie  and  Charlie, 
twins. 

Alexander  Couch,  the  second  in  order  of  birth, 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Hardir, 
and  Spring  Creek  townships,  and  was  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm,  assisting  him  in  the  labors 
of  field  and  meadow  until  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-eight  years,  when  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Frances  Shaw,  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
.1886.  L'nto  them  were  born  three  children:  Ina 
A.,  Nellie  and  a  son  who  died  unnamed  in  in- 
fancy. The  wife  and  mother  died  December  26, 
1893,  and  Mr.  Couch  afterward  wedded  Miss 
Eunice  Collins,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ruth  E. 
Collins,  the  former  born  March  17,  1826,  and  the 
latter  in  October,  1830.  The  maternal  grand- 
mother of  Mrs,  Couch  lived  for  many  years  near 
Pittsfield,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  later  re- 
moved to  Newtonville,  Spencer  county,  Indiana, 
where  she  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety 
years.  Unto  John  and  Ruth  E.  Collins  were  born 
three  children :  Eunice,  Emma  O.  and  Austin, 


but  only  Mrs.  Couch  is  now  living,  Emma  hav- 
ing died  in  August,  1905,  while  Austin  died  when 
but  three  years  of  age.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Col- 
lins had  been  previously  married,  and  by  his  first 
union  he  had  the  following  children:  William 
Campbell,  Amy  A.,  John  W..  Joseph  S.  and  Sher- 
man A-  Collins.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Col- 
lins had  two  daughters:  Mrs.  Mary  Fuller  and 
Mrs.  Barbara  Crozier,  both  yet  living.  The  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Couch  and  Miss  Eunice  Collins  had 
been  blessed  with  four  children :  Orin  I.,  Oza 
L.,  Erma  O.  and  Orville  S.  Couch. 

Mr.  Couch  is  now  engaged  in  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-one 
acres  of  good  farming  land,  which  he  has  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  produces 
principally  corn,  wheat  and  hay,  and  he  is  also 
engaged  in  stock-raising,  having  eighteen  head  of 
fine  graded  shorthorn  cattle,  nine  head  of  horses 
and  about  fifty  head  of  hogs.  His  business  inter- 
ests are  well  managed,  and  his  earnest  efforts  are 
bringing  to  him  a  very  desirable  competence, 
while  his  life  record  is  another  proof  of  the  as- 
sertion of  the  German  poet  and  philosopher 
Goethe  that  "merit  and  success  go  linked  to- 
gether." In  politics  he  is  a  democrat,  and  has 
always  affiliated  with  that  party. 


C.  J.  DOUGLAS. 

C.  J.  Douglas,  a  retired  farmer  living  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Montezuma,  was  born  in  Montezuma 
township,  Pike  county,  a  son  of  -William  and  Pa- 
melia  (Strawn)  Douglas.  The  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Scotland,  his  birth  having  occurred  near 
New  Galloway.  Emigrating  at  an  early  age  to 
the  United  States,  he  made  his  way  to  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  country,  and  later  came  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  near  Milton.  He  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  and  after  taking  up  his  abode  in  Pike 
county  he  assisted  in  building  the  courthouse  and 
other  public  and  private  buildings  of  the  city. 
He  was  also  engaged  on  the  construction  of  the 
buildings  of  the  Columbia  (Missouri)  Univer- 
sity. It  was  at  that  place  that  he  married  and 
later  he  settled  in  Montezuma  township,  Pike 


746 


PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF    PIKE   COUNTY. 


county,  a  half  mile  from  the  present  home  of  his 
son,  C.  J.  Douglas.  Unto  William  and  Pamelia 
(Strawn)  Douglas  were  born  twelve  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

C.  J.  Douglas  was  reared  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  was  educated  in  the  country  schools. 
He  remained  with  his  father  until  his  marriage, 
when  he  removed  to  his  present  home  near  Mil- 
ton. He  continued  actively  in  farming  up  to  the 
time  of  his  retirment  from  business  life.  He 
was  married  in  1874  to  Miss  Gabriella  Hayden, 
a  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Virginia  (Sweringen) 
Hayden,  and  the  good  wife  survives  to  share  with 
him  a  well  earned  reward  of  labor.  Unto  them 
was  born  a  son,  Delbert,  who  died  in  infancy. 
They  are  both  members  of  the  Christian  church ; 
and  they  occupy  a  comfortable  home  and  have  a 
host  of  warm  friends,  for,  having  long  resided 
in  this  locality,  they  are  widely  known,  and  their 
many  good  traits  of  character  have  gained  them 
the  esteem  and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  they 
have  been  associated. 


JOHN  MEDARIS. 

John  Medaris,  a  farmer  residing  on  section  34, 
Fairmount  township,  was  born  in  this  county  Oc- 
tober 2,  1840,  his  parents  being  Robinson  and 
Felicia  (McLain)  Medaris,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Montgomery  county,  Kentucky.  The 
parents  are  now  deceased,  the  father  having  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  while  the 
mother  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 
In  their  family  were  five  children,  of  whom  four 
are  now  living,  namely :  Mrs.  Mary  McLaugh- 
lin,  Charles,  John  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Boggs.  It  was 
in  the  year  1811  that  Robinson  Medaris  arrived 
in  Pike  county.  Few  indeed  were  the  settlements 
of  the  white  men  within  its  borders  at  that  pe- 
riod. The  prairies  were  covered  with  their  native 
grasses  and  the  forests  stood  in  their  primeval 
strength.  The  Indians  still  found  a  hunting 
ground  in  this  part  of  the  state,  while  game  of 
various  kinds  was  to  be  had  in  abundance.  He 
lived  here  during  the  period  of  the  deep  snow  in 
1830-1,  an  epoch  memorable  in  the  history  of  the 


county.  Upon  arriving  here  he  built  a  log  cabin 
and  soon  he  cleared  a  tract  of  prairie  land  upon 
which  he  planted  his  crops,  and  in  due  time  gath- 
ered good  harvests.  His  political  support  was 
given  to  the  democracy,  and  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church. 

Upon  the  old  farm  homestead  John  Medaris 
was  reared,  no  event  of  special  importance  occur- 
ring to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in  his 
boyhood  days.  He  was  married  November  26, 
1868,  to  Miss  Sarah  Fox,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 29,  1842,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Sarah  (Slight)  Fox,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ohio,  whence  they  came  to  Pike  county  in 
1858.  In  their  family  were  nine  children,  of  whom 
only  one  is  now  living,  Jacob  Fox.  The  father 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  and  early  farmers 
of  Pike  county,  and  aided  in  the  reclamation  of 
wild  land  for  the  uses  of  civilization.  He  was  a 
republican  in  his  political  views  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
His  death  occurred  in  1861,  when  he  was  sev- 
enty-two years  of  age,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Medaris  have  become  the  parents  of  four 
children,  all  of  whom  are  now  living :  Edward ; 
Vena,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Woodward,  a  resident 
of  Adams  county,  Illinois;  Daniel;  and  John  T.. 
who  married  Nora  Davis. 

Mr.  Medaris  started  out  upon  an  independent 
business  career  when  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  he  began  farming  for  himself. 
Later  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
he  built  a  log  house  and  subsequently  he  added 
to  this  until  he  owned  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
twelve  acres,  which  he  has  cleared  and  improved, 
transforming  it  into  a  valuable  farm.  Upon  this 
property  he  raises  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs.  He 
has  seventy  head  of  Shropshire  sheep,  and  he 
raises  polled  Angus  cattle  and  Jersey  Red  hogs. 
He  has  good  pastures  and  feed  lots  and  ample 
shelter  for  his  stock  and  his  grain,  and,  in  fact, 
upon  his  farm  are  found  all  modern  accessories 
and  equipments. 

In  1898  Mr.  Medaris  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  4th  of  Oc- 
tober, of  that  year,  and  was  buried  in  Hinman 


PAST   AND    PRESENT   OF    PIKE    COUNTY. 


747 


cemetery,  where  his  parents  were  also  interred. 
In  politics  Mr.  Medaris  is  an  earnest  democrat 
and  for  sixteen  years  he  served  as  school  director, 
the  cause  of  education  finding  in  him  a  warm  and 
stalwart  friend.  He  was  also  road  commissioner 
for  several  years,  and  he  is  never  remiss  in  the 
duties  of  citizenship,  regarding  it  as  a  privilege 


as  well  as  an  obligation  to  faithfully  perform 
every  task  which  devolves  upon  him  in  connec- 
tion with  the  welfare  and  improvement  of  the 
county.  The  name  of  Medaris  has  been  associ- 
ated with  the  progress  and  development  here  from 
the  earliest  days,  and  the  work  instituted  by  his 
father  has  been  carried  forward  by  him. 


INDEX 


I 

Introduction    
Illinois 

IIS^ 

7 
7 
10 
11 
11 
11 
12 
13 
14 
16 
30 
31 
32 
32 
33 
33 
34 
34 

[nORY    OF    PIKE   COUNI 

Archeology    40 
Organic   History                                42 

[•Y 

Civil  War  
Spanish-  American  War  
History  of  Townships  
Supervisors  
Pike  County  Officials  
Pike  County  Bar  

56 
....   78 
79 
....   89 
97 
101 

Illinois  Conference  
French  in  Illinois  
British  Dominion  in  Illinois  
Illinois  as  a  Territory  
Illinois  a  a  Frontier  State  
Era  of  Sectional  Conflict  
Era  of  Economic  Development.  . 
Capitals  and  Capitols  of  Illinois. 
Illinois  as  a  State  

Military  Tract  

....   42 
43 

Counties  Cut  from  Pike  
General  Review  
Hanson  and   Shaw  
Marquette    County  
County  Seat  Contest  
First  American  Settlements 
Original  Pike  County  
Log  Cabins  
State  Improvements  
Origin  of  Names  of  Creeks.  . 
First  Things  in  Pike  County 
First  White  Men  in  Pike  Cou 
Black  Hawk  War  

....   44 
45 
....   45 
46 
....   46 
47 
....   48 
48 
....   49 
49 
....   49 
nty.   50 
....   52 
56 

Church  History  
Exodus  to  California  
Banks  and  Bankers  
Newspapers  

....102 
....103 
104 
105 

Steamboating  

....105 
107 

First  Constitution  
Derivation  of  Name  Illinois  
State  Bank   
La  Fayette's  Visit  
Pike  County   

Sny  Island  Levee  
Rural  Mail  Routes  
Illustrious  Dead  

....109 
....111 
....112 
112 

Early  Events  

....122. 
125 

....688 
638 

BIOGRAPHIES   OF  PROMINENT   CITIXENS 

Adams,  G.  S  645      Bonifleld,  Robert  593      Clemmons,  N.  M  
Adams   Jane  E                                «1«      Rorpn    j   W                                      275      nnlvin    H 

Akers,   G.  W  

708 
242 
650 
365 
227 
249 
630 
484 
187 
263 
467 

Borthwick,  William,  Jr  
Bradburn,  B.  T  
Bradburn,  Mark  S  
Briscoe,  E.  W  
Brown,  A.  R  
Brown,  Emma  J  
Brown,  J.  C  

....469 
394 
....512 
528 
649 
715 
558 

Conkright,  I.  S  
Conway,  Farrell  
Cooper,  G.  D  
Cooper,  J.  H  
Couch,  Alexander  
Crane,  Dr.  F.  M  
Crane,  James  H  
Craven,  John,  Sr  
Cunningham,  L.  L  

....292 
....578 
....209 
266 
....744 
357 
....173 
291 
183 

Anderson,  H.  L  
Anderson,  R.  A  
Anderson,  Ray  N  
Andrew,  Dr.  H.  B  
Applegate,  A.  M  

Brown,  McClintock  
Brown,  N.  W  

....740 
698 

Bagby,  George  F  
Bagby,  Richard  D  

Brown,  W.  H  
Brown    W    M 

....358 
232 
....677 
563 
....727 
629 

Cunningham,  R.  E  
Daigh,  Harrison  
Daniels,  S.  W  
Deam,  Izora  A  
Dell,  John  T  
Dickason  S  M 

....352 
741 
....701 
709 
....437 
552 

Baker,  W.  A  
Ballenger   J   W 

369 
728 
449 
166 
529 
540 
363 
159 
707 

Brown,  Willis  
Browning,  C.  T  
Browning,  John  J  
Bush,  G.  D  
Bush,  J.  M  

Bancroft,  A.  C  
Barber,  George  
Barldev,  W.  S  
Barnes.  N.  L  
Barnes,  R.  Y  
Barton,  Isaac   
Batley    C    W 

Dinsmore,  J.  E  

298 

Cadwell,  Franklin  
Capps,  G.  W  

!."403 

Dinsmore,  W.  H  
Dix,  Rollin  M  

380 
339 

Carey,  Dr.  G.  B  
Carlen    Xavier 

....730 

Dixon,  Job  
Dober  Mary  A 

....500 
705 

Bauer.  M.  G  
Berrv   John  F 

204 
592 
729 
721 
330 
195 
626 

Carnes,  George  
Carnes,  S.  E  

....580 
584 
340 

Doocy,  Edward  
Doocv,  Marv  M  
Dorsey,  John  W  
Doss  Dr  C  H 

....260 
263 
....433 
423 

Billings,  Charles  
Hillitms,  J.  H  
Binns,  W.  S  
Black,  George  T  
Boggs   J   C   F 

Charlton.  C.  A  
Chrysup,  G.  W  
Churchill,  H.  S  
Glaus    Frank 

730 
273 
....443 
628 
....298 

Doss,  Dr.  J.  I  

183 

Douglas,  C.  J  
Dow.  Augustus  
Doyle,  Dr.  G.  W  

745 
250 
....237 

Bolin,  Charles  E  

515 

Clayton,  E.  L  

PAST   AND  PRESENT   OF   PIKE  COUNTY 


Doyle,  Warren   

.725 

Heavner,  Bluford  

632 

Massie,  M.  D  

196 

Duff,  Asahel  

.619 

Hess,  A.  E  

620 

Matthews,  A.  C  

190 

Duffield,  Dr.  H.  T  

.376 

Hess,  J.  D  

220 

Matthews,  B.  L  

310 

Dunham,   Abel  

.601 

Hicks,  Daniel  D  

270 

Mays,  Marcellus  

156 

Dunham,    Daniel  

.646 

Hicks,  R.  T  

304 

Medaris,  John  

746 

Dunham,  J.  M  

.487 

Higbee,  C.  L  

149 

Meisenbach,  W.  H  

627 

Dunham,  Richard   

.498 

Higbee,   Harry  

184 

Miller,  Barney  

688 

Dunham,  W.  H  

.157 

Hill,  Charles,  Sr  

5&5 

Miller,  W.  D  

689 

Dunn,  Dr.  B.  B  

.691 

Hirsheimer,  S.,  Sr  

456 

Moore,  Samuel  

635 

Dunn,  George  H  

.468 

Holt,  S.  M  

302 

Morton,  John  E  

321 

Dustin,  C.  B  

.696 

Hopkins,  B.  B  

400 

Myers,  William,  Jr  

596 

Edmiston,  Robert   

.597 

Hopkins,  C.  L  

448 

Neese,  A.  S  

737 

Ellis,  T.  B  

.254 

Horton,  Mary  L  

673- 

Nighbert,  Dr.  J.  D  

227 

Emerson,  James    

.667 

Hoyt,  E.  S  

607 

Northup.  Arden  

183 

Farrand,  F.  H  

.723 

Hubbard,  W.  G  

201 

Norton,  J.  M  

155 

Farrand,  J.  A  

.244 

Hull,   John  

680' 

Oakley,  W.  L  

569 

Farrand,  M.  K  

.436 

Hull,    Thomas  

575 

Orr,  Jefferson  

152 

Fenton,  F.  M  

.345 

Huntley,   Solon  

460 

±Jarker,  G.  W  

391 

First  National  Bank  of  Pitts- 

Hurt,  C.  H  

660 

Payne,  W.  E  

708 

field   

.307 

Hutton,   William  

670 

Peacock,  Dr.  S.  B  

533 

Fisher,  G.  R  

.466 

Ingalls,  C.  M  

522 

Peck,  William  A  

744 

Fisher,  Michael   

.669 

Ingalls,  D.  W  

575 

Pennington,  G.  S  

282 

Fisher,  T.  B  

.659 

Ingalbe,  X.  M  

316 

Penstone,  Edward  

150 

Fortune,   Dr.   H.  C  

.347 

Ingram,  J.  T  

534 

Penstone,  Giles  H  

161 

Fortune,  Dr.  H.  D  

.622 

James,  John  A  

737 

Petty,  M.  N  

637 

Frank,  David   

.692 

James,  W.  E  

488 

Pollock,  Dr.  J.  R  

459 

Franklin,  Robert  

.504 

Johns,  Oscar  F  

424 

Pollock,  Dr.  R.  R  

366 

Fuller,  G.  W  

.234 

Johnson,  David  

695 

Potter,    Thomas  

546 

Furniss,  S.  F  

.416 

Johnson,  J.  G  

269 

Powell,  Eli  

448 

Gaines,  S.  S  

.567 

Johnson,  Dr.  W.  H  

609 

Powell,  Jacob  

606 

Galloway,  A.  L  

.734 

Johnston,  Dr.  Frank  

221 

Powell,  W.  B  

347 

Gard,  Charles  

.652 

Judd,  H.  B  

267 

Pratt,  George  E  

214 

Gard,  Henry  

.489 

Kendrick,  John  

513 

Priestly,  G.  P  

399 

Garrison,  Dr.  W.  H  

.539 

Kendrick,  S.  G  

288 

Rainwater,  Dr.  J.  H  

325 

Gay,  Dr.  F.  S  

.605 

Kennedy,  D.  S  

574 

Reed,  John  

677 

Gay,  James,  Sr  

.653 

Kenney,  C.  T  

228 

Retallic,  T.  A  

313 

Gay,  Thomas  A  

.556 

Kesinger,  Ransom  

326 

Robb,  C.  P  

402 

Gicker,  John  R  

.500 

Keys,  S.  A  

625 

Roberts,  E.  M  

611 

Gillings,  Frederick  

.639 

Kibler,  J.  T  

158 

Roberts,  G.  W  

719 

Godwin,  M.  F  

.599 

Killebrew,    Finis  

600 

Roberts,  Susan  

342 

Goodwin,  W.  H  

.621 

King,  M.  D  

370 

Ross,  A.  K  

548 

Gose,  C.  B  

.478 

Riser,  A.  L  

202 

Ross,  Col.  William  

222 

Grammer,  Sam  

.455 

Klein,  W.  I  

233 

Rowland,  B.  H  

238 

Gray,  George  E  

.570 

Kuhlman,  J.  W  

594 

Rupert,  C.  I  

714 

Gray,  H.  N  

.421 

Landess,  Levi  

656 

Rupert,  Mrs.  E.  L  

700 

Gray,  T.  B  

.566 

Lawson,  Frank  

551 

Rupert,  William  

693 

Greene,  Dr.  D.  W  

.675 

Leggett,  G.  W  

442 

Rupert,  William  

648 

Greene,  J.  M  

.492 

Leonard,  Alonzo  

203- 

Rush,  Hiram  

235 

Greiwe,  H.  H  

.579 

Lewis,  W.  H  

516 

Rust,  E.  R  

435 

Griffeth,  Justus  

.463 

Long,  W.  J.  and  G.  P  

678 

Sargent,  W.  P  

712 

Grimes,  W.  B  

.216 

Lockwood,  Dr.  J.  S  

390 

Schedel,  Jacob  

476 

Grimshaw,  W.  A  

.174 

Longnecker,  F.  A  

356 

Schwartz,  Dr.  G.  W  

657 

Grubb,  Jon  P  

.553 

Lovell,  A.  J  

617 

Scott,  Lyman  

323 

Hadsell,  Leander  

.415 

Loyd,  Henry  S  

257 

Scranton,   Nathan  

739 

Haines,  C.  N  

.668 

McCann,  Nelson  

711 

Seaborn,  W.  H  

276 

Haines,  G.  R  

.655 

McCarter,  Marcus  

470 

Seybold,  G.  W  

374 

Haines,  H.  W  

.608 

McComas,  Dr.  C.  U  

511 

Shadel,  Charles  

212 

Hake,  George  

.702 

McConnell,  Dr.  R.  J  

354 

Shastid,  Jon  

333 

Hall,  Charles  

.725 

McDannold,  A.  L  

418 

Shastid,  Dr.  T.  W  

348 

Hammond,  L.  B  

.441 

McFarland,  George  

426 

Shastid,  Dr.  W.  E  

269 

'Hamner,  H.  J  

.720 

McFarland,  Joseph  

410 

Shinn,  Albion  

490 

Hanks,  Nancy  

.690 

McKey,  J.  A  

641 

Shinn,  William  

373 

Harbourne,  J.  A  

.458 

McKinney,  Dr.  G.  B  

477 

Shive,  M.  V  

557 

Harrington,  J.  C  

.731 

McKinney,  Dr.  J.  G  

168 

Shoemaker,  Thomas  

294 

Harvey,  Dr.  L.  J  

.438 

McMahan,  L.  W  

.....494 

Shrigley,  G.  W  

411 

Harvey,  W.  M  

.598 

Manker,  C.  A  

206 

Shultz,  N.  R  

315 

Haskins,  S.  T  

.283 

Manton,  Thomas  

454 

Sigsworth,  John  

612 

Raskins,  W.  H  

.151 

Martin,  Hutson  

658 

Simmons,  C.  M  

319 

Hatch,  Abbie  A  

.162 

Martin.  T.  M  

427 

Sitton,  J.  K  

397 

Hatch,  John  F  

.172 

Massie,  H.  A  

632 

i   Skinner,  Dr.  W.  O  

253 

PAST   AND   PRESENT   OF   PIKE   COUNTY. 


75' 


Sleight,  John  G 
Smart,  S.  H 
Smith,   David 
Smith,  Elmer 
Smith,  George  M 


559 
199 
724 
726 
560 
Smith,  George  W  ...............  243 

Smith,  Granville  O  .............  299 

Smith,  John  A  .................  287 

Spencer,  W.  S  ..................  353 

Standley,  G.  W  .................  684 

Stone,  Edward  .................  505 

Stoner,  D.  W  ...................  293 

Stoner,  Dr.  E.  R  ................  336 

Stults.    William  ................  256 

Sweeting,  H.  W  ................  509 

Sykes,   Frank  ..................  330 

Sykes,   James  ..................  382 

Terry,  J.  L  ....................  213 

Thiele,  William  ................  565 

Thomas,  Dr.  J.  S  ...............  506 

Thompson,  Sylvester  W  .........  525 

Thornton,  N.  A  ................  726 

Thurmon,  Dr.  C.  E  .............  715 

Thurmon,  Dr.  F.  M  .............  236 

Thurmon,  Dr.  J.  D  .............  616 

Thurmon,  Dr.  W.  F  .............  733 

Thurmon,  W.  H  ................  697 


Toner,  J.  C  ....................  393      Williams,   Samuel 


742 


Turnbaugh,  W.  E 417      Williams,  W.  E 404 

Turnbaugh,  Jacob 514      Williamson,  E.  E 367 

Walch,  John,  Sr 549      Williamson,  Gay 258 

Walker,  J.  R 526      Williamson,  James 665 

Walker,  L.  L 381      Wills,  A.  V 204 

Walker,  W.  H 694      Wills,  W.  R 181 

Ward,  Lyman  309      Willsey,  J.  G 264 

Watkins,  J.  F 444      Willsey,  W.  R 188 

Watson,  Dr.  T.  M 547       Wilson,  Joseph 481 

Webb,  I.  T 686      Wilson,  W.  H 379 

Weber,  John  167      Winans,  E.  C 432 

Weeks,  R.  M 425      Winans,  I.  N 536 

Welch,  Dr.  J.  H 722      Windmiller,  Jacob 301 

Wells,  H.  F .577      Windmiller,  W.  A 334 

Wells,  J.  H 668      Windsor,  W.  H 483 

Wheelan,  James 335      Winn,  Charles  G. 450 

Witham,  G.  W 401 

Woods,  E.  M 550 

Wright,  B.  S 538 

Wyatt,  C.  R 666 

Yaeger,  Andrew 268 

Yaeger,  John  G 303 

Yokem,   Solomon 676 

Yokem,  W.  H 712 


Whitaner,  James 642 

White,  John 591 

Wike,  George 428 

Wike,  G.  H 300 

Willard,  C.  W. . 
Willard,  S.  A. . 
Williams,  A.  C. 
Williams,  D.  A. 
Williams,  J.  W. 
Williams,  N.  B. 


493 
602 

• 412 

716 

,...290 


^ 


II 


A\Kl£^ti$5WSK 


.1 


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x-*  ••  V;* 


